Ricky Carmichael
No. 4 Monster Energy Chevrolet Silverado
Event Preview Fact Sheet
Event/Date: AAA 200 Presented by J.D. Byrider – July 29, 2011
Venue: Lucas Oil Raceway at Indianapolis – Indianapolis, Ind.
· This Week’s Monster Energy Chevrolet Silverado … Ricky Carmichael will pilot chassis TMS-018 from the Turner Motorsports NASCAR Camping World Truck Series (NCWTS) stable in Friday’s AAA 200 Presented by J.D. Byrider at Lucas Oil Raceway at Indianapolis (LORI). This is the same Monster Energy Chevrolet Silverado Carmichael raced to an eighth-place finish earlier this season at Martinsville Speedway. Carmichael also raced this truck in February at Phoenix International Raceway where he finished 31st after a late-race incident with another competitor sent him to the garage area 18 laps before the checkered flag. This truck also saw action last October at Martinsville where he started sixth and finished ninth.
· Indy Info … Carmichael has two NCWTS starts at LORI and calls a 14th-place finish a career-best at the .686-mile oval. The 15-time AMA National Champion has logged a 19.5 starting average, a 16.5 average finish and completed all but two of the 400 total laps (99.5 percent) run over those two events.
· Nashville Notes … Carmichael and the Monster Energy Team turned in a sturdy 16th-place finish in last Friday night’s Lucas Deep Clean 200 at Nashville Superspeedway and raced in and around in the top 15 for the majority of the event. He fell a lap down to the leaders just before the halfway mark but stayed in the game by earning his way back on to the lead lap with less than 50 laps to go. He was 18th following the ensuing restart and picked off two more spots before the checkered flag waved.
· Back Stage Pass … On Saturday, July 23, Carmichael attended Britney Spears’ Femme Fatale concert at Veteran’s Memorial Coliseum in Jacksonville, Fla. The Tallahassee resident was an invited guest of the Grammy Award-winning artist and her father, Jamie Spears. The third-year NCWTS driver was given a pre-concert tour of the set and was backstage for a portion of the show before making a special “guest” appearance on stage during the concert.
· In a Nutshell … The 2011 season marks Carmichael’s second year competing on a full-time basis and third year overall in the NCWTS. Since making his series debut 55 races ago, the father of twins has gone on to earn three top-five and 14 top-10 finishes. Over those same 55 races, the motocross legend has logged a 15.2 average start, a 17.0 average finish, led 38 laps and completed 90.9 percent of the laps run, earning just over of $716,000 in purse money.
· Turner Truck Totals … In 12 NCWTS races in 2011, TMS-prepared entries have earned four top-five and 13 top-10 finishes. James Buescher leads the way with four top fives and 10 top 10s and jumped from fourth to third in points following his eighth-consecutive top-10 finish last weekend in Nashville. With the exception of Martinsville, Buescher has finished inside the top 10 in every race in which he has competed in the division this season. Carmichael has logged three top 10s, including a season-best sixth-place showing last month at Texas Motor Speedway, and is 16th in the standings. Brad Sweet wheeled the No. 32 machine for the first eight races of the year and logged a pair of top 10s.
· Steve’s Back in the Seat … Steve Arpin will return to the seat of the No. 32 entry this weekend where Mike’s Hard Lemonade will once again be the primary sponsor for the Canadian-born racer. Arpin will also pilot the No. 32 Chevy in September at Chicagoland Speedway. Mark Martin will see action behind the wheel of the truck next weekend at Pocono Raceway and later in August at Michigan International Speedway. With the exception of those four races , Blake Feese will fill out the remainder of the 2011 schedule.
· Get to the Point(s) … Carmichael maintained 16th in the NCWTS driver point standings following his 16th-place finish last weekend in Nashville. Still, he is just 13 points outside the top 13 and 35 back from the top 10. Buescher moved up to third in points following his seventh-place finish last weekend. While Arpin has made just three starts in 2011, the No. 32 machine is assured a spot on the starting grid by virtue of being 20th in the NCWTS owner point standings.
· Welcome Aboard … Turner Motorsports and Monster Energy are pleased to feature Kroger on the lower-rear quarter panels of the No. 4 Monster Energy Silverado this Friday in Indianapolis. The Kroger Co., (NYSE:KR) headquartered in Cincinnati, is one of the nation’s largest grocery retailers, with fiscal 2010 sales of $82.2 billion. The Kroger Co. spans many states with store formats that include grocery and multi-department stores, convenience stores and mall jewelry stores. Kroger operates under nearly two dozen banners, all of which share the same belief in building strong local ties and brand loyalty with our customers.
· See the Monster Energy Silverado … The Monster Energy Chevrolet Silverado show truck will make a pair of stops in the Indianapolis market this week. On Thursday, July 28, Carmichael’s No. 4 machine will visit Kroger, for Speedfest, located at 8150 Rockville Road in Indianapolis from 1 p.m. – 7 p.m. On Friday, July 29, the Monster Energy Chevy will make a pit stop at the 71st Street Ricker’s – 6050 West 71st Street – also in Indianapolis, from 11 a.m. – 3 p.m.
· Nationwide Notes … In 20 NASCAR Nationwide Series races in 2011, TMS-fielded teams have notched three wins, 18 top-five and 41 top-10 finishes. Reed Sorenson, driver of the No. 32 Dollar General Chevrolet, reassumed the points lead following his eighth-place run last weekend in Nashville. Justin Allgaier, driver of the No. 31 Brandt Chevrolet, finished fourth in Nashville to remain fourth in points, while Jason Leffler held on to sixth in the standings despite finishing 18th in the Music City. This weekend, the drivers and teams of the NASCAR Nationwide Series return to Indianapolis where the division will be the final act at Kroger SpeedFest at LORI. The Kroger 200 benefitting Riley Hospital for Children will take the green flag Saturday, July 30 at 7:30 p.m. Eastern Daylight Time. The race will be televised live on ESPN beginning at 7 p.m. EDT and broadcast on the Motor Racing Network and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio Channel 90.
· Up to Speed … Live coverage of the AAA 200 Presented by J.D. Byrider from Lucas Oil Raceway at Indianapolis will take the green flag Friday, July 29 beginning at 7 p.m. Eastern Daylight Time. The race will be televised live on SPEED and broadcast on the Motor Racing Network and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio Channel 90. Qualifying for Round 13 of the 2011 Camping World Truck Series Championship will be televised on SPEED the same day at 4:30 p.m. EDT.
RICKY CARMICHAEL QUOTES
Are you looking forward to some good old fashioned Friday night short-track racing?
“I’m really excited to go up to Indianapolis this weekend. I’m looking forward to it because I feel like you can get away with a little more at a short track. From a chassis and aerodynamic perspective, you don’t necessarily have to be spot on. The driver can make a little bit of that up from the seat. We’re bringing our Martinsville truck and that was a great race for us so I’m really looking forward to this weekend.”
You mentioned that the team is taking the truck you raced at Martinsville where you led some laps and raced up front for most of the day. That’s got to be a big plus for you heading into this weekend.
“It’s not only a plus for me but it’s a plus for the team. The guys know that we’re bringing a good piece so that boosts everyone’s morale a little bit. I can’t emphasize enough how important that is given how things have gone over the last few races. The cool thing about this race track is that it isn’t quite as line-sensitive as a track like Martinsville is. At LORI, you can move all around, especially on restarts. It’s a great race track.”
How do you feel about this potentially being the last race for the Truck Series LORI?
“I’m kind of torn. If this ends up being the last race for the trucks at LORI and, perhaps, if we left there and went to the big track, that would be great. But at the same time, this race track really fits the Truck Series demographic. We pack the house, the fans are great and the track always produces great racing. Like I said, I’m a little torn but at the same time, if we do lose it, I hope we go somewhere that’s just as good.”
What’s the key to a fast lap around Lucas Oil Raceway?
“You have to be able to roll through the center of the corners and you need good forward bite up off the turns. LORI lacks a little forward grip so you’re spinning the tires which makes it a lot of fun to drive and that also makes it challenging. It’s always really hot so the track is going to be slippery as well. Those are really the two biggest keys to getting around the race track.”
You were an invited guest at the Britney Spears concert in Jacksonville last weekend. How was that experience?
“I’m good friends with Britney Spears’ father Jamie and he’s been asking us to come check out a show. We had the privilege to see her perform last weekend in Jacksonville. They really rolled out the red carpet for us. We got to see what goes on behind the scenes. It’s was more than a concert. It was truly a show. We met Britney and took some pictures with her before she started to perform. I brought my wife (Ursula) and she was on Cloud Nine.
“We were watching the show and about five songs in, Britney’s boyfriend comes and gets me and tells me to come up towards the stage so we could see the dancers better and watch her perform up close. Right about the time he takes me from my seat and takes me over there, it was the part of the show where she asks for a volunteer. I’m sitting there watching her ask for a volunteer, not thinking this would ever happen, and they look over at me and basically dragged me out onto the stage. They had a car on the stage with a pole on the back so they handcuffed me to the pole and the dancers were all over me and Britney was messing with me, too. They put a pink and white boa around my neck and were totally clowning on me. It was hilarious and the fans definitely got a kick out of it. I’d like to say I got ‘punked.’ Her dad definitely got me. I had no clue that was going to happen. Nevertheless, it was a fun experience but I can’t lie … I felt a little awkward out there. Her dad told me it was payback but I’m not sure what he was paying me back for. It was still pretty exciting, no doubt.”
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About Turner Motorsports: Turner Motorsports, LLC, established in 1999, is in the midst of its sophomore season of NASCAR competition. Owned by Texas businessman Steve Turner, the organization has expanded in 2011 from a two-truck operation in the NCWTS to become the largest stand-alone multi-series team in NASCAR’s top-tier touring series. Turner Motorsports operates out of an 110,000 square-foot state-of-the art facility in Mooresville, N.C., and will compete with three entries in NCWTS and four entries in the NASCAR Nationwide Series (NNS). The team boasts an all-star driver line-up that includes Kasey Kahne, Mark Martin, Jason Leffler, Reed Sorenson, Justin Allgaier, Ricky Carmichael, James Buescher, Brad Sweet, Steve Arpin, Blake Feese and Brandon McReynolds. The Chevrolet-backed team has created alliances with General Motors’ powerhouse teams Hendrick Motorsports, which will provide engine support for both its NNS and NCWTS programs, Kevin Harvick Inc. for body and aero support, and Earnhardt Technology Group for drive train and suspension technology assistance. Turner Motorsports’ marketing partners include Dollar General, Great Clips, Mike’s Hard Lemonade, Monster Energy, BRANDT, Rexall, Exide, AccuDoc Solutions, Wolfpack Rentals, Fraternal Order of Eagles and ABF Freight. For more information on Turner Motorsports, visit www.turnermotorsportsllc.com.
