Ricky Carmichael and the No. 33 Monster Energy KHI All-Stars team finished the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series NextEra 250 in the 24th position after a lap 47 crash knocked the No. 4 truck out of the race. Todd Bodine won the race, followed by Kyle Busch and Terry Cook. This was the first Truck Series race of Carmichael’s career.
Carmichael started in the sixth position as the highest-qualified rookie and immediately raced into fourth place on the first lap. He ran as high as second place (on lap 13) and never fell further than 15th place during his time on track. Taking a patient approach to the early stages of the event, Carmichael was comfortably in fourth place on lap 47 when the eventual winner Bodine ran into the back of the truck of James Beuscher, spinning Beuscher’s truck into the path of Carmichael, sending the No. 4 Monster Energy truck into the heart of a multi-truck accident.
Ricky Carmichael Post-Race Quote: “That’s a bummer. I was having so much fun and learning so much on every lap. I learned that you have to be patient and do your own deal – you can’t get caught up in all of the action and the passing. It’s a shame because this team has been working hard and I really thought I was out there earning respect. Some day I’ll have some luck in this deal. It’s an unfortunate situation. They (the team) kept telling me I was doing a great job and I’m like, “man, I wrecked!” But I don’t know what happened. I thought I was through it and then I got clipped.”
Kevin Harvick, team co-owner, Post-Race Quote: “He (Carmichael) doesn’t even realize how good he was doing out there. He’s hard on himself. He was in fourth place halfway through the race. That (the crash) is just the nature of this kind of (restrictor-plate) racing. It’s the toss of a coin whether he gets through that crash or not. He did a great job.”
Carmichael, the most successful motocross racer in American history, is scheduled to race 14 events this year in the No. 4 Monster Energy KHI All-Stars Silverado in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series.
STATS RECAP
Date: Feb. 13, 2009
Track: Daytona (Fla.) International Speedway
Event Name: NASCAR Camping World Series NextEra Energy 250
Started: 6th
Finished: 24th
Laps Led: 0
Points Position: 23rd place
NEXT ON SCHEDULE:
Date: Feb. 24, 2009
Track: Auto Club Speedway
Event Name: San Bernardino County 200
Broadcast Time:
TV: FOX-TV at 3:00 PM, ET.
Radio: The Motor Racing Network (MRN) 2:30 pm ET