THE CLOSER: Ricky Carmichael continues to improve each week he climbs behind the wheel of the No. 4 Monster Energy KHI All-Star Chevrolet Silverado. Season-to-date Carmichael has shown strength as a closer. According to NASCAR’s Loop Data Statistics, Carmichael ranks sixth among Truck Series drivers in 2009 in improving his position during the last 10 percent of the race. On average, Carmichael and the No. 4 team gain 1.3 positions at the end of every event. Over the course of 2009, that has improved his standing by 10 spots.
GETTING LUCKY IN KENTUCKY: In eight previous starts in 2009, Carmichael has shown strength on 1.5-mile or larger tracks. His two best career finishes of eighth and 11th came at the 2.0-mile Auto Club Speedway in Fontana, California and the 1.5-mile oval of Texas Motor Speedway respectively.
ESPN X-GAMES THE MOVIE 3-D: Carmichael will be one of six featured athletes in the new ESPN X-Games the Movie 3-D. The movie outlines major athlete’s sacrifices and perils on their journeys to stardom.
BEFORE THE RACE: QUOTES WITH DRIVER RICKY CARMICHAEL:
You are half-way through your scheduled races for KHI in 2009, what have you learned thus far?
“Man, I learn something every week I show up to the track. The biggest thing is just how hard each track is to adjust to. It’s frustrating when you feel like you have a good truck and then you just can’t pass. This series is so competitive. I have learned a lot about the trucks and how they work compared to the Camping World East cars and ARCA cars that I have had experience with. I continue to try to learn from Ron [Hornaday], my teammate, who has a bunch of experience and from John [Monsam], my crew chief. I’m pretty proud of how we’ve done so far and I really look forward to the rest of the season, especially when we go back to some of the track’s I’ve raced at before.”
CHASSIS HISTORY: The No. 4 Monster Energy team will unload truck chassis No. 028 at Kentucky Speedway. Chassis 028 last competed as a No. 33 truck with Ron Hornaday behind the wheel at Michigan International Speedway in June. Carmichael drove chassis 028 to his career-best finish of eighth at the Auto Club Speedway in February.
PREVIOUS RACE RECAP: Two weeks ago at Memphis (Tenn.) Motorsports Park, Carmichael and the No. 4 team scored their third top-15 finish of 2009 by crossing the finish line in the14th position. Carmichael fought an ill-handling race truck and traffic the majority of the race. Learning new lines on the track and better techniques, Carmichael was able to work his way back into the top-15 in the closing laps of the event, while veteran KHI teammate Ron Hornaday recorded his third win of the 2009 season.
ONLINE MEDIA KITS: Media members can now access KHI media kits online at KevinHarvickInc.com. Included on the site are driver bios, driver and team images, KHI history and statistics, team profiles and schedules. Please contact Jessica Stroupe (JStroupe@kevinharvickinc.com) or Alicia Deal (ADeal@kevinharvickinc.com) at KHI for access to the new site.
About Monster Energy
Monster Energy supports the sport, no matter how radical or extreme. Be it Ricky Carmichael’s high-speed, high-banked NASCAR racing program, supercross, rally, insane distance jumping, motocross, MotoGP, roadracing, supermoto, off-road, freestyle motocross, skate, MTB, rock crawling, wake, mini bikes, surf, snow, BMX – the list goes on – the athletes that participate in these unique forms of athleticism are sparked by Monster Energy. Available in Original Monster Energy, Monster Lo-Carb, Monster Assault, Monster Khaos, Monster’s fruit juice hybrid dubbed “M-80,” the party-friendly MIXXD, the ground-breaking Java Monster premium coffee & cream drink line (supercharged with our Monster Energy blend), as well as the new Monster Energy “Hitman” energy shot, there’s something for everyone. Wherever they go, Monster Energy beverages power the Monster Army of athletes. Be sure to check out their never-ending series of adventures at www.monsterarmy.com and www.monsterenergy.com.
About Kevin Harvick Inc.
Kevin Harvick Inc. (KHI), established in 2001, is a 70,000 sq. ft. facility located in Kernersville, N.C. KHI houses two full-time Truck Series teams, including the 2007 series champions. The No. 33 team is led by three-time Truck Series champion Ron Hornaday and the No. 4 KHI All-Stars team is comprised of Ricky Carmichael, the most successful motocross racer in American history, J.R. Fitzpatrick and a variety of NASCAR Sprint Cup stars. KHI is also home to the No. 33 Nationwide Series team competing full-time with drivers Kevin Harvick (a two-time Nationwide Series champion), 2008 Daytona 500 champion Ryan Newman, Ron Hornaday, Cale Gale and Kelly Bires. The 2009 season marks KHI’s sixth year of full-time competition in NASCAR’s elite divisions. Visit www.kevinharvickinc.com for more information.
QUICK NOTES
July 18, 2009
Kentucky Speedway
Built Ford Tough 225 presented by the Greater Cincinnati Ford Dealers
Race length: 150 Laps/ 225 Miles
Banking/Turns: 14-degrees in turns, 8-degree front straight-a-way; 4-degree back straight-a-way
Track layout: 1.5-mile
Shape: D-shaped oval
Pre-Race Schedule
Friday:
Practice: 3:15 p.m. - 4:50 p.m., EST
Final Practice: 6:30 p.m. – 7:30 p.m., EST
Saturday:
Qualifying: 3:30 p.m., EST
TV: The Built Ford Tough 225 presented by the Greater Cincinnati Ford Dealers can be seen on SPEED at 7:00 p.m., EST
Radio: The Motor Racing Network (MRN) will broadcast live at 7:00 p.m., EST
No. 4 Chevrolet Silverado Specs:
Chassis: 028
Engine: PME
Ricky Carmichael
No. 4 Monster Energy Truck
KHI All-Star team
NASCAR Truck Series
Remaining Scheduled Starts:
July 24 Indianapolis
August 29 Chicago
September 5 Iowa
September 12 St. Louis
September 26 Las Vegas
October 24 Martinsville
October 31 Talladega