SUNSHINE FOUNDATION: Throughout his career, Ricky Carmichael has had the privilege to meet with numerous children whose one wish has been to meet the 15-time American Motorcyclist Association (AMA) champion.
This weekend at Memphis Motorsports Park (MMP), through the efforts of the Sunshine Foundation: Dreams by Kids, Carmichael will meet with Jason Schmidt. He and his family will be traveling from Canada to meet with the Kevin Harvick Inc. (KHI) rookie of the year contender.
MONSTER ENERGY TRIPLE CROWN OF MOTOCROSS: As the Motocross season revs into high gear, Carmichael will be joining NBC’s live telecast as a color commentator on July 4th from one of his favorite Motocross tracks Red Bud Motorcross track in Buchanan, Michigan. This will be the second race of the Monster Energy Triple Crown challenge.
The first round of the challenge began at High Point Raceway in Mt. Morris, Pennsylvania. Christophe Pourcel and Chad Reed won in their respective divisions and are now the two riders capable of completing the Triple Crown victory. Carmichael is a three-time winner of the Triple Crown.
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.
BACK TO WHERE IT BEGAN: Only 122 miles east of MMP is the famous Loretta Lynn’s ranch in scenic Hurricane Mills, Tennessee. Loretta Lynn’s is the site of the AMA Amateur National Motocross Championships, where Carmichael became an instant sensation at the beginning of his two-wheel career. Carmichael won multiple amateur titles at Loretta Lynn’s on his way to professional motocross competition.
BEFORE THE RACE: QUOTES WITH DRIVER RICKY CARMICHAEL:
WHAT DO YOU EXPECT GOING INTO THIS WEEKEND IN MEMPHIS? HOW DO YOU PREPARE TO DRIVE AT A PLACE YOU’VE NEVER SEEN?
“To be honest with you I will jump online and go to Google Earth to check out an aerial view of the facility. I’m a very visual person so that kind of helps me get a layout in my head. I will also watch video from last year’s race. My teammate Ron Hornaday dominated this place last year, so I will probably call him up and get his opinion on what I need to be focusing on. Mainly, I try to do all the research I can. That is the trouble with me this season. I’m seeing all these places for the first time, so my learning curve is pretty steep. I am looking forward to when I can go back to a place for a second time. I think my results will be that much better.”
MEMPHIS IS KNOWN FOR ITS ELVIS TROPHY. HAVE YOU RECEIVED SOME COOL TROPHIES FROM YOUR MOTORCROSS DAYS?
“Actually, I have some pretty cool stuff at my house. I have a guitar that Mini Me (Vern Troyer) presented to me for the 2002 Action Sports Awards Most Extreme Athlete. I also have a drum set from Travis Barker the drummer with the band Blink 182. I have been fortunate to have collected some really nice memorabilia over the years. It would be nice to be able to put a NASCAR trophy with all the other awards I have.”
CHASSIS HISTORY: The No. 4 Monster Energy team will unload truck chassis No. 018 at Memphis Motorsports Park. Chassis 018 last competed one week ago at The Milwaukee (Wisc.) Mile, finishing 21st.
PREVIOUS RACE RECAP: Last week at The Milwaukee Mile Carmichael and the No. 4 Monster Energy team struggled with a loose truck the majority of the race. The team was caught three laps down to the leaders when an untimely caution waved during a round of green-flag pit stops. Carmichael finished the race in the 21st position three laps down.
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
June 27, 2009
Memphis (Tenn.) Motorsports Park
MemphisTravel.com 200 presented by O’Reilly Auto Parts
Race length: 200 Laps/ 150 Miles
Banking/Turns: 11-degrees in turns,
4-degree straight-a-ways
Track layout: 0.750-mile
Shape: Oval
Pre-Race Schedule
Friday:
Practice: 4:00 p.m. - 5:15 p.m., EST
Final Practice: 5:45 p.m. – 7:00 p.m., EST
Saturday:
Qualifying: 2:00 p.m., EST
TV: The MemphisTravel.com 200 presented by O’Reilly Auto Parts can be seen on SPEED at 6:00 p.m., EST
Radio: The Motor Racing Network (MRN) will broadcast live at 6:00 p.m., EST
No. 4 Chevrolet Silverado Specs:
Chassis: 018
Engine: PME
Ricky Carmichael
No. 4 Monster Energy Truck
KHI All-Star team
NASCAR Truck Series
Remaining Scheduled Starts:
June 27 Memphis
July 18 Kentucky
July 24 Indianapolis
August 1 Nashville
August 29 Chicago
September 5 Iowa
September 12 St. Louis
September 26 Las Vegas
October 31 Talladega