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Kentucky: Ricky Carmichael NASCAR Truck Race Preview
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.
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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.
PaddockTalk Perspective
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