November 17th - November 21st, 2008
Thursday: Editor's Note: This column has been postponed until Monday due to technical issues for Matt McLaughlin. NASCAR's testing ban for 2009 has race teams and fans up in arms. Matt McLaughlin Mouths Off and puts the ban under the microscope, dissecting the pros and cons of cutting costs in this way.
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Ricky Carmichael Makes ‘Explosive’ Superspeedway Debut
Saturday October 4, 2008
Blown Tire While Running Fifth Ends Race for Motocross Star
Talladega, Ala. (Oct. 3, 2008) – Justin Allgaier won Friday afternoon’s Auto Racing Club of America (ARCA) RE/MAX 250 at Talladega (Ala.) Superspeedway, passing Joey Logano on the final lap for the victory. Ricky Carmichael, the most successful motocross racer in history, made a sparkling debut in his first race on a superspeedway. Carmichael spent the first half of the race among the top-five positions in the Kevin Harvick Inc. (KHI) No. 33 Chevrolet until a exploding right-rear tire destroyed much of the right-rear corner of the racecar. The damage was too severe to continue, relegating Carmichael to a 30th-place finish after completing 49 laps.
Ricky Carmichael / Driver Quotes:
How was your first race for KHI and first on a superspeedway? “I really like this stuff! It’s so unfortunate to have a blown tire, because we had a great car. Seriously, we had a shot to win. I was able to make some passes on the restarts, and it just seemed like our car handled smoother and was as fast as anyone else out there. I wasn’t trying to be a hero – I was just trying to be conservative until the end of the race.
“I was learning something every lap, and I learned a lot in 50 laps. Things like drafting and the way to race on a track this big and this fast. That was one of the goals coming into the race. It was important for me to gain experience, earn respect and let everyone know we are hoping to put together a sponsor package so I can run a full season in the Truck series with Kevin Harvick Inc. KHI was great to put this deal together in such a short time, and I’m pleased we did so well as a team until the blown tire. It’s really frustrating to have that take us out. I don’t like not winning, but it was a successful race in many ways.”
Describe the experience of blowing a right-rear tire at that speed: “THAT will get your attention! I’ll tell ya, things happen so fast at these speeds. The car was really good and then BOOM! It was that quick. No warning at all and it was gone. At first I thought someone had run into me. I thought ‘what is that guy doing?!’ as I was spinning (off of turn four). But it didn’t take me too long to realize what had happened.”
Kevin Harvick / Team Co-Owner Quote: “Ricky Carmichael introduced himself to the stock car world today. He did a great job.”
Race Rewind: Carmichael started ninth in his first-ever ARCA start, and gained five positions in the first lap. Slotting into the draft behind points leader Scott Speed, Carmichael remained in fourth place until making a pit stop on lap 30 for four tires and fuel. On the subsequent restart on lap 38, Carmichael aggressively leaped from 12th position into fifth place in less than two laps. He remained among the top-five until the right-rear Hoosier tire exploded in turn four on lap 49. Carmichael spun but kept the No. 33 KHI Chevrolet from careening into the oncoming traffic. He was able to continue slowly down pit lane, but the explosion was too severe, tearing out the rear brake lines and slicing away nearly the entire back half of bodywork.
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 Camping World/VFW Chevrolet Silverado driven by three-time Truck Series champion Ron Hornaday as well as the No. 2 American Commercial Lines/RVs.com Chevrolet Silverado driven by three-time Truck Series champion Jack Sprague. KHI is also home to the No. 33 Camping World/Rheem Chevrolet competing full-time in the Nationwide Series, with drivers Kevin Harvick, a two-time Nationwide Series champion, Hornaday and Cale Gale. The 2008 season marks KHI’s fifth year of full-time competition in NASCAR’s elite divisions. Visit www.kevinharvickinc.com for more information.
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