Tag Archives: Ricky Carmichael

_Each week, we’ll go through media reports, interviews, PR, and all of our own stuff to find the best quotes from the Sprint Cup race, capturing the story of how the weekend unfolded. It’s the most original commentary you’ll ever find: the truth, coming straight out of the mouths of the drivers, crew members, and car owners themselves. This week, here’s a peek at what the drivers were thinking following the EnjoyIllinois.com 225 at Chicagoland Speedway and the NAPA Auto Parts 200 at Circuit Gilles Villeneuve:_ *EnjoyIllinois.com 225* "It was a really good night for us. The Miccosukee Tundra was pretty good. We were real proud of the way that we brought a brand new truck here out of the box. We were dragging in practice a little bit and had to work through a few things to get the truck off the race track. We're going to take it home, work on it a little bit, polish it up and get it ready for the next one. Hopefully we can [win)]a few more times this season." _Kyle Busch_

*In a Nutshell:* Ron Hornaday, Jr. took the checkered flag 0.135 seconds ahead of Mike Skinner to win the Built Ford Tough 225 Saturday night at Kentucky Speedway. Hornaday, Jr. held off a hard charging Skinner long enough to score his third consecutive and fourth win of the season. Matt Crafton, Timothy Peters, and Aric Almirola rounded out the Top 5. *Who Should Have Won: Tayler Malsam.* Malsam started eighth and had a very fast truck, powering to the lead for the first time in his career on lap 47 after pit strategy helped him restart third.

As the Camping World Truck Series rolls into Memphis Motorsports Park for another weekend of great racing, I find myself looking back at the major rule change for the series this season. Prior to the season opener at Daytona International Speedway, NASCAR announced major pit road rule changes that would affect every team and their race strategies. In an effort to help teams save money, NASCAR changed the number of crew members allowed over the wall during a pit stop. Only five crew members are allowed over the wall, and teams are not permitted to get fuel and tires on the same stop. In addition, the crew chief must choose only 12 active crew members to travel with the team.

When the 2009 Camping World Truck Series season began, J.R. Fitzpatrick planned to run full time in search of becoming the 2009 Raybestos Rookie of the Year. Last month, all of that changed when TRG Motorsports announced they would run a reduced schedule due to a lack of financial support for the team. At the time, TRG Motorsports team principal Kevin Buckler said the team planned to return with J.R. Fitzpatrick or another driver. The team was present on the entry list at Lowe's Motor Speedway a few weeks ago, but Fitzpatrick's name wasn't alongside it. Sprint Cup Series driver David Gilliland piloted the No. 7 Hyde Park / FansSponsorMe.com Chevrolet to a 6th place finish in the North Carolina Education Lottery 200.

As the Camping World Truck Series takes its longest break of the season, sponsorship woes continue to plague the series. When the economy started taking a downturn, I never imagined how serious an impact it would have on NASCAR, and more importantly the Truck Series. No team owner or driver is immune to the difficulties in finding a sponsor. Shane Sieg, driving for Billy Ballew Motorsports, went to Martinsville Speedway without a sponsor aboard the truck, but a solid second place showing in qualifying gave Woodward Pools, based out of Waycross, Georgia, enough incentive to put their name on his No. 15 truck.

*After Sunday's race, many people were looking for rivalry or animosity between Denny Hamlin and Jimmie Johnson -- but didn't get any. Are people making something out of nothing, or should there have been more emotion out of the drivers?* Bryan: It would have been nice to see some kind of excitement from the drivers after that great of a race. Beth: I disagree. It was Martinsville, and both drivers were beating and banging. I don't really see where there should be a rivalry. Jeff: The emotion was fine. If Denny could have got back to him, though, you would have seen him move Jimmie for sure.

Former Motocross Champion Ricky Carmichael originally planned to run just 14 races of the 25 scheduled in the Camping World Truck Series, but team co-owner Kevin Harvick announced the team is looking for sponsors for Carmichael to run the rest of the races this season. "He's kind of sent us in a tailspin to be honest with you, because he's done so well," Harvick said "We're struggling to keep up with him from a sponsorship side because we didn't really expect him to do everything that he's done. He had 14 scheduled, and then we ran Atlanta, and everything looks good for Martinsville so we're up to 16 already, so we've got nine to fill, and if we can find that funding we'll fill it."

Four races into 2009, it’s safe to say that David Ragan’s season has thus far been among the biggest disappointments on the track thus far sans Mark Martin. The Cup circuit’s most improved driver in 2008 has struggled since a top 10 in the rain-shortened Daytona 500, with no top 10s and a DNF despite having Roush Fenway Racing’s vaunted intermediate package under him. Sitting 22nd in points, Ragan’s certainly not where many thought he would be in 2009, but surely a mediocre stretch of four races couldn’t be enough to threaten the job of crew chief Jimmy Fennig? Right?

Faulty Parts Cause Engine Troubles for Mark Martin, Dale Earnhardt, Jr. Concering HMS engine troubles that surfaced in Sunday’s Auto Club 500, ESPN reported on Tuesday that, according to Doug Duchardt, Vice President of Development for Hendrick Motorsports, “both cars had valve train failures that were related to a specific …

*In a Nutshell:* Kyle Busch took the checkered flag 9.023 seconds ahead of Todd Bodine to win the San Bernardino County 200 Saturday afternoon at Auto Club Speedway in California. Busch took the lead for the final time with only seven laps remaining after a late race gas and go pit stop on the way to his first win of the 2009 season. Chad McCumbee, David Starr and T.J. Bell rounded out the Top 5.