Carmichael makes 1st trip to Richmond

Ricky Carmichael

Photo by: Action Sports Photography

Welcoming 'the Goat' back... Ricky Carmichael will return to the seat of the No. 30 Monster Energy Impala this weekend at Richmond International Raceway (RIR) for his third NASCAR Nationwide Series (NNS) start of 2011. In his two previous starts this season he brought home a career-best ninth-place finish at Road America. Carmichael is set to make his final NNS start of the season at Phoenix International Raceway in November.

On a roll... Carmichael is coming off a great weekend at Atlanta Motor Speedway in his No. 4 Monster Energy Silverado. He captured his first NASCAR Camping World Truck Series (NCWTS) Pole Award and after a strong showing in the Good Sam Club 200, he brought his truck home in the ninth position for his fourth top-10 finish of the season.

Rookie at RIR... Though he is no stranger to racing competition, the 15-time AMA champion is a rookie at RIR having never made a start at the .75-mile D-shaped oval.

This week's Impala... The No. 30 Monster Energy team will hit the track with chassis TMS-119 this weekend at RIR. This chassis has seen track action several times this year at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, Auto Club Speedway, Kentucky Speedway and Iowa Speedway with both Reed Sorenson and Mikey Kile.

Carmichael Quotes

You're making your third Nationwide Series start of 2011 at Richmond this weekend. Talk a little about that.

"I'm definitely looking forward to another opportunity to drive one of Turner Motorsports' Nationwide Series cars. I've never had a chance to race at Richmond. It's one of the very few tracks where I haven't had a chance to race over the least three years, so this will be a first for me. It's going to be a really busy weekend for a lot of reasons. I've never been to Richmond, it's a one day show and I'll be driving a car that I don't have a lot of experience in. I'm excited for the opportunity and hoping to make the best out of it."

Considering you don't have any experience at Richmond, have you talked to anyone about the track to try and get some advice?

"I've talked to a few people about Richmond to try and get some information and digest as much as I can before I get there. At the same time, it's hard to put that information to good use until you get a chance to get out there and make some laps."

You've got your annual charity golf outing on Monday so you weren't kidding when you said you are going to be busy this week.

"We're hosting our charity golf tournament in Tallahassee (Fla.) on Monday and that's always a lot of fun. We'll have a lot of participants and supporters from both NASCAR and the Motocross and Supercross worlds. It's a great event and all the proceeds go to support the Emergency Care Help Organization (ECHO). ECHO provides job assistance and helps feed families here in Tallahassee. It's a great organization that helps people who have lost their jobs and homes and gives them temporary housing and helps with job assistance and placement. It's an honor for me to be able help such an important local charity."

You made your 100th-career start in four-wheel competition last weekend in Atlanta. Can you put that into perspective?

"I was really able to reflect on it after the Atlanta race. It was my 100th start on four wheels and for it to come at Atlanta and be able to sit on the pole and run up front all night made it really special. I've had a lot of great times in Atlanta in both Supercross and now in NASCAR. That town has just always been really good to me, statistically. It's pretty cool to be able to look at my first pole award flag and know it came in my 100th four-wheel start and at Atlanta Motor Speedway. It's pretty special."