PREVIEW: RICKY CARMICHAEL (NO. 4 MONSTER ENERGY CHEVROLET) VENUE: DARLINGTON RACEWAY (1.366-MILE OVAL) CIRCUIT: NASCAR CAMPING WORLD TRUCK SERIES (RACE 15 of 25) EVENT: TOO TOUGH TO TAME 200 (147 LAPS, 200.6 MILES) DATE: AUGUST 14, 2010
CARMICHAEL AT DARLINGTON: Ricky Carmichael will be sporting his rookie stripe at Darlington Raceway this weekend in the Too Tough to Tame 200 as the 15-time AMA Champion makes his four-wheel debut at the "Lady in Black." The NASCAR Camping World Truck Series last visited Darlington in 2004.
CARMICHAEL ON TRUCKS: Carmichael's last race came at Nashville Superspeedway, where he finished in the 15th-position after battling loose conditions on his Monster Energy Chevrolet. So far this season, Carmichael has scored one top-five and three top-10 finishes.
CARMICHAEL ON COMPETING AT DARLINGTON: "I've never been to Darlington, but I'm really looking forward to hitting the track. There's just so much history at that place - some of the greatest names in NASCAR have won there, and there have been so many amazing finishes. I know it's a tough track and it's going to be a learning experience for me, so I'm going to make the most of the practice sessions we have. I just hope the only stripe I have on my Monster Energy truck at the end of the night is my rookie stripe - not the stripes Darlington is known for."
BEHIND THE WHEEL: Crew chief Doug Randolph has chosen chassis No.9 for Carmichael to pilot at Darlington. This Monster Energy Chevrolet has only been on the track once before, at Pocono, where Carmichael finished 19th.
CREW CHIEF'S KEYS TO SUCCESS: "The first thing is obvious - don't get into the wall! The main thing to remember at Darlington is that you have to race the race track, not your competitors. You need to have a good handling truck, but it's really all about not making mistakes."
BET YOU DIDN'T KNOW: After the conclusion of the NCWTS race at Nashville Superspeedway, Carmichael returned to his hometown motocross track to teach a special contest winner how to ride like a pro. FOX Racing sponsored the "Ride with RC" contest through Pac Sun retail stores and one lucky winner got a free set of FOX racing gear and got to spend the day hitting the dirt with Ricky at his farm.
