Ricky Carmichael made his on-track debut at Michigan International Speedway for the VFW 200 and, after a rain-delayed race, brought home a 15th-place finish in his Monster Energy Chevrolet.

After a good run in the first practice, Carmichael felt comfortable in the cockpit of his truck and was prepared to make qualifying runs in the second practice session. However, Mother Nature wasn’t on

NASCAR’s side as heavy rains caused officials to cancel the second practice session. Regardless, Carmichael made a strong qualifying effort that placed the No. 4 Monster Energy Chevrolet Silverado in 11th position to start the 100-lap race.

The first caution flag of the race flew on lap 3, and Carmichael immediately reported loose conditions to his crew. Crew Chief Mike Fritts kept his driver out on the track, but prepared the No. 4 Monster Energy crew to make major changes to the truck on its next pit stop.

That first stop came only three laps after the re-start of the race on lap 10. Carmichael was in the 18th-position when he came down pit road. After battling “very loose” conditions, the crew took the track bar down four rounds, put a right rear rubber in, gave Carmichael four tires and filled his Chevy full of Sunoco race fuel.

Though the changes did help, Carmichael continued to battle loose conditions into turn one of the two-mile speedway.

On lap 32, the caution flag was once again displayed for rain. NASCAR officials brought all of the drivers down pit road and parked the trucks to allow for the brief shower to blow through and the track to dry. Before the race went green, the No. 4 received another big swing of changes with five more rounds down on the track bar, four new tires, an air pressure adjustment and fuel.

On lap 47, Carmichael reported that the truck still needed to be tighter. “The adjustments definitely made it better, but I still really struggle in the center of turn one,” Carmichael said.

The VFW 200 was caution free for the next 35 laps, but the Monster Energy team made a green flag pit stop on lap 75 to give Carmichael four tires and fuel.

Only one more caution flag flew during the race and Carmichael finished the final lap in the 15th-position and gained one spot in the points standings, putting him in 9th place.

FAST FACTS:

Prior to his visit to Michigan, Carmichael raced with some of the biggest names in motorsports in this year’s “Prelude to the Dream” at the famed Eldora Speedway. The 15-time AMA champion competed on a dirt track for the first time on four wheels with Team St. Jude’s Children’s Hospital in the Prelude and brought home a respectable 19th-place finish.

The Monster Energy Chevrolet team will enjoy some time off before returning to the NASCAR circuit on Sunday, July 11 at Iowa for the Lucas Oil 200 presented by SPEED on Mediacom. The race can be seen on SPEED TV, or heard on MRN Radio beginning at 1:30 pm Eastern time.

RICKY CARMICHAEL: “I wasn’t exactly sure what to expect at Michigan since I’ve never raced here. No matter how much research you do, and how many people you talk to, you don’t know how you’re going to perform until you actually get on the track. The guys brought a really good truck out here – our practice session was great and I was very comfortable in the car, but once the race started, I was fighting really loose conditions all day. It’s definitely not the finish I wanted, but it was good enough for us to gain a position in the points standings and that’s what’s important.”

After continuing to progress during the first and second practice sessions of the day, Carmichael’s qualifying effort landed him in 19th position for the start of the 134-lap race, which was delayed nearly three hours due to heavy rains that plagued the Speedway.

Carmichael had climbed three positions when the first caution flag flew on lap 10 and continued to make his way around the very green race track.

The second caution came out on lap 23, and Carmichael brought his No. 4 Monster Energy Chevrolet down pit road for four tires and an air pressure adjustment.

Eleven laps into his run, Carmichael reported a “bad vibration” in his Silverado, but fought hard for next 29 laps before he went one lap down to eventual race winner Kyle Busch on lap 70.

After reporting to his crew that he was “struggling to find grip” on the track, Carmichael found luck on his side as the third caution flag flew just before he brought his truck down pit road. The Monster Energy crew gave him four tires, fuel and made an air pressure adjustment in the hope of helping Carmichael find the feel in the truck he was looking for.

Good fortune was once again with Carmichael only one lap after the re-start when the fourth caution was displayed and the No. 4 was the recipient of the “Lucky Dog,” putting him back on the lead lap in 17th-place. He quickly came down pit road for a wedge adjustment and one final splash of fuel before taking the green flag to re-start the race on lap 94.

The crew discovered a slight tire rub on the left rear of his truck after Carmichael detected the smell of rubber in the cockpit of the No. 4. The rub went away and, by lap 109, he felt the truck was the “best it had been all day.”

As the race came to a close, the field was hit with two more caution periods, giving Carmichael time to gain two more spots to 11th-place. His position behind a slow truck on the final re-start of the race caused him to drop three places and take the checkered flag in the 14th position.

Kyle Busch was the winner of the rain-delayed North Carolina Education Lottery 200. Todd Bodine, Ron Hornaday, Turner Motorsports teammate James Buescher and Elliott Sadler rounded out the top-five.

FAST FACTS: The caution flag flew seven times during the 200-lap event for a total of 43 laps driven under caution conditions.

After enjoying a week off, Carmichael will return to the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series on Friday June 4 at Texas Motor Speedway for the WinStar World Casino 400k. The race can be seen on SPEED TV, or heard on MRN Radio beginning at 8:30 pm Eastern time.

RICKY CARMICHAEL: On his first race at Charlotte Motor Speedway: “We ended up better than I thought we would have. The crew worked hard to make it better all night and they did make a lot of positive changes.”

“The track changed a lot more than I expected. Other drivers tell you to expect it to tighten up during the race, but I never felt that.”

“All in all, things weren’t that bad in my first time here. I just wish we could have come out a little better in the end.”

Ricky Carmichael – No. 4 Monster Energy Chevrolet Race Recap
Venue: Dover International Speedway (1 Mile Oval)
Circuit: NASCAR Camping World Truck Series (Race 6 of 25)
RACE: Dover 200 (200 Laps, 200 Miles)
Date: May 14, 2010
Start: 35th – Finish: 4th

RACE RECAP:

• Despite enduring a weekend filled with bad luck, Carmichael battled his way from the rear of the field to score his career-best finish in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series at Dover International Speedway.
• A short time into the first practice session of the weekend, a lead weight bounced off of the track and through the grill of Carmichael’s No. 4 Monster Energy Chevrolet, breaking through the radiator, cutting the oil lines and causing a major fire to erupt. The Turner Motorsports crew worked feverishly to repair the truck and get Carmichael back onto the track.
• Limited track time during practice proved to be an enemy for Carmichael as he lost control of his truck during his first qualifying run, hit the wall and was forced to go to a back up truck for the race and begin from the 35th position.
• The first caution flag flew only four laps into the Dover 200, but in that short time, Carmichael was able to gain 10 positions on the competition. Despite Carmichael feeling loose on entry, the crew opted to stay out.
• Carmichael came down pit road to the attention of the Monster Energy Chevrolet Pit Crew on lap 21 during the race’s second caution with complaints of tight handling conditions on his truck. “It’s like my tires have 800-pounds of air pressure right now,” Carmichael said. The crew gave him four fresh Goodyear tires, made an air pressure adjustment and went down two rounds on the track bar. At the re-start of the race, Carmichael was ready to make his move from the 19th position.
• By the third caution, Carmichael was the first truck one lap down to a powerful Kyle Busch, but received the “lucky dog” and regained his spot on the lead lap. By this point, he needed more grip in the truck and was battling rising water temperatures. The crew gave him four tires, made an air pressure adjustment and removed tape from the nose to bring the water temperature down.
• When the fourth caution flag flew on lap 84, Carmichael was pleased with the adjustments that had been made on his Monster Energy Chevrolet. “It’s still a little tight in the center, but the adjustments you made on the last stop are definitely working. It’s a little slow to get going, but was really strong about 10 laps in,” Carmichael said. He re-started the race in the 16th position.
• The No. 4 returned to pit road on lap 122, under the 6th caution of the race for a full load of fuel and four fresh tires. From this point, the Monster Energy Chevrolet would be good on fuel until the end of the race.
• By the next caution, Carmichael was running in 18th place, but his lap times were faster than the four trucks ahead of him. He continued to pick off his competitors one by one before returning to pit road on lap 192 when the 9th caution flag of the race flew.
• Carmicchael re-started in 13th place, when skillful moves and great communication from his spotter helped him slice through a wreck on the re-start and gain six positions – moving him into 7th place in preparation for the first attempt at a Green-White-Checkered finish.
• The Dover 200 closed only two laps later on lap 204 and saw Carmichael take the checkered flag in fourth place – a career-best finish for the AMA champion.

Aric Almirola won the Dover 200. Carmichael’s Turner Motorsports teammate James Buescher took the second-place finish as Justin Lofton and Todd Bodine joined him in the top-five.

FAST FACTS:

• The caution flag flew ten times during the 200-lap event.
• Carmichael will return to the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series on Friday, May 21 at Charlotte Motor Speedway for the North Carolina Education Lottery 200. The race can be seen on SPEED TV, or heard on PRN Radio beginning at 7:30 pm Eastern time.

RICKY CARMICHAEL: On the emotion of his highest career finish in NASCAR – “I’m almost in shock. I’m happy for myself, but most of all I’m happy for this team. This is why you never give up. Honestly, it was a horrible weekend from the first incident in the first practice when we hit that lead. This team never gave up – they never do – we got a little luck and came out with a career best.”

“This finish makes all of the hard work worth it and it helps me a lot as a driver. I’ve always been pretty mentally strong, and that helped me a lot in motorcycles. We battled a lot of adversity this weekend, but this just shows that you have to stay positive and never give up.”
-TMS-

Media Contact:
Amanda Jones Ellis
Media Relations Account Manager
No. 4 Monster Energy /Ricky Carmichael
Cell: 731.697.0396
Amanda.ellis@turnermotorsportsllc.com

Ricky Carmichael – No. 4 Monster Energy Chevrolet Race Recap
Venue: Kansas Speedway (1.5 Mile Tri-Oval)
Circuit: NASCAR Camping World Truck Series
RACE: O’Reilly Auto Parts 250 (Race 5 of 25)
Date: May 2, 2010 (167 Laps, 250.5 Miles)
Start: 7th – Finish: 12th

RACE RECAP:

• Ricky Carmichael and the No. 4 Monster Energy team headed to Kansas Speedway, looking to capture a solid finish and continue their strong showing in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series driver championship point standings. Carmichael, making his second start at the Midwest track, dialed in his Chevrolet during two practice sessions on Saturday and established his position inside the top-10 competitors.
• During the qualifying session to determine the starting line-up for Sunday’s race, Carmichael laid down a lap of 32.316 seconds at 167. 100 mph to place the Monster Energy truck in the seventh position.
• Starting from the inside of row four, Carmichael held his position as two quick caution flags slowed the pace of the field in the first 17 laps. The Florida native radioed to crew chief Mike Fritts that the No. 4 Chevrolet was “a little too snug.”
• Carmichael restarted on lap 21 from sixth-place and quickly battled with teammate James Buescher. The Turner Motorsports teammates swapped positions as the third caution waved on lap 28. Fritts called Carmichael to pit road and the Monster Energy pit crew changed four tires, added fuel, and made an air pressure adjustment to help loosen the Chevrolet. Quick work by the crew allowed Carmichael to pick up one position, restarting from sixth-place on lap 32.
• Over the next 10 laps, the caution flag was displayed two more times for multi-truck accidents on the racetrack. Carmichael continued to hustle his Monster Energy truck, breaking into the top-five and restarting from the third-position on lap 47.
• A 50-lap caution-free run ensued, allowing Carmichael to feel out the handling conditions of his Chevrolet during a long run. Carmichael communicated to Fritts that he was facing a “loose in, tight off” condition, as the Monster Energy truck slipped back to the 10th position. Green-flag pit stops began around lap 82 and three laps later, Carmichael came to pit road for four tires, fuel, and an air pressure adjustment.
• As the 36-truck field cycled through green-flag pit stops, Carmichael regained his 10th position until the caution came out for the sixth time on lap 98. With threatening weather in the area, the Monster Energy team not only raced their fellow competitors but also the storm. Restarting on lap 103, Carmichael was scored in the seventh position, but started to lose grip as the temperatures cooled.
• The storm, full of rain, lightening, and hail, arrived at Kansas Speedway on lap 114, placing the Truck Series under a red-flag condition for 90 minutes. After the officials dried the track, the field returned to racing action. As soon as pit road was opened, Carmichael came to the attention of his Monster Energy team once again for four tires, fuel, track bar and air pressure adjustments. Carmichael had to return to pit road the next lap to finish the track bar adjustment and top off with fuel.
• Restarting from 15th-place on lap 120, Carmichael continued to fight and jumped up to the 12th position in only two laps. The final 47 laps were completed under green-flag conditions, allowing the field to spread out, hindering Carmichael to improve his position even more. As the checkered flag flew, Carmichael crossed the finish line in 12th-place.

Johnny Sauter won the O’Reilly Auto Parts 250. Ron Hornaday Jr., Todd Bodine, Brian Ickler, and Johnny Benson completed the top-five finishing positions.

FAST FACTS:

• The caution-flag was displayed seven times, accounting for a total of 37 laps.
• Carmichael dropped one position in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series driver championship point standings, to eighth-place. Carmichael is only two points behind seventh-place Jason White and 38 points behind fifth-place Johnny Sauter.
• Carmichael and the Monster Energy team will take one week off before returning to racing action at Dover International Speedway, on Friday, May 14, 2010. The green-flag will drop shortly after 5 PM Eastern and can be seen on a tape-delayed basis at 7:30 PM Eastern on SPEED.

RICKY CARMICHAEL: “Track position seemed to be key during the race. Once you got in the right spot, it seemed like you could just hold onto it. On the restart right before the red flag, I didn’t get a very good start and got hung up on the outside and lost some spots. We had a solid top-10 truck so it’s a little frustrating that we didn’t get that finish at the end. But all in all, it was a good day and a solid points day for my Monster Energy Turner Motorsports team. We’ll keep working at it and head to Dover.”
-TMS-

Media Contact:
Amanda Jones Ellis
Media Relations Account Manager
No. 4 Monster Energy /Ricky Carmichael
Cell: 731.697.0396
Amanda.ellis@turnermotorsportsllc.com

The Gillette Young Guns Join Tony Stewart, Jimmie Johnson, Jeff Gordon and Other Racing Stars in a Return to the Dirt in Support of Four Children’s Hospitals

Wednesday, June 9 Live on HBO Pay-Per-View

SPEEDWAY, Ind. (April 20, 2010) – On Wednesday, June 9, the most celebrated dirt track in all of motorsports will host the Gillette Fusion ProGlide Prelude to the Dream. Eldora Speedway in Rossburg, Ohio, will once again be the site of the all-star dirt Late Model race featuring more than 25 world renowned drivers as they battle for dirt supremacy on the half-mile clay oval, all of which will be presented live to the entire nation on HBO Pay-Per-View® with proceeds from the telecast supporting four of the nation’s top children’s hospitals:

• Riley Hospital for Children in Indianapolis: www.RileyChildrensHospital.com
• Cincinnati Children’s: www.CincinnatiChildrens.org
• Levine Children’s Hospital in Charlotte, N.C.: www.LevineChildrensHospital.org
• St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital in Memphis, Tenn.: www.StJude.org

The sixth annual event will be headlined by the Gillette Young Guns: Clint Bowyer, Kasey Kahne, Kyle Busch, Denny Hamlin, Carl Edwards and Joey Logano. All will join Tony Stewart, the two-time NASCAR Sprint Cup Series champion and owner of Eldora Speedway, and many others including fellow Sprint Cup champions Jimmie Johnson, Jeff Gordon and Matt Kenseth. All will pilot 2,300-pound dirt Late Model stock cars capable of putting out over 800 horsepower.

The live, commercial-free broadcast will begin at 7 p.m. EDT (4 p.m. PDT) with an immediate replay. HBO Pay-Per-View’s racing telecast has a suggested retail price of $24.95 and is available to more than 71 million pay-per-view homes. HBO Pay-Per-View® is the leading supplier of event programming in the pay-per-view industry. Ordering information and up-to-the minute racing information is available at either www.PreludeToTheDream.org or www.HBO.com.

And beyond the new charity element, this year’s Gillette Fusion ProGlide Prelude to the Dream will be a team event. There will still be an individual race winner, but there will now be a race within the race, with the field broken up into four teams, each representing a children’s hospital:

• Team Riley: Bowyer (captain), Ryan Newman, J. Gordon, Brian Vickers, A.J. Allmendinger, Kenny Wallace and Ron Capps.
• Team Cincinnati: Kahne (captain), Logano, Stewart, Kevin Harvick, Bill Elliott and Cruz Pedregon.
• Team Levine: Busch (captain), Johnson, Kenseth, David Reutimann, Dave Blaney and Marcos Ambrose.
• Team St. Jude: Hamlin (captain), Edwards, Robby Gordon, Ken Schrader, Aric Almirola, Ricky Carmichael and Ray Evernham.

Each hospital will receive a donation, with the payout breakdown as follows:

• Winning team receives 45 percent of net money raised.
• Second-place team receives 25 percent of net money raised.
• Third- and fourth-place teams each receive 15 percent of net money raised.

The lowest team score wins, and only the top-five drivers from each team will be scored. For example, if Team Riley has finishes of first, fourth, seventh, 11th and 18th, respectively, from its top-five drivers, its score will be 41. In the event of a tie, the sixth driver will be scored.

“We wanted to shake things up a little bit this year,” said Stewart, who has won the Prelude to the Dream three times since its inception in 2005. “The team concept adds another level of excitement because there’s now a race within the race. As individual drivers, we all want the big trophy at the end of the night. But it’s cool knowing that battles for fourth and fifth and even 11th and 12th will make a big difference for what children’s hospital ends up with the big check.

“We plan to raise a lot of money for all of these hospitals, no matter where their teams finish. Since HBO Pay-Per-View began televising the Prelude in 2007, we’ve been able to help a lot of deserving charities, and helping children has always been a part of that mission. With this format, we feel we can raise more money than ever before. We’ve always set a goal to raise $1 million. We haven’t been able to reach that goal yet, but with this year’s Prelude where we have a race within a race, I think we have our best shot yet to reach that magic number.”

The four charities – Riley Hospital for Children, Cincinnati Children’s, Levine Children’s Hospital and St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital – all cater to the medical needs of children.

The five previous Prelude to the Dreams have collectively raised more than $2.5 million. With each year’s event gaining significant stature and mainstream interest, Stewart’s goal is to have the Gillette Fusion ProGlide Prelude to the Dream raise $1 million, with the proceeds impacting the four charities.

“It’s an ambitious goal, especially in this economy” admits Stewart. “But if we don’t shoot for a number that is a true difference-maker, we’re not ever going to reach it. That’s our goal, and me and everybody else associated with this event is going to do everything we can to meet that goal. Now, we just need everyone out there to purchase the event, enjoy all the action going on at Eldora, and know that their dollars are going to a very worthy cause.”

“We are pleased to return this season as the entitlement sponsor of this unique race,” said Michelle Potorski, associate marketing director, Gillette North America. “This year we are launching the new Gillette Fusion ProGlide and we and all the Gillette Young Guns look forward to doing our part to help raise funds and awareness for all the charities involved and making this year’s event a success.”

Drivers from all types of disciplines, some with lots of dirt track experience and others with hardly any, will participate in hot laps, qualifying, heat races and a 30-lap feature, all of which will be televised live on HBO Pay-Per-View.

“This is the fourth year in a row we’ve been able to bring live action from Eldora into living rooms across the country,” said Tammy Ross, vice president and general manager, HBO Pay-Per-View & Sports. “This year’s addition of drivers competing on teams brings a whole new dimension to the broadcast, with the big winners being the hospitals they’re representing and the fans at home.”

With no points and no pressure, the Gillette Fusion ProGlide Prelude to the Dream is a throwback race, allowing drivers to step back in time and compete for the reasons they all went racing in the first place – pride and a trophy. And they’ll do it on the same surface that racing legends A.J. Foyt and Mario Andretti competed on nearly 50 years ago.

Other interesting storylines include:

• Fifty Racing Titles Represented at the Prelude: A total of 50 major championships have been won by drivers in the Gillette Fusion ProGlide Prelude to the Dream: Sprint Cup [12] – Elliott (1988), J. Gordon (1995, 1997, 1998, 2001), Stewart (2002, 2005), Kenseth (2003), Johnson (2006, 2007, 2008, 2009); IROC [3] – Harvick (2002), Kenseth (2004), Stewart (2006); Nationwide Series [6] – Harvick (2001, 2006), Vickers (2003), Edwards (2007), Bowyer (2008), Busch (2009); IndyCar Series [1] – Stewart (1997); NHRA Funny Car [2] – Pedregon (1992, 2008); SCORE Off-Road [6] – R. Gordon (1986, 1987, 1988, 1989, 1990, 2009); AMA 125 National [3] – Carmichael (1997, 1998, 1999); AMA 125 East Coast SX [1] – Carmichael (1998); AMA 250 National [6] – Carmichael (2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005); AMA 250 Supercross [5] – Carmichael (2001, 2002, 2003, 2005, 2006); U.S. Open of Supercross [3] – Carmichael (200, 2001, 2005); WSXGP 250 Supercross [1] – Carmichael (2005); MXdN [1] – Carmichael (2005).
• Dirt Veterans vs. Dirt Neophytes: Stewart, J. Gordon, Kahne, Newman, Blaney, Bowyer, Elliott, Schrader and Wallace grew up on dirt tracks, while Vickers, Busch, Harvick, Almirola, Hamlin and Logano spent the majority of their racing upbringing on asphalt.
• What Happens When a Drag Racer has to Turn the Steering Wheel?: Capps is a 14-year veteran of the NHRA and Pedregon is a 16-year NHRA driver, where straight-line runs over 300 mph are commonplace. They’ll have to turn right to go left as they sling their dirt Late Models around Eldora.

For those who want to see the Gillette Fusion ProGlide Prelude to the Dream in person, tickets are available online at www.EldoraSpeedway.com or by calling the track office (937) 338-3815. Act fast – the race has sold out in each of its five previous years.

Media members planning to cover the Gillette Fusion ProGlide Prelude to the Dream can apply for credentials online at www.TrueSpeedCommunication.com. All credential requests must be submitted by May 28, 2010. Complete event information can be found in the Gillette Fusion ProGlide Prelude to the Dream online media kit at www.TrueSpeedMedia.com.

Snapshots of each charity supported by this year’s Gillette Fusion ProGlide Prelude to the Dream are as follows:

• Riley Hospital for Children (www.RileyChildrensHospital.com): As one of the nation’s leading pediatric hospitals and Indiana’s first and only comprehensive hospital dedicated exclusively to the care of children, Riley Hospital for Children, a part of Clarian Health, has provided compassionate care, support and comfort to children and their families for 85 years. Each year, more than 250,000 inpatient and outpatient visits are made to Riley Hospital from across Indiana, the nation and the world. Riley Hospital’s partnership with Clarian Health and its strong affiliation with the Indiana University School of Medicine make it the only comprehensive clinical resource for Indiana’s children and the premiere source for health-related information for their parents.
• Cincinnati Children’s (www.CincinnatiChildrens.org): Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center, a not-for-profit hospital and research center, is consistently ranked as one of the best pediatric centers in the nation. It is one of only 10 children’s hospitals in the United States to make the Honor Roll in U.S. News and World Report’s 2009-10 America’s Best Children’s Hospitals issue. Cincinnati Children’s is ranked No. 1 for digestive disorders and is also highly ranked for its expertise in respiratory diseases, cancer, neonatal care, heart care, neurology/neurosurgery, diabetes, orthopedics, kidney disorders and urology. One of the three largest children’s hospitals in the U.S., Cincinnati Children’s has more than one million patient encounters each year. Cincinnati Children’s has a long history of research discoveries that have changed the outcome for children. In recognition of the quality and promise of its research, Cincinnati Children’s is one of the top two recipients of pediatric research grants from the National Institutes of Health. President Barack Obama in June 2009 cited Cincinnati Children’s as an “island of excellence” in health care. For its achievements in transforming health care, Cincinnati Children’s is one of six U.S. hospitals since 2002 to be awarded the American Hospital Association-McKesson Quest for Quality Prize for leadership and innovation in quality, safety and commitment to patient care. The hospital is a national and international referral center for complex cases.
• Levine Children’s Hospital (www.LevineChildrensHospital.org): Levine Children’s Hospital is a 234-bed hospital in Charlotte, N.C, located on the main campus of Carolinas Medical Center. Since opening in December 2007, the hospital has grown to include more than 30 pediatric specialties and has already received national distinction by U.S. News & World Report as one of “America’s Best Children’s Hospitals” for treatment of kidney disorders.

  Levine Children’s Hospital is also home to the Ricky Hendrick Centers for Intensive Care, which support pediatric intensive and cardiovascular surgery patients. Additional distinctions include organ and bone marrow transplants; pediatric dialysis; interventional cardiology and cardiac surgery; heart-lung bypass capabilities for newborns and pediatric patients; an inpatient pediatric rehabilitation unit; and 24/7 emergency services. Levine Children’s Hospital is the most comprehensive facility of its type between Atlanta and Washington, D.C. – meaning most children no longer need to travel outside of the region to receive the care they need.

  Most recently, Levine Children’s Hospital announced the formation of the Carolinas Kids Cancer Research Coalition, a group of eight of the region’s most dedicated nonprofit organizations committed to supporting pediatric cancer research and services at Levine Children’s Hospital.

• St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital (www.StJude.org): St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital is internationally recognized for its pioneering research and treatment of children with cancer and other catastrophic diseases. Ranked the No. 1 pediatric cancer hospital by Parents magazine, St. Jude is the first and only National Cancer Institute-designated Comprehensive Cancer Center devoted solely to children, and has treated children from all 50 states and from around the world. St. Jude has developed research protocols that helped push overall survival rates for childhood cancer from less than 20 percent when the hospital opened to almost 80 percent today. St. Jude is the national coordinating center for the Pediatric Brain Tumor Consortium and the Childhood Cancer Survivor Study. In addition to pediatric cancer research, St. Jude is also a leader in sickle cell disease research and is a globally prominent research center for influenza.

  Founded in 1962 by the late entertainer Danny Thomas, St. Jude freely shares its discoveries with scientific and medical communities around the world, publishing more research articles than any other pediatric cancer research center in the United States. St. Jude treats more than 5,400 patients each year and is the only pediatric cancer research center where families never pay for treatment not covered by insurance. St. Jude is financially supported by thousands of individual donors, organizations and corporations without which the hospital’s work would not be possible. In 2010, St. Jude was ranked the most trusted charity in the nation in a public survey conducted by Harris Interactive, a highly respected international polling and research firm.
  -TSC-

For More Information, Contact:
Mike Arning
True Speed Communication
704.875.3388 or Mike.Arning@TrueSpeedCommunication.com

Patrick Byrne
HBO Pay-Per-View
212.512.1361 or Patrick.Byrne@hbo.com

Ricky Carmichael/ NO. 4 Monster Energy Chevrolet Race Recap
Venue: NASHVILLE SUPERSPEEDWAY (1.333-Mile D-Shaped Oval)
Circuit: NASCAR Camping World Truck Series
Race: Nashville 200 (Race 4of 25)
Date: April 2, 2010 (150 Laps, 200 Miles)
Start: 19th – Finish: 15th
POINTS: 7th

RACE RECAP:

• Friday at Nashville (Tenn.) Superspeedway was the first of several one-day-shows for the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series. The morning practice session started off in the right direction for the Monster Energy Race Team with Carmichael posting the sixth fastest time.
• The final practice for the Truck Series started 30 minutes after the first practice ended. Five laps into the practice Carmichael felt something on the No. 4 Monster Energy Chevrolet was off balance and began to make his way to pit road. But before he could the truck spun out of control making contact with the wall in turn two. The damage forced the team to a back up. Due to the fast and matriculate work of the Monster Energy Racing Team Carmichael was back on the track in just 19 minutes in the new chassis.
• Qualifying for the Nashville 200 took place Friday afternoon and Carmichael qualified in the 19th position.
• The drop of the green flag was displayed before the beautiful night time sky. “The truck is tight,” said Carmichael on lap 20 while running in 18th spot.
• The first of two caution flags waved on lap 32 for debris in turn four. Carmichael brought the No. 4 Monster Energy Chevrolet down the pit lane to the attention of his crew. They jumped into action changing all four tires, added fuel and made an air pressure adjustment before sending Carmichael on his way. He restarted in the 15th position on lap 37.
• Over the next 40 laps Carmichael struggled with the tight race truck. “I don’t have any grip,” said Carmichael while running 17th. “I am trying every line I can to make something happen.”
• The tight condition persisted and Carmichael was unable to hold the leaders off which resulted in going a lap down just before the team’s second pit stop of the night. On lap 97, while under green conditions, Carmichael drove the Monster Energy Chevrolet down pit road to the attention of his crew. They added fuel, changed all four tires and made a slight track bar adjustment before sending him back out onto the track.
• Several laps later the second and final caution waved for a wreck on the frontstretch. Once again Carmichael hit pit road for service. The Monster Energy Racing Team added fuel to the No. 4 Chevrolet and sent him on his way. He restarted in the 14th position on lap 110.
• “Keep doing what you are doing,” said Crew Chief Mike Fritts on lap 119. “You just ran your fastest lap of the night.”
• For the final 31 laps Carmichael battled his way in and out of the top-15 falling back to 16th position on lap 140. But Carmichael was determined to finish in the top-15 and passed for the 15th position on the final lap of the race.

Kyle Busch won the Nashville 200. Kevin Harvick, Ron Hornaday Jr., Timothy Peters and Todd Bodine rounded out the top five finishers.

FAST FACTS:

• Carmichael’s 15th place finish in the Truck Series race at Nashville (Tenn.) Superspeedway was the team’s third top-15 finish of the season. It was his ninth Top-15 finish of his young Truck Series career.
• The caution flag flew two times for 10 laps during the 150 lap event.
• The NASCAR Camping World Truck Series is off for the next four weeks and resume action Sunday, May 2nd at Kansas Speedway. However, no rest for Carmichael and his Monster Energy Racing team. They will take to the track in two weeks for the ARCA Racing Series presented by Re/Max and Menards events at Texas Motor Speedway and the following week at Talladega Superspeedway.

RICKY CARMICHAEL: “I am proud of my crew today. They worked extremely hard to get this truck ready to race after I wrecked the primary in practice. They all deserve a pat on the back. The truck was tight all night and I tried every line I could to make up for it. I would be lying if I didn’t say today was frustrating. But we will head to Kansas in a couple of weeks and get back to finishing in the top-10.”
-TMS

Media Contact:
Amanda Jones Ellis
Media Relations Account Manager
No. 4 Monster Energy /Ricky Carmichael
Cell: 731.697.0396
Amanda.ellis@turnermotorsportsllc.com

I am flying into Nashville a day early for some media interviews and appearances. I always enjoy getting to know the local media who cover our sport. Wednesday night, I was on the CBS Sports Line with Hope Hines and Thursday we have a very busy day. We start out at Fox 17 in the morning and then move to the 104.5 The Zone studios for a radio interview. After that we are going to be on the Ricky and Bubba radio show and eat lunch with the local media.

Thursday night I am going to be at the Nashville Fan Fest so I would love for you to stop by and say hi. It starts at 5 p.m. CT and ends at 8 p.m. It is at the Camping World Store located near the Grand Old Opry.

If you are in town for the race be sure to stop by and see my Monster Energy Chevrolet show truck at two DAILY’S convenience stores and get a free Ricky Carmichael Monster Energy poster.

Speaking of Monster, they have a cool promotion going on right now at www.monsterenergy.com. You can register at the Web site for a chance to win two garage passes and two grandstand tickets to one of my races. On top of that, you get to meet me and my pit crew.

As you can tell, Nashville is going to be a busy weekend for us, but after such a great finish at Martinsville, I am so ready to head to the track. I will be honest, Martinsville could have been a big bullet for us. I finished 29th at the race last spring and wasn’t sure what to expect heading into this year’s race. I knew we would be better, but I also know how challenging Martinsville can be.

We struggled a little bit in practice, but were able to start 12th when rain Friday canceled qualifying. Track position is crucial at Martinsville so I was happy with a 12th starting spot. From the beginning of the race, my Monster Energy Chevy was running better than in practice. My goal was to stay out of trouble for the majority of the race and capitalize on a great finish at the end.

It didn’t really go as I planned. I was running just inside the top-10 when I got spun on Lap 145. Luckily, the damage was not too severe and we were able to continue. After that I was pretty mad because we lost all the track position we had gained during the race. The Monster Energy Chevy proved to still be strong and I was able to drive my way back to the 10th position.

To come out of Martinsville with a semi-wrecked truck and still finish in the 10th position — I was a happy camper.

I better get to the airport. Hope everyone has a Happy Easter this weekend.

Come see me in Nashville!

“Riding with Ricky” is a weekly feature posted at Nascar.com. If you are interested in keeping up with Ricky between the blogs, you can follow him through the social media world at Twitter and Facebook.

Ricky Carmichael – No. 4 Monster Energy Chevrolet Race Recap
Venue: Martinsville Speedway (.526 Mile Oval)
Circuit: NASCAR Camping World Truck Series
RACE: Kroger 250 (Race 3 of 25)
Date: March 27, 2010 (250 Laps, 131.5 Miles)
Start: 12th – Finish: 10th
Points: 7th

RACE RECAP:

• Rain showers moved over Martinsville Speedway just as the second practice was beginning Friday afternoon. The drizzling rain never ceased and NASCAR Camping World Truck Series (NCWTS) qualifying was canceled. The field for the Kroger 250 was set by the 2009 NCWTS Owner Points Standings according to the NASCAR rule book. The Monster Energy Chevrolet started in the 12th position.
• By lap five Carmichael had moved into the 11th position and radioed in to his crew “I need to turn a little better in the center, but the truck is really good.”
• The first of 11 cautions came on lap 28 for a spin in turn three while Carmichael was battling for 13th position. “Keep after it,” said Crew Chief Mike Fritts under caution. “We will make adjustments during our next pit stop.”
• Over the next 45 laps Carmichael drove the Monster Energy Chevrolet into the top-10. The second caution came out on lap 75 for a spin in turn one. During the caution Carmichael hit pit road for service. The Monster Energy Racing Team changed all four tires and added fuel before sending him on his way. He restarted in ninth on lap 79.
• “Truck is really good,” said Carmichael on lap 93 during the fourth caution. “I am just trying to be patient.” He restarted in the eighth position. Several laps later Carmichael ran his fastest lap of the race.
• A caution for debris on lap 135 brought out the sixth caution. Carmichael hit pit road for service from the Monster Energy Racing Team. They changed all four tires, added two cans of fuel and made an air pressure adjustment before sending Carmichael back out. He restarted in 12th position after several competitors chose not to pit under the caution.
• On lap 146 Carmichael, who was running the high line, was battling for position with rookie Austin Dillon when Dillion hit the inside curb in turn three sending his truck into the side of Carmichael. The No. 4 Monster Energy Chevrolet was sent spinning between turns three and four collecting damage on the front and rear of the truck before coming to a stop.
• Carmichael drove the damaged Monster Energy Chevrolet down pit road to the attention of his crew. They jumped into action repairing the damage on the left front and left rear of the truck with baseball bats, sawzalls and bare bond in hand. Carmichael returned to the track in 21st position, one lap down to the leader.
• Luckily, the next caution waved two laps later for a wreck on the back stretch awarding Carmichael with the lucky dog award. He returned to the lead lap on lap 156 still in the 21st position.
• Over the next 20 laps Carmichael beat and banged his way back to the 11th position. “I know it is not as good as it was before the wreck, but I have seen you race bikes with bent handlebars before,” encouraged Crew Chief Fritts. “You can get this truck back into the top-10.” Carmichael agreed while running under the ninth caution and restarted in the 11th position.
• During the final 50 laps Carmichael fell all the way back to the 15th position after being hung on the outside during a restart, but never gave up. On the final lap of the race he made the pass to secure the 10th place finishing position.
• It was the team’s second top-10 finish of the season and moved Carmichael up five spots to seventh in the Truck Series point standings.

Kevin Harvick won the Kroger 250. Ron Hornaday Jr., Brian Ickler, Timothy Peters and Johnny Benson rounded out the top five finishers.

FAST FACTS:

• Carmichael’s 10th place finish in the Truck Series race at Martinsville Speedway was second top-10 finish of the season. It was his fourth Top-10 finish of his young Truck Series career.
• The caution flag flew 11 times for 66 laps during the 250 lap event.
• Next up for the No. 4 Monster Energy team is the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series event at Nashville Superspeedway Friday, April 2nd.

RICKY CARMICHAEL: “That was a hard fought 10th place finish, but I am happy to just finish in Martinsville. I am so proud of this team for fixing the damage on the Monster Energy Chevrolet so quick after the wreck. It could have been a lot worse than it was, but they never missed a beat. We got lucky for the caution to come out as quickly as it did after that restart and get the lucky dog. It is not every day you can say you were lucky at a race track especially this one. I keep thinking what a difference a year makes. I came here last year and had a rough introduction to Martinsville. Today was a great finish and great points day for my Turner Motorsports crew.”
-TMS-

Media Contact:
Amanda Jones Ellis
Media Relations Account Manager
No. 4 Monster Energy /Ricky Carmichael
Cell: 731.697.0396
Amanda.ellis@turnermotorsportsllc.com

Ricky Carmichael – No. 4 Monster Energy Chevrolet Race Recap
Venue: Atlanta Motor Speedway (1.5 Mile tri-oval)
Circuit: NASCAR Camping World Truck Series
RACE: E-Z-GO 200 (Race 2 of 25)
Date: March 6, 2010 (130 Laps, 200 Miles)
Start: 12th – Finish: 6th

RACE RECAP:

• Sunny skies and chilly temperatures blanketed Atlanta Motor Speedway (AMS) Saturday morning as Carmichael qualified the No. 4 Monster Energy Chevrolet in the 12th position.
• Just following the drop of the green flag Carmichael radioed into his crew, “the truck is awesome” as he made his way into the top-10.
• Carmichael wasted no time making up for lost ground on pit road. By lap 40 he had worked his way into the 13th spot. “I need it to be freed up on the next stop” radioed in Carmichael to his crew on lap 47. The next pit stop would come sooner than expected when the second caution waved for debris on lap 54.
• Carmichael made his way down pit road to the attention of the Monster Energy Racing Team. They changed all four tires, added fuel and made a wedge adjustment before sending the No. 4 Monster Energy Chevy on its way. He restarted in 15th position with 73 to go in the race.
• Over the next 50 laps Carmichael used both the high line and low line to work his way up to eighth position. “It is a little free, but we nailed turns one and two,” he radioed into the crew.
• As the race winded down Carmichael, running in the seventh position, was one lap from being forced to stop under green for fuel when the final caution waved for debris on lap 113. “That caution could not have come at a better time,” said Crew Chief Mike Fritts.
• Carmichael drove the Monster Energy Chevrolet down pit road for the last time. The Monster Energy Racing Team jumped into action changed all four tires, added fuel and made an air pressure adjustment before sending him out in sixth place.
• During the final 14 laps Carmichael proved he was here to race with the big boys and scored a sixth place finish. It was Carmichael’s career best finish in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series.

Kevin Harvick won the E-Z-GO 200. Kyle Busch, Aric Almirola, Steve Wallace and Todd Bodine rounded out the top five finishers.

FAST FACTS:

• Carmichael’s sixth place finish in the Truck Series race at AMS was his career best.
• The caution flag flew six times for 27 laps during the 130 lap event.
• Following the race at Atlanta Carmichael flew to Daytona to commentate the Supercross event that evening. Sunday he hosted the first ever Ricky Carmichael Amateur Supercross Championship at the famed track and on Monday he will preside over the inaugural Ricky Carmichael University riding school.
• Next up for the No. 4 Monster Energy team is the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series event at Martinsville Speedway Saturday, March 27.

RICKY CARMICHAEL: “That finish was huge for this team. After Daytona I knew we needed to finish this race and not take home a wrecked truck. But we didn’t just want to finish we wanted to show them we are here to stay this season. I think we did a good job of doing that. All weekend this team worked hard in practice to make this truck better. We didn’t qualify as good as I hoped we would, but I knew it would be good in the race. To be able to overcome the adversity on pit road and finish as strong as we did makes for a good day. I hate we have two weeks off now, but we will be ready come Martinsville.”
-TMS-

Media Contact:
Amanda Jones Ellis
Media Relations Account Manager
No. 4 Monster Energy /Ricky Carmichael
Cell: 731.697.0396
Amanda.ellis@turnermotorsportsllc.com

The last few days I feel like I’ve been going in circles. No, I haven’t lost my mind and I do remember that I still drive a race truck. It started back the weekend before last. I flew to North Carolina to meet with the team and have my seats refitted. The next day I drove to Atlanta with my crew chief for the AMA Monster Energy Supercross event at the Georgia Dome.

Being there was just like old times. I commentated the main events for SPEED that evening, but during the day I had a little fun. The Atlanta race has always been considered my home race because it is only a few hours from Tallahassee (Fla.) and I try to ride opening ceremonies to thank the fans for their support when I can. I think I shocked everyone when I rode the first practice earlier that afternoon.

It was great to hear the fans erupt into a roar when I walked out of the pits in my gear and ready to ride. I think a lot of fans thought I was making a comeback! After the SX event, I drove home and spent the afternoon with my kids before filming Wind Tunnel with Dave Despain later that night. I am a big fan of Wind Tunnel because it covers all forms of racing and Dave’s always been real cool to me when we have done interviews in the past.

The next two days I spent riding at my farm for a Fox Racing photo shoot and putting the finishing touches on the Supercross track I designed for the Daytona race that weekend. I headed to Daytona on Thursday to walk the track and make any last-minute changes before flying back to Atlanta for the Truck race.

It was a great race for my Monster Energy Racing Team. We unloaded pretty quick and remained in the top 10 during both practice sessions. We qualified 12th and I’ll admit that I was disappointed with that. I thought we would be a little faster, but it didn’t hold us back. I love racing at Atlanta because you can run the high lane or the low lane. If your truck is not handling the way you would like you can move around the track to find another line. A lot of tracks you can’t do that.

It proved to be my best track so far. I scored my career-best Truck finish with sixth place. It was great motivation for me and this team heading into Martinsville in a couple of weeks. It really shows how hard our new team is working and I can’t say enough about the guys back at the shop making it happen.

After the Atlanta race I hopped on a plane with Kevin Harvick and flew to Daytona for the Supercross event. Ken Schrader and Trevor Bayne were also there. It’s always fun for me having new people at the races. I really enjoy showing our sport to new people. Once again I commentated the race for SPEED. It was a great ending to a busy day.

I had to be back at Daytona early the next morning for opening ceremonies for the inaugural Ricky Carmichael Amateur Supercross event. It was the first time Daytona had an amateur Supercross race in 22 years. It was a huge honor and I had a great day watching lots of upcoming talent. I guess you can say I have come full circle having an event named after me.

I have to give a big thanks to MX Sports and Daytona International Speedway for helping to make it happen. This was an idea we had talked about for a while and now that it was finally coming true I still found it hard to believe. The turnout was awesome, almost 800 riders! I was really happy to see how the track turned out and hearing from all the riders and families how much fun they were having. It is really gratifying to see something you and so many people work so hard on finally come together. But the trip wasn’t over yet.

Monday was a huge day for me. I hosted the first Ricky Carmichael University riding school at Daytona. It was the first time I ever put on a riding school and to have it at Daytona made it even more special. We had 100 riders attend including two special students, SPEED’s Rutledge Wood and Kyle Petty. Once again I couldn’t have pulled it off without a lot of help, especially my guest instructors — Jeff Stanton, Jeff Emig, Clark Stiles, and my mom. We all had a great time working with the riders from our youngest 50cc riders to some of our 50-plus-year-old vets who attended. We also had classroom instructors for the families on bike setup, nutrition, safety equipment and getting a good education.

As for Kyle and Rut, I was really surprised how well they did. They didn’t just come for Speed TV they came to learn and for never being on a Supercross track before they did a great job! Look for the report on the setup before the Martinsville race.

The goal of the entire weekend was for everyone to have fun. I stressed that in our riders’ meetings and from the smiles on everyone’s faces at the end of each day I think we accomplished our goal and along the way, I think we helped make our riders better while giving back to the sport that gave me so much!

See you at the races!

“Riding with Ricky” is a weekly feature posted at Nascar.com. If you are interested in keeping up with Ricky between the blogs, you can follow him through the social media world at Twitter and Facebook.