Catchfence

Before making the switch in an attempt to conquer the world of stock car racing, former motocross champion Ricky Carmichael built a large and devoted following that includes 18-year-old Jason Schmidt, who lives all the way up in Alberta, Canada.

“Motocross was my life,” Schmidt said. “I lived, breathed and spoke motocross. Ricky had no where else to go (in motocross). He was at the top and the only place he could go was down.”

Jason Schmidt gets a wish granted by hanging out with his favorite driver, Ricky Carmichael, all weekend for the NASCAR Truck Series at Memphis Motorsports Park.

Thanks to some help from the Sunshine Foundation, Schmidt, who lost his sight in an accident, got the opportunity to spend the day with his hero on Friday as Carmichael prepared for the MemphisTravel.com 200 NASCAR Camping World Truck Series race at Memphis Motorsports Park.

- Memphis Commercial Appeal