No. 4 Monster Energy Chevrolet Silverado
Event Preview Fact Sheet
Event / Date:
Smith’s 350 – October 15, 2011Venue: Las Vegas Motor Speedway – Las Vegas
· This Week’s Monster Energy Chevrolet Silverado … Ricky Carmichael will pilot chassis TMS-021 from the Turner Motorsports (TMS) NASCAR Camping World Truck Series (NCWTS) stable in Saturday’s Smith’s 350 at Las Vegas Speedway. Built new for the 2011 season, this truck saw action most recently at Chicagoland Speedway where Carmichael qualified fourth but ultimately finished 25th after a wayward piece of debris found its way into the engine compartment and punctured an oil line forcing the Monster Energy team to spend seven laps behind the wall while they replaced the damaged part. This is also the same truck Carmichael sat on the pole with and raced to an eighth-place finish last month at Atlanta Motor Speedway. The same Chevrolet Silverado saw action earlier this season at Kentucky Speedway (St. 14, Fn. 16), Texas Motor Speedway (St. 9, Fn. 6), Charlotte Motor Speedway (St. 17, Fn. 12) and Michigan International Speedway (St. 7, Fn. 12).
· Kentucky Rewind … Carmichael started 16th and finished sixth in the NCWTS most recent stop at Kentucky Speedway. The third-year NCWTS driver raced in and around the top 10 for much the event and ultimately came away with his fifth top-10 showing of the 2011 season. Meanwhile, Carmichael picked up two spots in the Camping World Truck Series driver points and moved up from 18th to 16th in the standings.
· Monster Million … This weekend, Carmichael’s No. 4 machine will feature a special paint scheme highlighting the October 15 Monster Energy Cup at Sam Boyd Stadium in Las Vegas. The Monster Energy Cup will showcase a unique hybrid track, designed by Carmichael and fellow supercross staple Jeremy McGrath, and will consist of supercross/motocross terrain and will have a tremendous motocross-style influence, making it unlike any other stadium race in the world. This track will be the perfect blend of supercross and motocross combined and created into the ultimate battleground. The Monster Energy Cup posts a $250,000 purse with the winner walking away with a $100,000 check and, for the first time ever, $1 million will be paid to a rider who wins all three main events. Michael Losing, of Tucson, Ariz., and a guest will enjoy an all-expenses paid trip to Las Vegas and spend the day as a VIP honorary pit crew member of Carmichael’s race team in Las Vegas followed by a VIP experience at the Monster Energy Cup, including premium seating, a track walk and a behind the scenes look at the live SPEED television broadcast. Carmichael, who will be joining SPEED host Ralph Sheheen and color commentator Jeff Emig on the broadcast, promises that this will be the ultimate fan experience. Losing will receive an autographed jersey from Carmichael and a gift bag from the Monster Energy Cup, including a year supply of Monster Energy drinks. For more information about the Monster Energy Cup, please visit www.MonsterEnergyCup.com.
· RC in Sin City … Carmichael has two NCWTS starts at LVMS and calls a ninth-place finish a career-best at 1.5-mile tri-oval. He’s earned an eighth-place starting average, a 15.5 average finish and completed 286 of the 292 total laps run (98 percent) over both races.
· In a Nutshell … The 2011 season marks Carmichael’s second year competing on a full-time basis and third overall in the NCWTS. Since making his series debut 63 races ago, he has gone on to earn three top-five and 16 top-10 finishes. Over those same 63 races, the motocross legend has logged a 15.0 average start, a 17.0 average finish, led 39 laps, completed 91.4 percent of the laps run and earned just over of $806,000 in purse money.
· Grecian Getaway … During the off weekend, Carmichael crossed the Atlantic to serve as an ambassador for Monster Energy at the Monster Energy Athens Supercross. After landing in Athens mid-morning last Thursday, Carmichael and his wife Ursula visited the famed Acropolis of Athens which includes several historical Greek buildings, most notably the Parthenon. Following a couple of days of sightseeing, the 15-time AMA National Champion spent two nights at the Athens Supercross greeting fans, Monster employees, distributors and retailers before returning to the US on Monday morning.
· Meet the Media … On Wednesday, Oct. 12, Carmichael along with fellow NCWTS drivers Ron Hornaday and Brendan Gaughan will participate in a press conference hosted by Las Vegas Motor Speedway at the Capital Grille in the Fashion Show Mall. IZOD IndyCar Series racers Dan Wheldon, Dario Franchitti and Will Power will also be on hand. The event will begin promptly at 1 p.m. Members of the media wishing to attend should RSVP to John Bisci by e-mail (jbisci@lvms.com) or by calling (702) 632-8231.
· Turner Truck Totals … In 20 NCWTS races in 2011, TMS entries have earned 11 top-five and 27 top-10 finishes. James Buescher leads the way with 17 top 10s and is second in points. With the exception of Martinsville and Chicagoland, Buescher has finished inside the top 10 in every race in which he has competed in the division this season. Carmichael has logged five top 10s and is 16th in the standings. Blake Feese finished fourth and Ryan Newman was fifth in Atlanta, four races ago. Mark Martin finished seventh in the No. 32 machine at Pocono while Brad Sweet drove the same truck for the first eight races of the year, logging a pair of top-10 results.
· Blake’s Back In … For the sixth time this season, Feese will climb aboard the No. 32 AccuDoc Solutions machine for Saturday’s Smith’s 350. The Saybrook, Ill., driver has one top-five and four top-20 finishes in five starts in 2011.
· Get to the Point(s) … Carmichael jumped from 18th to 16th in the NCWTS driver point standings after finishing sixth two weekends ago in Kentucky. He’s just three points outside the top 15 and nine behind 14th-place Justin Lofton. Buescher trails current point leader Austin Dillon by a slim three-point margin. While Feese has made just five starts in 2011, the No. 32 machine is assured a spot on the starting grid by virtue of being 16th in the NCWTS owner point standings.
· Nationwide Notes … In 30 NASCAR Nationwide Series races in 2011, TMS-fielded teams have notched three wins, 21 top-five and 58 top-10 finishes. TMS’s No. 32 Dollar General Chevrolet, is currently seventh in owner’s points after Brian Vicker’s finished eighth last weekend at Kansas Speedway. Justin Allgaier, driver of the No. 31 Brandt Chevrolet, was 11th in the final rundown last week and held on to fifth in the driver point standings. Jason Leffler was credited with 13th in Kansas and held on to sixth in points. The drivers and teams of the NASCAR Nationwide Series will race in the “Queen City” this Friday night for the division’s annual fall visit to Charlotte Motor Speedway. ESPN2’s live coverage of the Dollar General 300 Miles of Courage will be televised on Friday, Oct. 14 beginning at 7 p.m. Eastern Daylight Time. The race will also be broadcast on the Performance Racing Network and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio Channel 90. Qualifying for Round 31 of the 2011 Nationwide Series Championship will be televised on ESPN2 the same day beginning at 3 p.m. EDT.
· Up to Speed … Live coverage of the Smith’s 350 from Las Vegas Motor Speedway will take the green flag Saturday, Oct. 15 beginning at 3 p.m. EDT. The race will be televised live on SPEED and broadcast on the Motor Racing Network and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio Channel 90.
You had a great run at Kentucky and Las Vegas is obviously another mile-and-a half. You’ve got to be excited about this weekend.
“I’m really confident coming off of our great finish two weeks ago at Kentucky Speedway – especially considering how we ran towards the end of the race. I did really well at Las Vegas last year and ran up front most of the night. I like the race track and we’re bringing one of my favorite trucks. It’s our best mile-and-a-half truck and we’ve been fast with it everywhere we’ve taken it. We won a pole with this truck in Atlanta and were really strong with it in Chicago until we had a problem with an oil line. I’m excited. I’m really looking forward to it. This is going to be a busy weekend but a lot of fun at the same time. We’re looking to improve on our finish from Kentucky and get inside that top five.”
You mentioned how busy you’ll be this weekend not only with the Truck race at Las Vegas Motor Speedway but you’ll also be very involved in the Monster Energy Cup at Sam Boyd Stadium.
“This weekend is going to be great. We’ve got some contest winners and after our race at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, we’ll head over to Sam Boyd Stadium for the Monster Energy Cup. The race pays $1 million if one of the riders can win all three main events. Jeremy McGrath and I also played big roles in designing the track. It’s going to be an awesome weekend. There’s a lot going on but it’s all good, positive, fun stuff. But, first things first, and that’s trying to get this Monster Energy Chevrolet Silverado inside the top five or maybe even a podium finish.
- Turner Motorsports Press Release
