Ex-motocross champ Carmichael's timed his entrance just right

Ricky Carmichael's nickname in motocross was "GOAT," which stood forgreatest of all time. Getty Images Tim Tuttle's Mailbag Submit a comment or question for Tim. Name: Email: Hometown: Question: SEND

Ricky Carmichael's nickname in motocross was "Goat", aka "greatest of all-time". He earned it in a spectacular career that included 15 American Motorcyclist Association titles in Supercross and outdoor national championships including two perfect 24-wins in 24-races seasons and led the USA team to four international Motocross de Nations titles. Carmichael even won gold at in two events at the X-games.

Motocross is the most physically demanding and injury-prone form of motorcycle racing. The pro riders rarely make it past age 30 from all the pounding going over rugged terrain and high-flying jumps and landings. It plain wears out your body.

"I knew I couldn't race motocross forever," Carmichael said.

Carmichael had good options in a post-motocross career. As an icon of the sport, sponsors and manufacturers would have lined up to back him in team ownership. Motocross has made Carmichael a multi-millionaire and his legend will provide lucrative endorsement deals for years. He could have gone home to Florida, sat on the beach and enjoyed the good life.

Instead, Carmichael decided to pursue a career in NASCAR and he's moved up quickly. He'll drive a Kevin Harvick Inc. Chevrolet in at least 14 Camping World Truck Series races this season.

"It's been a great, great transition," Carmichael said. "I've had some great opportunities to do this. Motocross gave me the name. I'm a competitor and this is something I can do for a long time if I can make it. I like the sport and the direction of the sport and that's why I picked it."

The roots of Carmichael's move to NASCAR can be found in his long-time friendship with Sprint Cup driver Clint Bowyer.

"We used to park by him when we were racing amateur motocross," Carmichael said. "His family and my family have been friends for a long time. We used to park together at the races and I used to race against him and his brother. When Clint got into stock cars, I started following him and it was kind of influential. It really intrigued me.

"I went to Daytona in 2004 to watch Clint in the ARCA race. I met Kasey Kahne and that's when things started rolling a bit."

Kahne helped Carmichael set up a test in a Ray Evernham-prepared late model at the tough short track in Hickory, N.C., in the summer of 2005.

"I wanted to see how it felt," Carmichael said. "It was something I wanted to try. I knew it was the direction I wanted to go once I'd run the first couple of laps. I thought it went all right for the first time I'd ever done it."

Kahne liked what he saw in Carmichael.

"Ricky did a great job," Kahne said. "He did it right."

Carmichael decided to do one more full season, in 2006, in motocross, then a partial season combined with stock cars in 2007. He exited motocross on top. He won the Supercross and outdoor national championships in 2006 and won three Supercross and six outdoor events--all that he entered--in a planned partial season in 2007. Carmichael signed a development deal with Ginn Racing that season and ran late models in Florida.

The Ginn deal ended with the merger of DEI, but Ken Schrader stepped in to sign Carmichael for NASCAR'S Camping World East Series for 2008. Carmichael finished sixth in the points and had three top-fives, eight top-10s and one pole.

"It was tough," Carmichael said. "I ain't going to lie. I felt I held my own. It was a pleasure driving for Ken Schrader and having him as a friend. He has so much experience and he gave me a lot of great advice, things I didn't really know about. Ken was a great influence."

The Camping World series ran with Cup at New Hampshire in late June. It put Carmichael on Harvick's radar.

"A couple of weeks later, I got a call from Kevin asking me what my plans where and we started working out a deal," Carmichael said.

Carmichael signed a deal with Monster Energy in 2005 and it has supported him in the transition to NASCAR. It's one of those advantages that came from Carmichael's superstar status in motocross.

"It's been a great relationship," Carmichael said.

It seems like a slam dunk for Carmichael to move up to the Truck series, a big name with a sponsor, but it isn't that easy. The dollars go up with each step up the ladder and Monster has to justify the cost. The fact they've stuck with Carmichael is evidence they believe in his talent, because there isn't much exposure running around at the back.

Harvick has a front-line truck team, with three-time Truck series champion Ron Hornaday Jr. the full-season driver. He's hired well-regarded crew chief Bill Wilburn to run Carmichael's No. 4.

"I like the fact he [Carmichael] has the determination and drive to have own multiple championships running motorcycles," Harvick said. "I believe he will put the same will and determination toward his stock car career. He knows how to race and he takes care of his equipment. Every time I've seen him race, he has shown great promise."

Carmichael knows there will be critics who say that he's arrived too soon from his advantages.

"I know people will be hard on me and there will be some critics," he said. "I have to be realistic and at the same time get the results I can. My expectations are to learn as much as I can. We'll make some realistic goals and met those goals. Kevin has some good ideas and guidelines to set realistic goals."

Carmichael wouldn't be the first who made it big on two-wheels to make it on four. Joe Weatherly, the Sprint Cup champion in 1962 and 1963 and winner of 25 races in 230 starts in a career cut short by his death in 1964, won national championship flat-track motorcycle events before moving to NASCAR. John Surtees won eight motorcycle road racing world championships and the 1964 Formula One world championship.

Carmichael isn't thinking about championships yet. He just wants to make it to Cup.

"I'm focused on the 14 races this year," he said. "Obviously, I want to keep on going and get to the Cup level someday. I've got to be patient and at the same time get the job done. I've put myself in a position to make it happen."

Carmichael will make his Truck debut on Feb. 13 at Daytona. At the age of 29, he's timed his arrival to NASCAR just right.