Auto Racing

TALLADEGA — The seeds for many star-studded stock car careers, both past and present, were sowed in the dirt tracks of the South and Midwest.

However none quite grew out of the dirt like one of NASCAR's most recent up-and-comers.

After a legendary career in motocross, Ricky Carmichael will take another step toward a career in the Sprint Cup Series today. Carmichael, 28, will attempt to qualify for Friday's ARCA Re/Max 250.

Since his rookie season in 1997, Carmichael dominated the world of American Motocross Association. He won his series title in all but one season, and won every race he entered in two seasons. With that level of success, no one argued his self-proclaimed status of GOAT — Greatest Of All Time.

The ARCA Series will be a far cry from that heralded status, but with his current gig in NASCAR's fourth-tier Camping World Series East, he's not complaining.

"I like where I'm at now," Carmichael said at a recent test session at Talladega. "It brings me back to when I first started racing motorcycles. I did because I liked it and it was fun for me."

Carmichael stands in seventh place in the developmental series, and has already made a big leap. His ability to transition caught the eye of one Cup star. Kevin Harvick, co-owner of Kevin Harvick, Inc., will be supplying the car this weekend and has Carmichael under contract to run more ARCA races in 2009. Upon the announcement of Carmichael's Talladega debut, Harvick said his hopes are to create a third Craftsman Truck Series team next season — provided sponsorship comes through.

"Obviously he knows how to race whether it's in a car, a truck, or a motorcycle or whatever it is — he knows how to race for a championship," Harvick said. "…that drive and determination is hard to find."

While there is a lot to be learned in some of NASCAR's smaller series, none have a surface like Carmichael will see at Talladega Superspeedway. The high-banked 2.66-mile tri-oval is strictly based on speed and a driver's ability to work the draft.

Carmichael got seat time in a testing session at Talladega; it was his first time to even see the track in person.

"I thought Daytona was huge," he said after first seeing the facility. "… I'm just trying to get as much seat time as I can. Every time I get in the seat, it's something new."

Helping Carmichael flatten the learning curves of NASCAR's left-turn tracks, is Harvick, who has finished in the Top 10 in points in five of his eight seasons, and Ken Schrader, who has driven in NASCAR since 1984.

"I've got all the tools, and all the pointers that a man could possibly get," Carmichael said. "Can't blame it on lack of pointers."

While Talladega is often referred to as the Superspeedway with more emphasis on speed, as opposed to Daytona's handling-reliant track, it's about more than just going fast. Referred to by many as a high-speed game of chess, Carmichael thinks he has the racing traits that make his first run at a surface this big a good one.

"One thing I think people lose sight of for me is the patience that I have," he said. " … the same rule could apply here.

"You're not going to get far by making dumb decisions — especially on a Superspeedway like this."

Carmichael on two wheels

How successful has Carmichael been on two wheels? Here is a quick synopsis of his American Motorcyclist Association (AMA) resume:

• 5 Supercross championships

• 10 AMA National outdoor championships

• 150 professional race victories

• Multiple titles in the worldwide Motocross-of-Nations event.

• X Games Gold Medals: Moto X racing and step-up competition.

• First rider to record an undefeated season in the AMA National Outdoor Championships, winning 24 motos without a defeat in the 250cc category in 2002 and again in 2004.

Source: KHI