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The NASCAR driver Kevin Harvick had met Carmichael during Daytona Speedweeks in 2005 and knew of his impressive dirt-bike reputation. The two crossed paths last spring at New Hampshire Motor Speedway, where Harvick saw Carmichael race for the first time in a regional trucks race.
Impressed by what he saw, Harvick talked it over with his wife and business partner, DeLana, and called Carmichael a week later to see if he’d be interested in racing for Kevin Harvick Incorporated. It didn’t take long to get an answer.
“He called me up out of the blue and asked me what my plans were, told me what his plans were and we ended up forming a little program,” Carmichael said. “It was so cool to just get a call from him out of the blue and we made it work.”
Signing Carmichael certainly made sense from a marketing standpoint. Carmichael already had a recognizable name and his popularity in motocross offered an opportunity to lure a new demographic of fans to the truck series.
As for competition, the 30-year-old motocross star already had an advantage: he knew how to race. Maybe not on four wheels, but clearly he had a knack for reaching the finish line, winning 15 American Motorcyclist Association championships and 150 races, including two perfect seasons.
“Obviously, everyone knows how successful Ricky has been on two wheels, including myself,” Harvick said. “The best thing about Ricky is you only need to teach him the aspects of driving a truck. Everything else comes natural to him from his days in motocross.”
No matter what happens with this career, Carmichael will also stay close to motorcycle riding.
He still rides all the time, doing tests for Suzuki, keeping in shape in his backyard playground. Carmichael recently shot some footage for an upcoming 3D Disney movie on the X Games and spends time mentoring younger riders.
