Ricky Carmichael facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Ricky Carmichael |
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Carmichael at Daytona International Speedway in 2020
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| Born | November 27, 1979 Clearwater, Florida, U.S. |
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| Achievements |
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| Awards | 2009 NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Most Popular Driver | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| NASCAR Xfinity Series career | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| 8 races run over 2 years | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2011 position | 113th | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Best finish | 84th (2010) | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| First race | 2010 Kansas Lottery 300 (Kansas) | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Last race | 2011 Wypall 200 (Phoenix) | ||||||||||||||||||||||
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| NASCAR Gander RV & Outdoors Truck Series career | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| 68 races run over 3 years | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2011 position | 16th | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Best finish | 13th (2010) | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| First race | 2008 NextEra Energy Resources 250 (Daytona) | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Last race | 2011 Ford 200 (Homestead) | ||||||||||||||||||||||
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Medal record
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| Last updated on: June 13, 2020. | |||||||||||||||||||||||
Ricky Carmichael (born November 27, 1979) is an American former professional motocross and stock car racing driver. He is known as "The GOAT," which means "Greatest of All Time." This nickname comes from his amazing success in motocross.
Carmichael raced in the AMA Motocross Championships from 1997 to 2007. He then switched to NASCAR and raced there from 2008 to 2011. He won 15 AMA championships, which is more than anyone else. He also won 150 races, setting another record. He had two perfect motocross seasons, meaning he won every single race. He was never beaten in 125 Supercross races. He also won the AMA's Rider of the Year award five times.
His NASCAR career started in 2008. He raced full-time in the East Series for Ken Schrader Racing. He also raced part-time in the ARCA Menards Series for Kevin Harvick Incorporated. He spent three years racing full-time in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series. He also raced in the Xfinity Series and ARCA for Turner Motorsports in 2010 and 2011.
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Ricky Carmichael's Racing Journey
Motocross and Supercross Success
Ricky Carmichael started his professional racing career in 1997. He joined the Splitfire Pro Circuit Kawasaki team. In his first Supercross season, he showed great speed and won several races. However, he had some crashes that kept him from winning the championship. In outdoor motocross, he was more consistent. He won the first race and went on to win the 125cc title that year.
In 1998, Carmichael proved he could win indoors too. He won all 8 of the 125cc East coast Supercross races. He also won the "East/West Shoot-Out" event. Outdoors, he easily defended his 125cc title.
Carmichael moved up to the bigger 250 class for Supercross in 1999. He raced for the Factory Kawasaki team. He had some good finishes early on, but many crashes later in the season hurt his overall standing. For the outdoor season, he stayed in the 125cc class. He won this title easily for the third year in a row.
In 2000, Carmichael raced full-time in the 250 class. He became more consistent in Supercross. He won his first big race at Daytona. He finished 5th overall in the Supercross standings. Carmichael also showed his amazing outdoor skills. He won the 2000 AMA Motocross championship in his first year in the 250 class.
Before the 2001 Supercross season, Carmichael worked hard on his fitness. He trained with former professional cyclist Aldon Baker. Carmichael became the new top rider in the 250 class. He won 13 out of 15 races and the championship. He then continued his winning streak in outdoor titles.
Carmichael switched to Honda for the 2002 season. Even after a big crash in the first Supercross race, he quickly recovered. He won 11 out of 16 races and his second 250 Supercross title. In the 2002 outdoor championship, Carmichael did something amazing. He won all 24 motos (individual races) to take his third straight 250 outdoor title. This was a perfect season!
More Championships (2003–2007)
In 2003, Carmichael won both the Supercross and National titles again. He won 7 indoor races, even with tough competition from Chad Reed. He won the National title with 9 race wins.
In 2004, Carmichael was injured and missed the Supercross season. He had a knee injury. But he came back for the Motocross season and had his second perfect season. He won all 24 motos and all 12 overall races on his Honda CRF 450. This was his first time racing a 4-stroke bike.
Carmichael joined Suzuki in 2005. Many thought he was the underdog because of his injury. But he won back his Supercross title with seven victories. Later that summer, Carmichael won all 12 events in the 250cc Outdoor National Championship again. He won 22 out of 24 motos. Carmichael also won the US Open of Supercross title. He led Team USA to a big win at the Motocross des Nations.
Carmichael raced the 2006 Supercross season on a 4-stroke bike. It was a very exciting season with many lead changes. Carmichael, Reed, and Stewart were all very close in points for the final race. Carmichael finished second and won his fifth Supercross championship. He said 2006 would be his last full-time season.
In the 2006 Outdoor National Championship, Carmichael again dominated. He won 9 races and finished second twice. He had already won the championship before the last race. At the final race, he had a bad crash and could not finish. He hurt his shoulder and could not race in the Motocross of Nations.
As planned, Carmichael raced only a few events in 2007. He raced for Team Makita Suzuki while starting his new stock car career. Carmichael won two Supercross races and six Outdoor National races. He won every race he entered that year. He ended his career with a win at the X-Games and a victory with Team USA at the Motocross of Nations.
X Games Achievements
Carmichael won a gold medal in Supercross at the X Games in 2007. He won gold in the Step Up event in 2008. In 2009, he shared the gold medal in Step Up with Ronnie Renner. In 2019, he won a bronze medal in Real Moto.
Stock Car Racing Career
In 2007, Carmichael signed a contract with Ginn Racing to become a stock car driver. He trained with experienced driver Mark Martin. Carmichael started racing late models. With support from Monster Energy, he later joined Ken Schrader Racing. He raced in the Camping World East Series.
In 2009, Sprint Cup Series driver Kevin Harvick asked Carmichael to drive the No. 4 Chevrolet Silverado in 18 races for his team, Kevin Harvick, Inc.. It was a tough change, but Carmichael finished 22nd in Truck Series points that year. In 2010, Carmichael and Monster Energy moved to Turner Motorsports. He earned 9 top-ten finishes and ended up 13th in points. Carmichael also made his first Nationwide Series race at Kansas Speedway.
Carmichael returned to Turner Motorsports in 2011. He shared the No. 30 Chevrolet in the Nationwide Series with other teammates. On September 2, 2011, Carmichael won his first pole position (starting first) at Atlanta Motor Speedway in the Camping World Truck Series.
Working as a Consultant
On July 19, 2021, Carmichael started working with Triumph Motorcycles. He and World Enduro champion Ivan Cervantes are helping to develop new off-road motorcycles for Triumph. These bikes will be used in motocross and supercross.
Sponsors and Partnerships
Ricky Carmichael has worked with many companies throughout his career.
Current Sponsors
- Fox Racing
- Monster Energy (since 2006)
- Triumph Motorcycles (since 2021)
Past Sponsors
- Kawasaki motorcycles (1997–2001, 2020–2021)
- Suzuki (2005–2020)
- Honda Racing Corporation (2002–2004)
Other Activities and Awards
In 2009, Ricky Carmichael appeared on the BBC show Top Gear. He helped Ken Block with some special driving stunts at an airport. Block called Carmichael "a good friend."
Today, Carmichael works as an announcer for AMA Monster Energy SuperMotocross broadcasts on NBC. He works with Leigh Diffey, Jason Weigandt, James Stewart, Jason Thomas, and Will Christien.
In 2009, he was voted the Most Popular Driver in the Camping World Truck Series. In 2015, he was honored by being inducted into the Motorsports Hall of Fame of America.
Championship Titles
Ricky Carmichael won many championships in his motocross and supercross career:
- 1997 AMA 125cc/Lites Outdoor National Motocross Champion (Kawasaki)
- 1998 AMA 125cc/Lites East Coast Supercross Champion (Kawasaki) - He won every race!
- 1998 AMA 125cc/Lites Outdoor National Motocross Champion (Kawasaki)
- 1999 AMA 125cc/Lites Outdoor National Motocross Champion (Kawasaki)
- 2000 AMA Motocross Champion (Kawasaki)
- 2001 AMA Supercross Champion (Kawasaki)
- 2001 AMA Motocross Champion (Kawasaki)
- 2002 AMA Supercross Champion (Honda)
- 2002 AMA Motocross Champion (Honda) - He won every race!
- 2003 AMA Supercross Champion (Honda)
- 2003 AMA Motocross Champion (Honda)
- 2004 AMA Motocross Champion (Honda) - He won every race!
- 2005 AMA Supercross Champion (Suzuki)
- 2005 AMA Motocross Champion (Suzuki)
- 2006 AMA Supercross Champion (Suzuki)
- 2006 AMA Motocross Champion (Suzuki)
Other Motocross and Supercross Wins
- 2000 Motocross des Nations Champion (Team USA)
- 2001 U.S. Open of Supercross Champion
- 2005 FIM SX1 World Supercross Champion
- 2005 Motocross des Nations Champion (Team USA)
- 2005 U.S. Open of Supercross Champion
- 2007 Motocross of Nations Champion (Team USA)
X Games Medals
| YEAR | X GAMES | EVENTS | RANK | MEDAL |
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| 2007 | Summer X Games XIII | Moto X Racing | 1st |  |
| 2008 | Summer X Games XIV | Moto X Step Up | 1st | |
| 2009 | Summer X Games XV | Moto X Best Whip | 3rd |  |
| 2009 | Summer X Games XV | Moto X Step Up | 1st | |
| 2019 | Example World of X Real Moto 2019 | MTX Real Moto | 3rd | |
Images for kids
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Carmichael in 2007
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Carmichael receiving a Key to the City of Morgantown, West Virginia ("Moto-Town") in 2007
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Carmichael's No. 30 for Turner Motorsports in the Nationwide Series race at Road America in 2011
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Carmichael's No. 4 for Turner Motorsports in the Truck Series race at Pocono in 2011
