Ricky Carmichael

[chuck11]

Yeah this Ricky Carmichael getting a deal with Ken Schrader really ticks me off. I heard the announcement about a month ago when Schrader called in to Wind Tunnel talking about the deal with Dave Despain. I almost fell over laughing when Schrader was gloating about his Carmichael's ability and Schrader said, "He had went to New Smyrna at Speedweeks and was impressed with Ricky's ability and what a great job he had done." I thought to myself I must have been at a different speedweeks at a different New Smyrna with another Ricky Carmichael because although he did ok, I never remember any time he was contending for a win. I would also like to point out to Schrader just for the record that Carmichael was in top of the line equipment with Anderson's car and if he thought Carmichael did a great job, he should have seen what Choquette did when he drove Anderson's car. But once again, money makes a very average driver all of a sudden look great to an owner. If Schrader wants someone with a chance to win, Fritts needs to be driving.

[JackTripper]

Ken Shcrader: What's the deal with this Carmichael character?
Mark Martin: Oh, he's a Monster behind the wheel if you catch my drift.
Ken Schrader: He's that fast? Really? How many races did he win for you?
Mark Martin: That would be none.
Ken Schrader: Okay...uh...
Mark Martin: He finished a few though. A real Monster.
Ken Schrader: I'm lost.
Mark Martin: He's a Monster, a Monster, get it?
Ken Schrader: As in the energy drink company that writes monster checks?
Mark Martin: Like I said, he's a Monster. Wink wink, nudge nudge, say no more, say no more.
Ken Schrader. Right....this Fritts guy is good though right?
Mark Martin: Oh yeah, won tons of big races, even made my kid look good.
Ken Schrader: Guess I better sign this Monster up then.
Mark Martin: I'll have my people send you over all of the made up scripts I rehearsed to make it sound like he's got some four wheel talent and that I wasn't hiring him based on sponsor checks.
Ken Schrader: Thanks Mark, you're the best. See you at the track!
Mark Martin: When your #49 team shows up that is!
Ken Schrader: Zing!

[fred23]

You need to give Carmichael a break....he is just doing what every other driver in ARCA and the Busch East/West are doing. If you don't bring money you don't race.
If you put CHoquette or Silas or Russell (not picking on Jeff, Brian or Tim)or anyother local, or hell, even a NASCAR driver (except for Jimmie Johnson)on Carmichael's motorcycle they wouldn't get off the starting line. He was a multi time WORLD CHAMPION. He has been driving race cars for about a year and a half. Yes there may be a few more talented drivers out there but they aren't bringing million dollar sponsors with them. I would be willing to bet that Schrader would be only running selected races in that series with out Monster and Carmichael on board. Don't think for a second that some of these car owners aren't benefitting from this also. I have heard of some LEASED rides in ARCA and Busch East of over a million dollars a year. Not many "local" shoes have that kind of financing to obtain the opportunity to drive at that level. It's not really about talent. The team owners are business men. They aren't going to go broke just to give a talented driver a ride.

[Osmosis Jones]

The price of a "talent pardon" revealed......

Fred could have just used one sentence from his post and that would have summed up the entire ideology behind big league racing in today's world:

"Its not really about talent."

And he's right.

Talent hasn't been the major contributing factor for who is competing for so long now that it's just becoming an accepted aspect of what CRAPCAR tries to pass off as racing. Anybody remember when racing was about building the best car possible and finding the most talented wheel man to compete against other like-minded, hard-working folks who had a genuine love for the sport? And by love of the sport I mean the racing itself....not the scripted, made for TV four-hour sound bite that this current crop of P.T. Barnum wannabees is trying to sell to the world.

What happened to the old "Win on Sunday, Sell on Monday" attitude the manufacturers all cultivated back in the 60's/70's/80's ? I guess it's kind of hard for a fan to distinguish one car from the other without the obligatory handbook and meaningless statistics that the networks feel compelled to serve up in 31 different flavors. Manufacturers points? Owners points? Who the hell cares about driver's points anymore? Why even bother with qualifying either? I'm guessing that as soon as the current contracts for sponsorships and ticket pre-sales expire there will be a new format for setting the field rather than these overblown media day/photo-op ceremonies.
And now all you have to do is buy your way into a team that somehow managed to stay in the top 35 the year before and you can inherit their.....well, to call it earned is kind of a stretch so let's say the FRUITS OF THEIR LABORS.
So where is the skill in that?

I'll tell you where. The greatest skill involved in big league racing today is which team has the best marketing department. PR runs a close second but when it all comes down to who has the most dollars to spend, then that group of folks in the power suits and skirts are the numero uno asset for any of the big name teams in business today. I would say competing but I think I already made my point about the lack of real competition at this level.

One thing about that comment about putting one of the current crop of SQUINT Cup elites on motorcycles and seeing how they would do.
They would probably do it just like Ricky. Get one of their current Fortune 500 sponsors on the bus and spend a mil or two hiring the best mechanics and tuners $ can buy, then when they find out that it's not as easy as it looks from the recliner in the motorhome they announce they are stepping it up to compete at the top level thus creating a media frenzy in which performance and talent have no place whatsoever. After the commercials and scripted interviews have run their course over a couple of years, our hero will move on to another newsworthy project while claiming he just doesn't have the time to dedicate to an earnest effort competing on two wheels. Then he's off to film a hollywood documentary on how he became a household name literally overnight. I'm sure an early history of go karting world championships will be involved.





Sorry, I'm off my meds today.....plus I skipped church....
OJ

[backrow]

That's deep and profound right there.

[Benny The Mule]

McDonald (crashed today over correcting) Carmicheal, and Amirola is absolute proof you need money NOT talent to go big time........C'mon flame away....i can take it!

[john tenney]

It takes money, talent and seat time. Ricky has 2 out of 3.

The point was made, you put any of those guys you are talking about in a motocross bike and they will do poorly. Without seat time it's true.

[Todd McCreary]

It takes money, talent and seat time. Ricky has 2 out of 3.

Ricky has yet to demonstrate the 2nd item on 4 wheels. which means he's only batting one out of three. the 'racing' he did down here didn't do anything to teach him how to use the high groove on the race track or even really how to behave in traffic.

that's were the complaint arises.

the salient point in Schrader's interview was where he talked about how Ricky wouldn't tear up equipment. yeah, bringing your own sponsor is important if you have no accomplishments ( and no, motocross means nothing here ) but almost more important is not tearing your crap ( and everybody elses crap ) up all the time.

"not tearing crap up" is nice and all but at the end of the day, if that's all he's got to show for it, nobody is going to be very impressed.

[john tenney]

I could argue that it takes talent to get where he was, at least promotional talent.

It appears that driving talent is not the only requirement to get ahead in racing. A driver who can't promote him or herself (or hire someone to do it) is not going far.

Todd, how long did it take you to learn how to run the high groove? Just curious. PD was telling me it was a few years for him, then he just woke up one morning and he could do it.

[Todd McCreary]

I could argue that it takes talent to get where he was, at least promotional talent.

sorry, i'm not going to be able to allow that. you're attempting to double count "money" by redefining it. Paris Hilton has "promotional talent" but i'm not the least bit interested in seeing her on TV, much less in a race car.

if i did allow it, you'd be tacitly admitting what everyone has been complaining about; that Ricky hasn't shown any particular skill on the oval track but is only buying his ride.




It appears that driving talent is not the only requirement to get ahead in racing.

i'm sorry, i thought i ( and several others ) have been making this point for a long time. probably some of them for years on the old board.

just to clarify for you "Big time 'racing' has virtually nothing to do with on-track performance and is almost exclusively the domain of corporate pitch men". we know this. that's our complaint. that's a big part of the reason why so much of the on track performance sucks and why there's so much animosity for "talent pardons". you want proof? Kyle Petty and Michael Waltrip are in the top 10 in sponsor "value" and they've both been dogs for years. they're living off of their family names and some strategic PR work.

big time sponsors expend all of their efforts towards the next 'hot' 10 year old or minority and ignore literally thousands of extremely talented drivers ( even capable pitch men ) for no better reason than because they are male and/or, heaven forbid, white.




how long did it take you to learn how to run the high groove? Just curious.

i'm a bit odd.

my first race was in 94 but prior to 2007 i'd driven in less than 10 ( and the only thing i remember about one of those was waking up in the hospital ) races. i figure with last season and the winter series my lifetime total is up to 30-35.

so you could put it as "14 years" or "less than one season" and be pretty accurate either way.

anyhow, it's more important to understand how to run traffic than it is to know how to run the high groove ... you just can't really do the former until you get a minimal handle on the latter. otherwise you're stuck 20 laps waiting for the guy in front to screw up or you just run him over in the corner.

this is why fast cars should start in the back, especially at the lower levels. it's easier to learn and practice these skills when you're up against a car that's much slower than you. once you've got the idea you can practice your skills on someone closer to your speed. in a single race you can do this 5-20 times depending on the field. or you can start the fast cars up front and watch them all practice qualifying laps for however long the feature is and never make a single pass.

you want to see a show, make sure you see Steve Kinser on dirt. he will take a car that should finish no better than 10th and put it in the top 3. he will eat every other driver out there alive in traffic.

[john tenney]

Todd I don't diasagree with you, but I believe Ricky has every right to be where he is. If I had qualified myself as a world class motocross driver I would certainly use it to my advantage to move in to a safer sport.

[academictrucks]

Thank you John. That was about the best statement made on this subject. I do not understand why some people get jealous over something like this. It has been going on for years and will continue. I also firmly believe that if you had met Ricky, you would see his drive, his determination and his competitiveness. Ask Tim Russel, ask David Roger and Patrick Conrad what they thought of Ricky. They, along with many others always stopped by to talk with Ricky and I think they can set the record straight. Will he make it to the big league???Who knows, but if there is anyone I would like to see make it, it would be Ricky. Not only does he have the desire to be a racer, he is a great family man and a great individual....oh, ask Carol Wicks

[carolwicks]

why i havent answered...

its no secret that i think Ricky is one of the greatest entertainers ive met in a long time. i havent come on to answer this subject because in many ways i agree with some of the complaints.
i dont think anyone without the talent in anything should get a priviledge because of their color , money, or family tree... i think the fame should be earned and deserved. ricky has earned his fame in cycles, but he has some way to go before he is going to be the race car driver we all expect.!
however...
life is about opportunities. if someone puts a gold bar in front of us we are going to accept it. ricky would be insane to NOT accept these opportunities... i think in time he will exceed all expectations!
i think there are guys out there who know alot more about stock car racing than ricky and should be in the limelight because they have already EARNED it!... Jeff Choquette, Tim Russell, Mike Fritts, Daniel Webster (many others)... but Ricky was given the chance and i think he would have bowed out a long time ago if he didnt think he could become the driver we all hope for... a guy like him does NOT want to fail!
lets give him a chance. he is a fine, friendly, warm, caring man and he is about as competitive as anyone can be. you would have to meet ricky and his family to understand why some of us defend him. ;-)
i wish ricky the very best and i live to see him in the top 5 consistantly! GO RICKY! oh! by the way... i wish everyone would stop including ARIC ALMIROLA in these "don't deserve" posts. Aric is holding his own and he is a wonderful young man! he was given an opportunity. he took it and he is working very very hard to prove his abilities.
some of the toughest critics on the message boards are basically arm chair racers who have all the answers that took experts years to figure out. perhaps i too come under that category...lol these are just opinions so it really doesnt matter too much does it?.
carolwicks aka OZ

[john tenney]

I'm glad someone mentioned Patrick Conrad. There is a truly talented driver. With some work on stage presence he could be a great one.

If he can learn to wheel and deal in front of a camera (or sponsors) like he does on the track ...

Look out!

[Todd McCreary]

I do not understand why some people get jealous over something like this.

it's not jealousy.

it's aggravation that people who manifestly do NOT have the requisite skills are being foisted on us as 'the best' that racing has to offer.





I believe Ricky has every right to be where he is.

yes, he bought a ride. i agree that he has every right to do this. and everyone else has a right to comment on it.




If I had qualified myself as a world class motocross driver I would certainly use it to my advantage to move in to a safer sport.

says Mr. Hans Device.




you would see his drive, his determination and his competitiveness.

we aren't questioning any of those things. as long as by "competitiveness" you mean his nature and not his circle track performance. i mean, you don't wind up with 17 ( or whatever ) national championships while not having a burning desire to kick the other guys butt.

he does not yet have the skill sets that he really should have to succeed at the circle track game.

and he probably could learn. but he hasn't shown that he's going to get the training he needs. he's jumping into the best equipment, set up by the best crew chiefs that money can buy. and then he's running qualifying laps.

he can walk away from the field if he happens to be out front. but put him behind somebody and he's lost and likely to lose more positions. that has nothing to do with driver skill and everything to do with buying the best hp and setup that can be gotten. that's not something to be proud of. and it's not something that's going to bring him success once he gets to a level where everybody else is going to spend at least as much and usually more than he does. see Steve Wallace.


i made the comment last year that i knew he was capable of a crossover move, he does it in motocross all the time. now he needs to translate that to a car. will he ever? all we can do right now is hope. because the last thing anybody wants to see is more 150 lap single file parades.

but if you want to dismiss all of us by saying "you're just jealous", you go right on with your bad self.





Ask Tim Russel, ask David Roger and Patrick Conrad

how bout we ask them if they have or have not accomplished more than Ricky in a car?

how bout we ask them if they could or could not beat Ricky in a heads up race in equal cars?

that's what this is about. you're saying it's a good thing that Ricky is leap frogging all these guys, i disagree.

i say that it's bad for the sport that so many people are getting kicked upstairs on the basis of their "marketability" instead of their talents behind the wheel.




he is a great family man and a great individual....oh, ask Carol Wicks

i thought that Carol had already agreed that being a "great" race car driver didn't mean you were a "great" man.

well the obvious corollary is that being a "great" man has nothing to do with whether or not you belong on a circle track.

the subjects are mutually irrelevant.




life is about opportunities. if someone puts a gold bar in front of us we are going to accept it. ricky would be insane to NOT accept these opportunities... i think in time he will exceed all expectations!
i think there are guys out there who know alot more about stock car racing than ricky and should be in the limelight because they have already EARNED it!... Jeff Choquette, Tim Russell, Mike Fritts, Daniel Webster (many others)... but Ricky was given the chance and i think he would have bowed out a long time ago if he didnt think he could become the driver we all hope for... a guy like him does NOT want to fail!

i agree with pretty much all that. i'm just not quite so optimistic about how good he might get some day. the success rate for pro bike racers converting to cars is pretty low.

it's especially depressing that he could have come to short tracks and learned how to race and run traffic and win from the back. but he's already into SLM's and i doubt he's ever going to step down to a lower class to learn/screw around in.