June 3, 2005
Clay County Speedway
Feel very lucky to have got to meet and interview Kenny Carmichael.... wish I had my recorder because Kenny had many stories to share and I was rushed for time and could not spend the time I wanted.....
Kenny had been on his way to a Sprint race at Bloomington, In and it had got rained out so he came to CCS with his superstreet.... so glad he did...
Kenny Carmichael is 41 years old and is from Terre Haute, Indiana.... He was running the #3 super street with a TCA Chassi and a M & M motor.....
Kenny told me that he had started out racing at the age of fourteen... He started out in the street stock division...
He told me that he had started running Sprints in 1995...
I asked him what had inspired him to start racing and he told me that he had grew up around racing... his father Jim had raced a hobby stock and has flagged at a lot of different tracks... one is Putnamville...
I asked him if anyone had inspired him along the way and he told me Bobby Kinser..
When asked what he thought it took to be a good driver he told me paitence and taking care of your equipment......
He told me that his long term goal was just to keep doing what he was doing as long as it kept being fun...
He told me that anyone he races in a sprint is a tough competitor and in Super Street he would have to say Doug and Dan McCullem..
I asked Kenny if there was anything in racing he would like to see changed and he said the :"judgement calls".......and that the black flag needs to being thrown more.....
Gosh Kenny..... it was sure great talking with you... I made that remark about not liking sprints.... so sorry.... I love racing and I love all of it..... the sprint cars make me very nervous...... I have seen some really bad accidents with them...
I talked with Shane Cottle and he loves them too......... iwill watch for you when I go to Terre Haute and Haubstadt..... would like to talk with you again when I have time to really get into your sprint history.....
once again...thanks
cj