Carmichael eyes NASCAR

Motorcross racer, Ricky Carmichael, may trade in his two-wheel ride for NASCAR's four-wheel variety, perhaps as soon as 2008. He has a friend, mentor and supporter in Kasey Kahne, who spent last Saturday — on a rare weekend off from Nextel Cup — hanging out with Carmichael at the AMA Supercross at the RCA Dome in Indianapolis. Kahne and Carmichael are the same age (26) and share the same passion for racing, having met at the Daytona 500 in 2004 and immediately becoming friends. That friendship has helped increase Carmichael's interest in four-wheel racing. Kahne offered to set up a taste of driving a stock car last summer and Carmichael accepted. They went to the one-third mile, semi-banked Hickory Speedway in North Carolina, a classic short track where many NASCAR drivers have run before they hit the big time. Ray Evernham, Kahne's Cup team owner, provided a late model and went along to oversee the preparation. Kahne drove to set it up. Carmichael not only didn't hit the wall, but also put in some good laps for a guy driving a stock car for the first time. "Ricky did a great job," Kahne said. "He did it right. We had a lot of fun." The experience convinced Carmichael that driving in NASCAR is something he intends to pursue. "It's a dream of mine, for sure," he said. More at CNNSI