MB2 Motorsports announced today that 26 year old motocross champ Ricky Carmichael has signed to race stock cars in 2007. Carmichael is a 15 time AMA champ and holds a record 144 career wins in supercross & motocross. MB2 CEO & general manager Jay Frye said that in 2007 Carmichael will run a combination of late model, ARCA & NASCAR Craftsman Truck races. His schedule will be accelerated in 2008. MB2 has veteran drivers Mark Martin, Sterling Marlin & Joe Nemechek in Nextel Cup in 2007. Carmichael has been added to young drivers Regan Smith & Kraig Kinser. It's been rumoured for a couple of years that Carmichael is interested in NASCAR. He has nothing left to accomplish on a motorcycle.
Here's an update on other open wheel drivers coming to NASCAR:
Of course Formula One driver and former CART & Indy 500 champ Juan Pablo Montoya has signed to drive the #42 Texaco Havoline Dodge for Chip Ganassi in the 2007 Nextel Cup season. Montoya finished third in Friday's ARCA race at Talladega. He has tested at Iowa Speedway and will run that ARCA race next week. He tested a Nextel Cup car at Homestead Miami Speedway and could run the Nextel Cup season finale. He's also supposed to run some Busch Series races.
It was reported last week by an Italian newspaper that former Formula One champ Jacques Villeneuve signed with Roush Racing. He hasn't signed but he has been talking to them. Roush president Geoff Smith said Villeneuve is looking for a full time Nextel Cup ride. They don't have one as today they named David Ragan driver of the #6 AAA Ford for 2007. There are reports that Villeneuve is also talking to Robert Yates.
CHAMP car star A.J. Allmendinger finished fifth in Saturday's Craftsman Truck series race at Talladega. It's been speculated for a while now that Red Bull Racing is interested in Allmendinger to drive a Toyota in Nextel Cup in 2007. Forsythe Racing has offered him a multi year CHAMP contract. So A.J. has a decision to make.
Former CHAMP & IRL star Patrick Carpentier has posted on his website that he has secured a Busch Series ride for 2007. No announcement has been made.
There are a few others but those are the most interesting ones.
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