I stumbled across the NASCAR Truck series on the boob-tube this weekend and while I would normally pass right over this banal expression of muscle-bound motors, a single name caught my eye on the scrolling leader board. Some gentleman named Carmichael was running fifth! That little tidbit was enough to demand my attention for a few minutes to watch the Monster Energy Chevrolet circle the track as he ran down the laps at the Las Vegas 350.

Fellow rookies Brian Ickler, Tayler Malsam and James Buescher landed in the top-15, but RC would slide to 22 at the end of his 140 laps around Las Vegas Motor Speedway. Even with true moto star power like his at the wheel, I just couldn’t bring myself to waste my weekend watching a longtime hero slip backwards in the pack. I did, however, check in periodically to see how he was doing. I get very little enjoyment from watching cars and/or trucks turning left all day, but it was surprisingly nice to hear the announcers calling his name again. The Goat’s exit strategy for his professional motocross career was storybook material – quitting at the top of his game with nothing left to prove, waiving guaranteed fame and money for the opportunity to face new personal challenges.

Miss ya, Ricky. I just wasn’t ready to see you go yet