Ricky Carmichael | Thank You Letter To Suzuki
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An email from Ricky Carmichael landed in our inbox last night, which included an open letter that announced he and Suzuki will go their separate ways following a 15-year partnership that included dozens of race wins, championships, factory assistance for the RCH Racing team, and Carmichael’s ongoing legacy in the sport. The GOAT was appreciative of the support that Suzuki had given him throughout his career and stated that the decision was not easy, but deemed necessary because of his ambition to be more active in all of motorcycling, not just motocross.
Carmichael has what one could call an “active retirement.” He’s remained a fixture in motocross following his exit from racing in 2007 thanks to various roles with Fox Racing/Feld Entertainment/Monster Energy/Daytona International Speedway/smaller sponsors/various international Supercross events, kept the GOAT Farm and opened it up to racers like Joey Savatgy and Aaron Plessinger, and still rides the MX track for fun and Fox Racing photo shoots.
While RC will forever be known for two 24-0 outdoor seasons and a stack of championships on a dirt bike, he’s put in plenty of road miles over the last few years, like trips to the Sturgis Motorcycle Rally in South Dakota and this past summer’s ride through Utah/Montana/Wyoming on a Triumph Tiger adventure bike. This new interest in long-distance riding looks like it will be an important part of Carmichael’s future and it looks like it will lead to connections with iconic motorcycling brands that are outside of the singular motocross industry.
Multiple riders and OEMs have split from each other when their racing relationships come to an end. Jeremy McGrath retired on a KTM, later joined Honda as a test rider, and now is an ambassador for Kawasaki. Jeff Emig had his success with Yamaha and Kawasaki, but has become one of Husqvarna’s most prominent riders. Ryan Dungey left KTM for a short-lived stint as a partial owner in GEICO Honda and now has a practice bike from Team Honda HRC that was built by his brother, Jade. All of those decisions were made because the retired riders wanted a way to remain relevant in the space and found partners that agreed with their plans; Carmichael is simply the lastest to do so.
Below is the letter from Carmichael, but be on the lookout for an announcement regarding his new deal in the near future…
To all of my fans and everyone in our motorcycle community,
After 15 years with Suzuki, I wanted to take this time to say thank you and express my gratitude to the entire staff at Suzuki of America, Suzuki Japan and to all of the other regions I have been fortunate enough to work with over the years. We were able to accomplish some great things together, both as a rider, and as a team owner and I am very fortunate to have made many great friendships along the way.
As times change, I have been looking at other opportunities within the motorcycle industry and exploring options where I feel my experiences can best be applied to help grow our great sport. As everyone knows, I also enjoy challenges and seeing what a team of people can do to produce a great result when working together on new projects. As I continue to build upon my years of experience as a racer, I am now transitioning to enjoy other aspects of the motorcycle community.
This hasn’t been an easy decision, but the future is exciting for me. My love of bikes has grown beyond just off-road riding and I am looking forward to exploring those opportunities more in the future. I will forever work to promote our sport and continue to give back to the up and coming riders who hope to see their dreams realized, just as I did many years ago.
With that, I want to wish everyone at Suzuki continued success in the future. Friendships go well beyond working relationships, I am fortunate to have many of you as friends, and look forward to seeing you at the races and on the road!
My warmest regards,
RC
