Q: What was it like when you got the call from Keith Kunz and what is it like to be a part of a team that has made so much history in short track racing over such a short time?

Carrick: All of this basically happened because of a phone call I got from Keith, basically two days after we had bought all of our sprint car stuff to run as a family (team) in California. He asked about me driving for them … and that’s the opportunity of a lifetime. When you get a call like that, it’s just an unbelievable feeling and that’s a particular moment in my racing career that I’ll never forget.

What’s cool recently is that I got the chance to go to the Chili Bowl with them and hang out with all the guys … it’s great and they’re just an awesome group. You really can’t ask for better than to be associated with Keith and Pete (Willoughby), as well as Jack Irving and all the Toyota guys. When you drive for KKM, you know it’s a special place and you really appreciate all they’ve done. It’s super special to be part of.

Q: What did you learn from last year, being your first season with Keith Kunz Motorsports, and how do you grade your performance?

Carrick: Last year, I felt like I started out alright for it being my first time ever in a midget, but there was a lot to learn, for sure. The biggest thing for me was, ‘How do I drive these cars compared to the mini-outlaws?’ and that just comes down to seat time. I think I just needed laps and once I got more comfortable in the midget and started to figure out what I needed, then you saw things improve.

The USAC/ARDC races at Williams Grove last summer … that was where I felt like everything started to click and we found a lot more consistency. It was really the same for me in the sprint car, too. We started out this year a lot better with that program as well; it just hasn’t necessarily shown up in the finishes quite yet.

I would say our results aren’t where we want them to be just yet, but I’m happy with the speed we’re finding.

Q: What is your schedule look for the remainder of the season?

Carrick: We know we’re running the full USAC points schedule with Keith and we’ll also run any POWRi (Lucas Oil National Midget League) events that we can fit in when there’s not a USAC race or that makes sense in the calendar.

I think we have 25 sprint car races scheduled around my midget races with Keith right now and then if something happens back East to where we get rained out or something, then we’ll have options to come back home and add some of those races as they form and we go along through the year.

We’ve already ran two non-winged and one winged race this year, but we haven’t had a whole lot of luck in any of our features yet! We won a heat race at Marysville (Raceway Park) but haven’t had a solid finish quite yet. We’re working hard, though, and we know better days are coming.

Q: Have you set a specific goal that you want to hit during the USAC season?

Carrick: The team hasn’t set a specific goal, but I’ve set a personal goal of finishing top five in points this year, and I definitely want to pick up that first USAC midget win this year if I can. Logan (Seavey) winning at DuQuoin certainly motivated all of the rest of us (on the KKM team) to get after it that much harder!

Q: Beyond this season, have you started to map out where you’d like to go in your career as you get closer to 18 and have the potential to make a jump to pavement like Christopher (Bell) and Kyle (Larson) did?

Carrick: I really want to go to NASCAR. That’s my goal. That is my goal for the rest of my life, is to work my way into NASCAR and, hopefully, stay there until I retire.

There’s been a thought about doing World of Outlaws and staying predominately dirt, but I’ve always focused on NASCAR and all that, to be honest. But hey, if that plan doesn’t work, I’ll stay running dirt and have a great time doing it.