Ricky Carmichael and Ernesto Fonseca have been friends for a long
time - all the way back in their formative minicycle days growing up in
Florida, where the Costa Rica-born Ernesto and his family spent much of
the early days of his career. Recently, Carmichael finally got the
chance to speak on the phone to his injured friend, trying to give him
some encouragement in an otherwise difficult time. It was during the
conversation, according to
Fox Racing's Scott Taylor, that RC made a
promise to Ernie: For the rest of his career, Ricky will race with
Ernesto's signature on his gear - something that he can look for on TV
or in every photo of RC - starting this weekend in Dallas. According to
Taylor, "The signature will not always be placed in that location. We
will move it around to find a prime location that Ernesto will be able
to spot very quickly. It's just a way for Ricky to remind Ernesto he'll
always be thinking about him."
