- Red Bull Racing helping out: After treating all of Red Bull Racing Team to lunch Tuesday, members of the #83 and #84 pit crews caught I-85 north to Randleman, N.C. The destination? The NASCARnival at Victory Junction Gang Camp. They took a tour of the sprawling facility that, through fun activities and experiences, empowers the lives of children with chronic medical conditions or serious illnesses. Along with #84 driver AJ Allmendinger, the Bull Crews sat down for dinner with campers, then performed pit stops and taught them how to tear through lug nuts. And all were more than happy to offer an autograph or two. The #83 Bull Crew’s victory in the Sprint Pit Crew Challenge is still paying off. The charity portion of the hefty purse earned in May comes out to $23,793.25. On Friday, crew members will present a check, through the NASCAR Foundation, in that amount to the Speediatrics unit of Halifax Medical Center in Daytona Beach. Over-the-wallers Jake Brzozowski, Brian Haaland, Danny Kincaid, Shaun Peet and Aaron Schields will take a tour of the unit and hand out Speediatrics teddy bears.(Red Bull Racing PR)(7-2-2008)
- Red Bull Racing F1 driver to visit Dover: Red Bull Racing’s David Coulthard will be heading out early to North America prior to the Canadian Grand Prix to pay a visit to Red Bull’s NASCAR team. The weekend before the F1 race in Montreal sees the NASCAR boys racing at Dover in Delaware, on a track known as the Monster Mile. David will be a guest of the NASCAR Red Bull Racing Team, which is now in its second year of competition, racing Toyota Camrys, driven by #83-Brian Vickers and #84-AJ Allmendinger. “I’m interested in all sorts of racing, but hardly ever get a chance to see anything other than Formula 1. So when Red Bull came up with the idea of shooting a promo film around their NASCAR operation on the week before the Canadian GP, it seemed like a great opportunity to go and see why this form of racing is so popular in the States.” Coulthard arrives in time for race day, Sunday 1st June, when he will get a chance to sit in the race car as well as sitting in on the team’s pre-race engineering briefing, before watching the “Best Buy 400”. Coulthard is just there to visit the team and do a film and has no plans to move to NASCAR in the future.(Red Bull Racing PR)(5-27-2008) Comment here
- Silver scheme for Allmendinger at 'dega AND rest of season: The silver #84 that’s been shining in Red Bull Racing Team’s shop unloads for the first time Friday at Talladega, and AJ Allmendinger, who returns after a five-race layoff, can’t wait to show off his car’s new look. “I think it’s sweet,” Allmendinger said. “Our blue has been good, but it’s one of those things that says, ‘I’m back!’ It’s silver. It’s going to stand out. It’s going to look fast, and it’s going to be fast.” In 2007, Red Bull’s motorsports branding featured dynamic bulls, suns and custom deep blue color. More than a year later, the design is expanding with the silver #84. The car maintains the same styling cues as the #83 to ensure close affiliation but carries a metallic silver pearl base and blue number to create its own identity and personality.(Team Red Bull Blog), see image of the scheme on my #84 Team Schemes page. Been told the Silver scheme will run the rest of the 2008 season.(4-22-2008)
- Allmendinger now expected back in #84 at Talladega: AJ Allmendinger, originally expected back in the seat of the #84 Red Bull Racing Toyota April 12 at Phoenix, said Friday he will not return until the following week at Talladega. Mike Skinner made his first appearance in the # 84 at Las Vegas and has a best finish of 27th (at Atlanta) in four starts entering Texas. "He's said the same things that I've been saying, so just more than anything there's a peace of mind of getting back in the car and [saying], 'OK, so I'm not crazy. I am feeling the right things," Allmendinger said. He has tested for the team at New Smyrna (Fla.) Speedway and Nashville during his hiatus from competition.(SceneDaily.com)(4-5-2008) Comment here
- Thomas to Red Bull? UPDATE: Brandon Thomas, who recently was replaced by Steve Boyer as crew chief for #96-J.J. Yeley at Hall of Fame Racing, is apparently bound for Red Bull Racing, though his exact duties remain to be seen.(SPEEDtv)(3-31-2008)
UPDATE: hearing that Thomas will go to Red Bull Racing as Chief Design Engineer.(4-2-2008)
- Changes at Red Bull, Labbe?: Guenther Steiner is no longer the director of competition for Team Red Bull. Officially, Steiner is on "vacation." However, sources close to the team say he's gone and there's been no replacement named. It's all part of the shakeup underway at the team now that Jay Frye has been put in charge. I [Yahoo's Bob Margolis] also hear that Slugger Labbe could be on his way over to Red Bull to be reunited with Frye.(Yahoo Sports)(3-17-2008) Comment here
- Four races for Skinner in the #84...hopefully: Mike Skinner envisions mentoring as the next phase in his NASCAR career, and what he did Friday was an important step toward ensuring that A.J. Allmendinger maintains his. Skinner quelled speculation about Allmendinger's benching by Red Bull Racing by making it clear he's just pinch-hitting for the struggling second-year Sprint Cup Series driver, who reiterated his commitment to NASCAR. Skinner then went out and fulfilled his primary duty by qualifying the #84 Toyota Camry 34th for Sunday's Kobalt Tools 500, which will mark the car's first competition this season. Skinner's interim job description is getting the car into races and finishing in the top 35 to guarantee a spot in the field starting with the sixth race at Martinsville, Va. The hope is that Allmendinger, minus the pressure of having to race his way in, can take over from there and just drive. "We're planning on four races and hopefully that's all it's going to take," said Skinner, 50. "Hopefully we can go test somewhere (to the point) that I don't even get in the car and (Allmendinger) does all the driving, and I can talk to him and tell him some of those things I felt when I was in that situation and how I dealt with it. Hopefully, that will reduce some of that pressure. There's no question from anybody about this guy's ability to drive a car. Is it the race team? Is it the driver? Is it a combination? Is it too much pressure? That's what I'm here to evaluate. If A.J. succeeds, then I've succeeded." After winning five open-wheel races in 2006 in the since-disbanded Champ Car World Series, Allmendinger jumped to stock cars last season in start-up situations with Red Bull and Toyota. That combination has resulted in a series of hard knocks, with the start of his career delayed to the fifth race at Bristol and just 17 races in a 43rd-place ranking. This season Allmendinger has failed to qualify for the Daytona 500, while rain denied him an opportunity to make the field for the Auto Club 500 in California. He missed last week's race at Las Vegas despite being part of a "go or go home" group thought to have an advantage by going out after the top 35 drivers already locked in. Allmendinger and Skinner have a previous history as protégé and mentor dating back to Allmendinger's brief learning curve in the Truck series. He promised to stick by Skinner and absorb his expertise even harder this time, dismissing whispers that his struggles would send him back to America's reunited open wheel circuit. "No. I want to be here," Allmendinger said. "This is the place to race. The ultimate thing comes down to I know I have the ability to win races and win championships. We just need to get the ship turned around the right way. Mike doesn't want this job, he wants to help me."
Going out next to last in qualifying, Skinner knocked out former champion Bill Elliott to ensure the team's first tandem appearance this season. That led to a series of congratulations for the driver and Red Bull Racing general manager Jay Frye, who also expressed a sense of relief. "Mike did a phenomenal job for the program," Frye said. "He and Brian were running similar lap times in practice and that gave us a direction. That's what a multi-car team has to do to get better. What we're trying to figure out now is the direction the car needs to go because A.J. is a phenomenal talent and he can do this. We're just trying to catch our breath and hopefully get this thing pointed in the right direction and put him back in there, and 10 years from now we'll forget this even happened." (USA Today)(3-9-2008)
- Red Bull could replace Allmendinger UPDATE Skinner in: Red Bull Racing is considering temporarily pulling #84-A.J. Allmendinger from his Toyota as it reevaluates that struggling program. Allmendinger failed to qualify for Sunday's race at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, making him 0-for-3 on the season. In contrast, teammate #83-Brian Vickers has made all three races in the other Red Bull car. "We can't keep missing races. It's just not an option," said general manager Jay Frye, hired in January to turn around the second-year Red Bull program. We're looking at several different ideas, all aimed at figuring out what's wrong with that program, how we can fix it and how we can get that car into races. But it can't continue the way it is. It just can't." One of the options being considered is pulling Allmendinger from the seat and replacing him with a veteran who can help assess the program and get the car into races. Among the available drivers are Mike Skinner and Johnny Benson, who are currently both pitching in to fill an open seat at Bill Davis Racing, and Sterling Marlin and David Stremme. "We love A.J. and we're 100 percent committed to him and want to develop him," Frye said. "This is not at all giving up on A.J. But we just can't do nothing and risk having a season like that team had last year." Red Bull is also working on securing seat time for Allmendinger in Nationwide Series and Truck Series races to help his adaptation to NASCAR. Options in the Nationwide Series are rides in a Joe Gibbs Racing or Chip Ganassi car, and there could be some seat time available in a truck owned by Billy Ballew.(Associated Press/Sports Illustrated)(3-3-2008)
UPDATE: Red Bull Racing Team has confirmed that veteran NASCAR driver Mike Skinner will temporarily replace AJ Allmendinger in the #84 Red Bull Camry in the Sprint Cup Series effective this weekend at Atlanta Motor Speedway. Skinner, a Craftsman Truck Series champion, currently races full-time in the #5 Toyota Tundra. "We’re at a crossroads where we need to make a change that will elevate the #84 team to success,” said VP and General Manager Jay Frye. “AJ’s our guy and he’s a talented driver, but there’s a lot being asked of him. In order for him to be successful, we have to get this team pointed in the right direction. We hope we can do that with the help of a veteran driver.” Skinner’s history with Red Bull Racing Team dates back to 2006 when he served as a test driver for the team. Skinner’s history with Allmendinger also dates back to 2006, when he mentored teammate Allmendinger during the rookie’s part-time ride with Bill Davis Racing NCTS team. Frye hopes with the help of Skinner, that RBRT will have the program turned around and the ride returned to Allmendinger in no time. AJ Allmendinger, #84 Red Bull Driver said: “Let’s not kid ourselves; I’m a racer and I want to be racing, but I get the big picture here and obviously we need to improve our program. Do I want to be out of the car? No. But, I know Skinner can help both me and my team. All I can say is he better be prepared for me to eat, drink, and sleep with him. Ok, well maybe not the sleeping part, but I’m ready to attach myself to him and learn everything I can.” Mike Skinner, Substitute #84 Driver: “The first time I ever met AJ, I took an immediate liking to him. He’s not just a great personality; he also has a remarkable amount of talent. He took on a huge challenge jumping into stock cars last year, and I’m glad I can be the one to help him and his team figure out where the glitches are in their program. This is a positive thing for AJ as a learning experience, for the Red Bull Racing Team to get back on track, and for me to have the opportunity to help another Toyota team that has great equipment and potential.”(Red Bull Racing PR)(3-3-2008) Comment here
- Scott Speed Taking Baby Steps Toward a Career in Stock Cars: Instead of racing in places like Monaco or hobnobbing with the European elite, Speed will now be checking out the sites in such exotic locales as DuQuoin, Illinois or Berlin, Michigan. Speed will spend this season competing full-time in the ARCA Series. Speed said he’s prepared to give himself 2-3 years to figure out if stock car racing is something he can be successful with. If it doesn’t work out he said he’d likely go back to open wheel racing.(Hartford Courant)(2-9-2008) Comment here.
- Frye named Red Bull GM: Red Bull Racing Team [#83-Vickers, #84-Allmendinger] announced Jay Frye as General Manager effective January 14, 2008. Frye brings on board 16 years of experience in the NASCAR industry, most recently with a 12-year stint as CEO and GM of Ginn Racing (formerly MB2 Motorsports). “Red Bull along with Toyota has all the necessary tools to compete at a very high level. I’m excited about the opportunity to work with an organization that has unlimited potential,” says Frye. With a long-standing history of industry success, Frye completes Red Bull Racing Team’s search for a GM, since the position was vacated in June 2007. Guenther Steiner, who joined the team in 2006 with extensive Formula One technical expertise, will continue to work as Technical Director and focus fully on delivering advanced engineering performance and technology. Red Bull Racing Team's focus on superior and precision engineering paired with Jay Frye's industry expertise is certain to lead to consistent and successful results in 2008.(Team Red Bull PR)(1-13-2008)
- Other Owners Looking at Allemendinger? UPDATE: A.J. Allmendinger, an Indy-car racer trying to make it in NASCAR, has another year on his contract with Toyota’s Team Red Bull, according to competition director Elton Sawyer. Nevertheless, there is speculation that at least one rival team owner would like to make a run at Allmendinger, even though Allmendinger has had a fitful first season on the stock-car tour.(Winston Salem Journal)(10-26-2007)
UPDATE: A.J. Allmendinger said that he was amused Friday morning when he read an internet report stating that at least one other Cup team may be interested in him driving for it next season. Allmendinger said that he has no plans to leave Team Red Bull Racing. "My focus is trying to finish this year off good and get ready for next year," Allmendinger said.(Macon Telegraph)(10-27-2007)
- Red Bull Would Want Another Sponsor for Third Team: Team Red Bull boss Guenther Steiner said the team hasn't decided whether it would add a third car for Scott Speed when the former Formula One driver, who will run the ARCA series next year, is ready to move to Cup. But if the two-car team were to expand, additional Camrys wouldn't be sponsored by Red Bull, the energy drink company that also owns the operation. "First we need to see how Scott performs, but if we did a third car we would try to finance it somehow differently," Steiner said. "To have three Red Bull cars doesn't make sense. There is a plan, but at the moment in Cup, we want to perform with two cars at highest level and then proceed to three to four cars in the future."(USA Today)(10-27-2007)
- Team Red Bull buying Yates' shop? UPDATE no: Team Red Bull [#83, #84) has approached Robert Yates Racing [#38, #88] about purchasing its racing and chassis manufacturing shops in Mooresville, N.C. The offer comes in the heels of Yates' announcement that it wants to move to Concord, N.C., to a shop currently occupied by Boris Said's No Fear team (next to Roush Fenway) to expedite their sharing of technology in 2008. Yates will use Roush-built chassis next season. Red Bull is in dire need of more space. It gets engines from Toyota Racing Development and buys chassis, but wants to start departments in both areas. Buying Yates' facilities would give them the room to do that.(Sports Illustrated)(10-11-2007)
UPDATE: "Robert Yates did contact us awhile back to see if we were interested in talking with him about purchasing his building or his teams. We weren't - so the conversation ended there. We're committed to building our team from scratch and making our cars competitive. We don't have plans to buy anyone else's team."(Red Bull VP of Competition, Guenther Steiner statement)(10-18-2007)
- Scott Speed to run ARCA in 2008, maybe some NASCAR: Team Red Bull formally announced an agreement with former Formula 1 Scuderia Toro Rosso driver Scott Speed to race the #2 Red Bull Toyota Camry with Eddie Sharp Racing for the 2008 ARCA Re/MAX Series Season. Patrick Donahue will serve as crew chief for the rookie driver as he begins his ascent into stock car racing. Red Bull may consider occasional opportunities for Speed in NASCAR as the 2008 season progresses. Speed’s connection with Red Bull dates back to 2002, when Speed won the Red Bull Driver Search, a program aimed at putting an American talent into Formula One. With Red Bull backing, Speed raced his way through the European ranks and into a full-time seat in 2006 at Red Bull Racing’s sister team, Scuderia Toro Rosso, before mutually parting ways in 2007.(Red Bull Racing PR), Speed starts 7th in Friday's ARCA race at Talladega.(10-5-2007)
- Red Bull Racing could be switching manufacturers UPDATE denied..again: As the Nextel Cup Chase for the Championship moves to Dover International Speedway Sunday there are negotiations taking place that seem to have slipped under the radar of most garage watchers. Sun Media has been told that Red Bull owner Dietrich Mateschitz has been in discussions to switch manufacturers from Toyota next year. Those in the know say that Mateschitz has been deeply disappointed about the results of both the #83 and #84 Red Bull Toyotas in the team's inaugural Cup season. And he is not pointing the finger at either A.J. Allmendinger or Brian Vickers. The general feeling among team members is that Toyota has not stepped up with the kind of technological and engineering support that the team expected when it signed on with the Japanese auto giant. With Chevrolet losing Joe Gibbs Racing to Toyota next year, there certainly is room for Red Bull to fill that void in the Bow Tie brigade.(Toronto Sun), however, as of Sept 4th, Elton Sawyer, Team Red Bull’s competition director, said the team would stay with Toyota.(9-18-2007)
UPDATE Denied..again: Despite speculation suggesting a switch to Chevrolet to boost its Cup performance, Team Red Bull reiterated its commitment to Toyota. "The rumor keeps coming up, but we are staying with Toyota," Team Red Bull vice president of competition Guenther Steiner said Friday. "We don't want to want leave Toyota, we want to stay with them and I hope I have to say it for the last time now." The season has seen more qualifying misses than hits with the tandem combining to miss 25 starts on speed. While Steiner said he expected some stumbles with the Camry in Toyota's transition to stock cars, he admitted to not fully grasping the concept of being in the top-35 in terms of qualifying.
In time that won't be an issue with Toyota, Steiner added. "When we get in the race we are not yet decent, far from where we need to be," Steiner said. "Maybe we underestimated that (top-35), but we are learning and we try to make up for it. We want to win in two years, but we are realistic."(USA Today)(9-22-2007)
- Scott Speed to race ARCA at 'Dega: Team Red Bull and Eddie Sharp Racing announced former Formula One driver Scott Speed will drive the #21 Red Bull Toyota in the ARCA RE/MAX Series at Talladega Superspeedway on Oct. 5, 2007. This will mark Speed's debut in stock car racing. With Red Bull backing, Speed raced his way through the European ranks and into a full-time seat in 2006 at Red Bull Racing’s sister team, Scuderia Toro Rosso. After parting ways during the 2007 season, Speed turned his attention to landing a Red Bull-backed drive in the States. In an effort to hone and adapt Speed's skills from F1 to stock car racing, Red Bull tapped ARCA team Eddie Sharp Racing.(Red Bull Racing PR)(9-20-2007)
- Red Bull staying with Toyota: Elton Sawyer, Team Red Bull’s competition director, responded to questions about a possible switch from Toyotas to Chevrolets next season by saying his operation “is very content with our current manufacture. We have no plans to make any changes. It’s been a good partnership.” There has been intense speculation that the first-year team has been trying to make the change. The other question facing the new NASCAR operation is Scott Speed, the Red Bull-backed racer who just lost his Formula One ride and who has been at the company’s Charlotte-area shops the past few days looking for something to do next. “Scott is a Red Bull athlete, and anything we can to do to help him get introduced to NASCAR racing, whether it be Busch, Truck or ARCA, we’ll do,” Sawyer said. But he said that there were no specific plans currently for Speed.(Winston Salem Journal)(9-4-2007)
- Allmendinger to drive for Ganassi in 5 Busch races: Chip Ganassi Racing officials announced Wednesday that AJ Allmendinger would drive the team's #42 Dodge in the next five Busch Series races. Allmendinger's first race in the car will be this weekend's Camping World 300 at California Speedway. Allmendinger drives Team Red Bull's #84 Toyota in the Nextel Cup Series, and the agreement with Ganassi allows Allmendinger, a rookie in Cup, more seat time in a NASCAR stock car. Allmendinger will also drive the $42 at Richmond, Dover, Kansas and Charlotte.(SceneDaily.com)(8-29-2007)
- Scott Speed wants to run NASCAR, but lacks oval experience: Nextel Cup's Team Red Bull appears willing to help ex-Formula One driver Scott Speed, 24, into NASCAR, but the road may be long and winding. Speed, who lost his F1 ride with Scuderia Toro Rosso recently, has almost no oval-track experience at any level. Until he gains that experience, NASCAR isn't likely to clear him for its Craftsman, Busch or Cup series. Even so, Red Bull owner Dietrich Mateschitz feels Speed can make the transition. "He would be an asset for us in NASCAR," Mateschitz said of the Californian. The Red Bull-backed Toyota NASCAR team featuring #83-Brian Vickers and #84-A.J. Allmendinger has had problems of its own this season, missing 25 of 48 potential starts through Bristol. Vickers scored the team's only top-five and its only three top-10s in his 14 starts. Allmendinger has missed 15 races and has nine finishes between 31st and 40th. Elton Sawyer, TRB's director of competition, does not foresee any significant personnel changes next year. "...our two drivers will be back," he said at Bristol. "Scott Speed is a Red Bull athlete, which means we'll do whatever we can to introduce him to this form of racing. But I don't think you'll see him over here in a Cup car with our team next year."(Autoweek.com)(8-29-2007)
- Red Bull Will Help Scott Speed in NASCAR: Red Bull’s motorsports guru Helmut Marko says that the company would be happy to help Scott Speed kick start a NASCAR career. As the man who looks after the company’s young drivers, Marko is eager to give Speed a helping hand, after he was dropped following a falling-out with Scuderia Toro Rosso bosses Gerhard Berger and Franz Tost. The former STR driver had some initial discussions with U.S.-based teams last week. “We are still trying to co-operate with him, but in a different area,” Marko told SPEEDtv.com. “NASCAR is a very special form of racing, and even a guy like Montoya, with all his F1 experience and his Champ Car racing on ovals, can’t just jump in and be competitive. So, they will look maybe at some Busch races and if that is going well, put him up to the Nextel Cup.”(SPEEDtv.com)(8-23-2007)
- Scott Speed to NASCAR? Axed Toro Rosso racer Scott Speed will almost certainly switch to the NASCAR series in 2008, it has emerged. Although his relationships with STR chiefs Franz Tost and Gerhard Berger are over, the Californian remains strongly linked with Red Bull magnate Dietrich Mateschitz -- who also owns a new team in the premier American tin-top category Nextel Cup. "Speed drove in Formula One against the world's best drivers," the Austrian billionaire is quoted as saying by Motorsport Aktuell, "he is courageous, and his name is a marketer's dream -- and with a cowboy hat it is perhaps complete!" Team Red Bull is a works Toyota-supported NASCAR team. "He would be an asset for us in NASCAR," Mateschitz said of the 24-year-old.(Yahoo UK), it doesn't say of it will be for Cup, Busch or Trucks or if Speed would replace Vickers or Allmendinger or that Red Bull would add a 3rd team for Speed.(8-14-2007)
AND: Formula 1 racer Scott Speed will switch to NASCAR in 2008, according to sources at Red Bull Racing [once again, it doesn't say which series]. The California native made his debut in Formula 1 in 2006 and competed this past season, but was released from his Toro Rosso team last week for lack of performance. Since his debut with the team in March of 2006, Speed failed to score a championship point. Red Bull owner Dietrich Mateschitz who sponsored Speed’s Formula 1 team also owns a the Nextel Cup team with Toyota drivers AJ Allmendinger and Brian Vickers. Mateschitz told a German language motorsports website Tuesday that Speed “Would be an asset for us in NASCAR.” According to the same sources, the team will drop the Toyota brand and switch to Chevrolets in 2008 as well [which has been denied].(Cup Scene Daily)(8-14-2007)
- Red Bull VP/GM leaves; RBR to Chevy? denied: Citing “irreconcilable differences in the team philosophy,” Red Bull Racing and Marty Gaunt, formerly the team’s vice president/general manager, have parted company effective immediately, the team announced Monday. The team, which is owned by Austria-based Red Bull energy drink founder Dietrich Mateschitz, has struggled in its first year in the Nextel Cup Series, with both its cars outside the top 35 in owner points and therefore not guaranteed starting spots in races.
“Red Bull Racing must concentrate nearly all efforts on qualifying, while maintaining a strong emphasis on building a solid foundation for a successful and enduring organization for the future,” the team said in a statement issued Monday. Given the team’s struggles in 2007, Red Bull has been rumored to be changing to Chevrolets next season, a scenario Gaunt and Toyota’s Andy Graves denied last weekend at Pocono Raceway.(SPEEDtv.com)(8-7-2007)
- Red Bull in it for the long run: Team Red Bull [#83-Vickers, #84-Allmendinger] director of competition Guenther Steiner reassured me [Yahoo Sports Bob Margolis] this weekend that despite his team's difficult entry into Nextel Cup competition, they were "in it for the long run. If [Red Bull owner] Dietrich Mateschitz had wanted to do it the easy way, he would have just sponsored one of the Hendrick cars," Steiner said.(Yahoo Sports), also on the SPEED Report Sunday, Bob Dillner mentioned that since #44-Dale Jarrett is now out of champions provisionals for the season, 1988 Cup Champ Bill Elliott is a wanted driver, supposedly Red Bull Racing is one team interested, but supposedly Elliott is not interested in a situation like that.(4-30-2007)
- Red Bull Teams to honor slain team member: Team Red Bull celebrates the life of one of its most colorful characters this weekend in Texas. In honor of James “Jimmy” Sprinkle — a test team mechanic who died after an unfortunate altercation at his property on March 31 — the #83-Brian Vickers and #84-A.J. Allmendinger will carry the words “In loving memory of Jimmy Sprinkle: ‘Breakin’ it down’” on the B-post. It has been a tough two weeks around the shop, as one Team Red Bull member admitted, “I don’t know if they can replace him.”(Red Bull Racing PR)(4-13-2007)
- Sad News: Red Bull Team Member Killed UPDATE 2: Arrest Made: A member of a NASCAR team was shot to death outside his home in Alexander County late Saturday. Jimmy Sprinkle, 44, was a mechanic for the Red Bull racing team. He had been a member of the test team crew for about a year. Sprinkle lived on a farm in northeast Alexander County north of Hiddenite. He spent the afternoon working on his yard, then saw someone coming down his long gravel driveway around 10:30pm. Saturday and went out to investigate. That's when the person shot him once in the chest and died at Iredell Memorial Office. Alexander County investigators and State Bureau of Investigation agents believe they've found the shooter's vehicle, a white 1980s model Monte Carlo with a dark blue top. They are not commenting on a motive in the case. Although Sprinkle had spent much of his life in and around racing, his wife says he also had a life away from the track. "We live in the farming community, he helped plow many gardens, he's out with fertilizer, anything they need to do with cattle and horses," Sylvia Sprinkle said. Family members are still in disbelief and have many unanswered questions. Vickers' team released a statement on Monday regarding Sprinkle's death. The team, based in Mooresville, NC, had a moment of silence at the start of the day for their lost member. Anyone with information about the case is asked to call Alexander Crime Stoppers at (828) 632-8555.(wsoctv.com.(4-2-2007)
UPDATE: Police say they have identified a suspect in the shooting death of James “Jimmy” Sprinkle, a NASCAR crew team member and Hiddenite resident, but they are not naming names just yet. And no charges have been filed. Sprinkle, of Center Church Road, died Saturday at Iredell Memorial Hospital in Statesville. Sprinkle, was shot once in the chest about 10:30 p.m. at his home. Authorities located a vehicle believed to have been used in the shooting. They spent much of Monday combing the car for evidence. “We are making substantial progress in the case, and hope to make an arrest soon,” Capt. Keith Warren of the Alexander County Sheriff’s Office said. The shooting stunned Sprinkle’s friend, Phil Keever. “It’s beyond me,” Keever said. “This came from left field.” Keever was with Sprinkle shortly before he was killed. “He was helping me fertilize my pasture,” Keever, 48, said. “We were going to borrow his flatbed truck to load golf carts so my dad could take them to Virginia. “I dropped Jimmy off at his house about 7:30 p.m.” Sprinkle tested race cars for Team Red Bull, a Nextel Cup team based in Mooresville. He previously worked for Evernham Motorsports Marty Gaunt, vice president and general manager of Team Red Bull, issued this statement: “We are shocked and deeply saddened by the unfortunate loss of Jimmy Sprinkle’s life. We extend our deepest sympathy and condolences to Jimmy’s family and friends. Jimmy was one of those hard-working crew guys with great personality that don’t come around very often. Jimmy will be sorely missed at the race shop and at the track.”
Tom Czoka, transportation manager for Team Red Bull, worked with Sprinkle for five years. He spent many hours on the road with his co-worker and friend. “He was quite a character,” Czoka said from the Mooresville office. “He never had a bad word to say. He always looked for positives, and was always upbeat, willing to help somebody. I don’t know if they can replace him.”(Hickory Record)
Survivors include: his wife, Sylvia Dyson Sprinkle, of the home; his step-father, Willie Feimster of Taylorsville; a sister, Susan McLain and husband, Marty, of Hiddenite; a step-sister, Diana and husband, Shaun Cory, of Banner Elk; a step-brother, Chuck Feimster, of Waxhaw; two nephews, Darren and Kelly McLain of Hiddenite. He is also survived by several aunts, uncles and cousins.
Visitiation is scheduled for today: Adams Funeral Home, 307 Main Avenue Drive, Taylorsville, NC. Tuesday, April 3 from 4:00-8:00pm/et. The funeral will be conducted at 5 p.m. Wednesday, April 4, 2007 at Fairview Baptist Church by the Revs. Tony Dyson and Ruel Fox. Memorials may be given to Motor Racing Outreach, 5555 Concord Parkway S., Suite 405, Concord, N.C. 28027.(4-3-2007)
UPDATE 2: A Taylorsville man was charged with the Saturday slaying of James Sprinkle, a NASCAR mechanic for Team Red Bull, according to the Alexander County Sheriff's Office. Earl Wayne Flowers, 51, of Gravel Hill Court, was arrested at about 3 p.m. Thursday. He received no bond and was in the Alexander County Detention Center Thursday, charged with one count of murder.(Charlotte Observer)(4-5-2007).
- Vickers takes over for Allmendinger at Daytona UPDATE: #84-AJ Allmendinger will finish his week of testing at Daytona International Speedway early. Allmendinger, the open wheel star and newest addition to the Red Bull driver lineup, will step aside Tuesday to allow teammate Brian Vickers to return. Vickers, who has more stock car experience than Allmendinger, will help the team
try to find the speed that has eluded them so far in the Daytona test sessions. Vickers scheduled test session was last week, but team officials confirmed Monday that they would bring him back to Daytona. During last week's session, Vickers and Team Red Bull posted the slowest laps among the Toyota's that tested. Allmendinger managed a 34th place lap [of 62] on the speed charts on Monday.(Cup Scene Daily)
UPDATE: Vickers is slotted to test the #84 Totota on Wednesday as Allmendinger will be truck testing down in Homestead, FL that day. To make up for the schedule conflict, Allmendinger ran laps last week in the 83 car in Daytona.(Red Bull Racing)(1-16-2007)
- Ragan Cleared to run Daytona; Allmendinger & Whitt to be 'observed': Roush Racing's David Ragan, whom owner Jack Roush named as Mark Martin's replacement this Nextel Cup season in the #6 AAA Ford, has been approved to compete in the Nextel Cup Series events of Speedweeks 2007 at Daytona International Speedway. Two Nextel Cup rookies #72-Brandon Whitt and #84-A.J. Allmendinger will come to Speedweeks with "observation" approval. They must also participate in the final session of Cup testing Jan. 15-17.(NASCAR.com)(1-9-2007)
- Red Bull Finished for 2006, gearing up for Daytona: Word in the garage is that there were many very unhappy faces in the Red Bull camp on Friday after A.J. Allmendinger failed to qualify for Sunday's Dickies 500. Sources within the team say Allmendinger's qualifying speed, which was an embarrassingly slow 10 mph off the pole speed, raised some questions about the Dodge cars and engines the team has been using. The team now is finished for the 2006 season. Their original plan was to run only three races this season in preparation for their official debut with Toyota Camrys next year, but they failed to qualify (once due to rain) each time.
The team will focus on a rigorous testing schedule for Allmendinger, who now is scheduled to make his Cup debut in the Daytona 500 in February 2007.(Yahoo Sports)(11-5-2006)
- Red Bull Major League Soccer team featured on the #84 at Texas: Heading into this weekend’s Dickies 500 Nextel Cup race at Texas Motor Speedway, Team Red Bull is partnering with the New York Red Bulls Major League Soccer team to roll out a soccer-themed paint scheme for the #84 race car. With his keen eyes, New York Red Bulls goalkeeper and avid NASCAR fan Jon Conway gets to indulge in tin-top racing from his perch on top the Team Red Bull pit box. Driven by now-former, American open-wheel sensation AJ Allmendinger, the blue #84 Dodge features the New York Red Bulls logo on the hood and side panels and the dynamic bull and soccer ball on the rear quarter panel. The car also features a logo decal of the The MLS Cup, which is the league’s championship finale slated for the following Sunday, November 12 at Pizza Hut Park in nearby Frisco, Texas. Then on Saturday and Sunday, the Red Bull Air Force skydiving team joins the party as they drop in from the skies above Texas Motor Speedway prior to the start of the Busch Series and Nextel Cup Series races.(Red Bull Racing PR)(11-2-2006)
- #83 now the #84 for Atlanta: A.J. Allmendinger will run the #84, not the #83, on the Red Bull Dodge at Atlanta. The team had planned to run #30 with Bill Elliott and run a special scheme to honor Elliott's 30 years in Cup racing [Elliott will be in the #37 Dodge]. But Red Bull signed Allmendinger as their 2nd team driver this past week to run the full 2007 season in the #84 Toyota. Allmendinger was to run the #83 [which will be run by Brian Vickers in 2007] and the entry list changed Wednesday to #84. Allmendinger may not even get a chance to run the car this week if qualifying at Atlanta is cancelled as rain is forecast all day Friday and Friday night [100%]. Qualifying is scheduled for 7:10pm/et and be televised on SPEED.(10-27-2006)
- Allmendinger dropped from Champ Car ride for final race: SPEED has learned that 2004 Indianapolis 500 winner Buddy Rice has been tabbed by Gerry Forsythe to replace A.J. Allmendinger in the Champ Car season finale Nov. 12 at the Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez. Allmendinger announced earlier this week he was leaving Champ Car for NASCAR next year and Forsythe decided to look for the future. "We've got to think about '07 and this will be a good audition for Buddy," said Forsythe, who called Allmendinger on Thursday morning to inform the five-time winner his services were no longer required. Besides giving Rice a long-awaited chance, this also means Champ Car will have an American in the starting lineup since Allmendinger was the lone Yank this season.(Speed Channel)(10-26-2006)
- Official Allmendinger to drive 2nd Red Bull car in 2007, #84: 2006 Team Red Bull formally announces a multi-year agreement with American open-wheel race car driver AJ Allmendinger to race the #84 Red Bull Toyota Camry for the 2007 Nextel Cup season. AJ completes the 2007 driver line-up for Team Red Bull that already includes 23- year-old Brian Vickers, who’ll pilot the #83 Red Bull Toyota Camry. Rick Viers, the veteran crew chief who guided the 24-year-old Californian through two successful NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series races for Bill Davis Racing earlier this year, also joins Team Red Bull in the same role for 2007. A former Toyota Atlantic champion and Champ Car rookie of the year, AJ currently stands second in the 2006 Champ Car World Series standings with five race wins. To speed up his acclimation to stock car racing, Bill Elliott has graciously agreed to step aside and let AJ take on driver duties in the Team Red Bull entry for the upcoming 2006 Nextel Cup races at Atlanta and Texas.
QUOTES: AJ ALLMENDINGER – #84 Driver: “I'm really excited about this next challenge in my racing career. To race against some of the best drivers in the world in front of fans that are as enthusiastic about racing as I am is going to be a pretty big thrill. I know this is going to be a lot of work in the upcoming months, but I couldn't be happier to do it with Team Red Bull. Hopefully, we can all go out and deliver a good show.” MARTY GAUNT – Vice President, General Manager: “AJ has the talent, guts and ambition to be successful in any form of motorsports. He has proven to be one of America’s top young race car drivers in open-wheel racing and we are confident he can accomplish the same in stock car racing over time.” RICK VIERS –Crew Chief: “I see a huge amount of potential in AJ. On the racetrack, he’s smart, patient and definitely not afraid to race. For the first half of next year, AJ must use his patience to learn as much as he can before moving forward in the second half. Hopefully, he’ll be a solid rookie of the year candidate by year’s end.” More info on the Red Bull teams at redbullusa.com.(Red Bull Racing PR)(10-24-2006)
- Elliott switches teams for Atlanta; Allmendinger in Red Bull ride: Bill Elliott's plans to run in the Bass Pro Shops 500 at Atlanta Motor Speedway next week with a special paint scheme commemorating his 30 years of racing at his home track have been scrapped, but he'll race in front of the home folks anyway. Elliott said the Red Bull team that was set to field his car asked him to step aside so rookie A.J. Allmendinger could drive. Elliott agreed, then struck a deal to drive the #37 Dodge R&J Racing. "But the key is that I'll be racing, and that I don't let down the fans who have already bought tickets," Elliott said.(Atlanta Journal-Constitution)(10-20-2006)
- Elliott still undecided on 2007 plans: Bill Elliott, who failed to qualify in Team Red Bull's Nextel Cup debut Thursday at Lowe's Motor Speedway, will run two more events for the team that will be part of Toyota's debut in 2007. Elliott is considered one of the candidates for that job. "Right now, we're just doing three races and we're going to figure out where it is going to go from there," Elliott said Thursday following his qualifying attempt but before learning he had missed the race." A full-time schedule for Elliott, who last ran all of the Cup races in 2003, is still an option, he said. "We'll wait and see," Elliott said. "It depends on my options." Elliott has driven four races for Michael Waltrip Racing and has two left with Team Red Bull as well as one with MWR. "Pretty much the same program with different guys," Elliott said about comparing Team Red Bull with MWR. "These guys are probably a little bit greener than Michael's guys because of [crew chief] Larry Carter. All it is is a learning curve."(SceneDaily.com)(10-14-2006)
- Elliott to run Commemorative paint scheme at Atlanta: When Bill Elliott takes the green flag for the October 29 Bass Pro Shops 500 at Atlanta Motor Speedway, he will reach a milestone and further etch his name in the AMS record books. Elliott will make his 58th career start at AMS, a stretch that started 30 years ago. In recognition of the accomplishment, Team Red Bull has
designed a retro paint scheme for Elliott to run in the Bass Pro Shops 500, complete with the #30 [will NOT be their 2nd team car # in 2007] to mark his three-decade career at AMS. The paint scheme is designed after the Dahlonega Ford Sales sponsored car Elliott drove in his first start at AMS in 1976. That very #9 powder blue Ford Torino Elliott drove in his inaugural start will return to the high-banks of AMS when it makes a circuit during the parade lap before the start of the Bass Pro Shops 500. To catch Bill Elliott race at his home track, fans can contact the Atlanta Motor Speedway ticket office at (877) 9-AMS-TIX, (770) 946-4211, or visit www.atlantamotorspeedway.com or an authorized Ticketmaster retail outlet for more information on the Bass Pro Shops 500 NEXTEL Cup race weekend.(AMS PR), see an image of the car on my #83/#30 Team Schemes page.(10-13-2006)
- Team Red Bull Close to naming a 2nd driver: Team Red Bull General Manager Marty Gaunt told Sirius Speedway Thursday that there are three drivers remaining on his wish list, and that he hopes to announce a teammate for Brian Vickers within the next few weeks. "There are three guys that we have our eye on," said Gaunt. "We're looking for the best, pure driver we can find. This is not about who brings the most sponsorship to the program. We want a driver." Gaunt admitted that Champ Car World Series star AJ Allmendinger is on that list, saying, "We are obviously interested in AJ Allmendinger. He is a proven winner, and he has been very impressive in his two NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series races." Gaunt said he initially considered the possibilitty of splitting a ride between a veteran driver like Bill Elliott, and a young, up-and-coming driver. "We talked about it, and ultimately ruled it out," he said. "After giving it some thought, we decided that we want to have the same driver in the car, 100% of the time."(10-13-2006)
- Red Bull to debut at LMS UPDATE: Team Red Bull will make its racing debut next weekend with Bill Elliott at the wheel and its research and development manager Randy Cox serving as crew chief at Lowe's Motor Speedway. Cox, who most recently was a crew chief at ppc Racing and has previously worked with Chip Ganassi Racing, will serve as crew chief for the three races that Elliott will drive this year, said TRB General Manager Marty Gaunt while at Talladega Superspeedway. The car will be a Dodge as the team begins a three-race schedule to get ready for its Toyota debut in 2007. Brian Vickers will drive the #83 car next year with his teammate still to be announced. Gaunt said he hopes to have the second driver named within 30 days. "Everybody right now is in the candidate pool," Gaunt said. "We haven't found a second driver. We are still looking at everybody who is available out there who we can put in it. We haven't ruled anybody out as of yet."(SceneDaily.com)(10-7-2006)
UPDATE: There's a new car on the track and NASCAR legend Bill Elliott is behind the wheel. Elliott will be driving
the Victory Junction Gang #83 Dodge at the Bank of America 500 at Lowes Motor Speedway from October 12-14. Running the #83 entry is Team Red Bull, which is entering its first of three 2006 Nextel Cup races in preparation for the 2007 season. In addition to Elliott's on-track driving duties, he'll serve as the Grand Marshall at this year's Ride to Victory IV, which takes place on Sunday, October 15. "There's no better way to raise awareness and funds for the Victory Junction Gang than through two of my passions - racing and riding," said Elliott, who will be make his 754th start. Team Red Bull, together with Elliott, plans to donate the team's Charlotte race winnings and the #83 car and Elliott's driver suit for auction. The auction will take place in November and Information can be found at www.nascar.com/foundation.
On Sunday, October 15, the day following the Charlotte night race, Elliott leads the fourth annual Ride to Victory charity motorcycle ride that also benefits the Victory Junction Gang. The ride originates in Gastonia, NC, makes a pit stop in Mooresville for a tour of Team Red Bull race shop, then crosses the finish line at Victory Junction Gang Camp in Randleman, NC. The ride will cover just over 100 miles and the event is $85 per person. All proceeds will benefit Victory Junction Gang Camp. Fans that will be coming in for the weekend are invited and encouraged to bring their bikes and join the Ride to Victory IV. Registration for the ride can be done online at
www.kylepettycharityride.com(VJGC PR)(10-9-2006)
- Allmendinger to Red Bull? UPDATE: Murmurs in Champ Car circles say Red Bull, which carries a personal services contract with AJ Allmendinger, might like to see the young American in Nextel Cup, where it hopes to strike big in 2007 in partnership with Toyota. With so much money and fame up for grabs in NASCAR, it has become a challenge to keep promising open-wheel drivers away from the France family circus. It could prove difficult for Owner Carl Russo and Champ Car to hold onto Allmendinger, especially if he starts winning.(Autoweek)(4-9-2006)
UPDATE: Champ Car driver A.J. Allmendinger wears a Red Bull helmet as one of the drivers endorsed by the energy-drink maker, so maybe that's why Team Red Bull Competition Director Elton Sawyer was one of the first people to talk to Allmendinger on pit road after his Truck Series debut Saturday at New Hampshire. Sawyer and Team Red Bull General Manager Marty Gaunt were both in attendance as Allmendinger finished 13th in his debut after wrecking his Bill Davis Racing Toyota Tundra in qualifying. Could the 24-year-old Allmendinger, who has four wins in Champ Car this year in a season driving for two different teams, be Brian Vickers' teammate when Team Red Bull takes to the track next season as part of the initial Toyota Camry Nextel Cup effort? "That's a tough question," Gaunt said on whether Allmendinger could be Nextel Cup ready. "He did a hell of a job for his first time out. He finished 13th in a backup truck. He did real, real good. He wanted to try this, and when he was switching rides, he got hold of [Bill Davis] and you've got to give him a lot of credit for going out and doing what he did here today." Gaunt said TRB is still a month away from naming a driver and a possible sponsor for that car. "We still have a lot of pieces to put together," Gaunt said. "We're still looking at all the [driver] candidates that are options, It is a crucial decision, so we have to make sure to make the right one." Allmendinger, who still might return to Forsythe Championship Racing on the Champ Car circuit next year and used the NHIS event to test the NASCAR waters, plans on competing in the Oct. 8 truck race at Talladega. "Red Bull has been a great driver-sponsor/athlete sponsor of mine for the last three years," Allmendinger said Saturday. "Over this year with my success and switching to the Forsythe team, we've been able to really have a strong relationship and they [Red Bull] enjoy the atmosphere in Champ Car as well. Right now, I was just trying to see what it was like and my focus is still on the rest of the year in Champ Car and more than anything just trying to please Red Bull and win races in that."(SceneDaily.com)(9-17-2006)
- Elliott back to roots; no word on 2007 plans yet: Bill Elliott is going back to his roots this weekend, racing his own car at the track where he learned to drive race cars. Elliott will run his Late Model car in the feature event at Dixie Speedway in Woodstock, where he once was a regular competitor. "That place has a lot of history for me," Elliott said. "I've been going there since the early '70s." Elliott last raced at Dixie in 1991. As in his early years, Elliott will be racing on Saturday with an engine prepared by his brother, Ernie Elliott. His new car was taken for a shake-down run on Thursday by dirt racing veteran Ray Cook. "I think it'll be competitive," Elliott said. Elliott's 2007 NASCAR plans are uncertain. He's weighing several offers and expects to decide soon.(Atlanta Journal-Constitution)(9-15-2006)
- Elliott's plans for 2007? still unknown: Bill Elliott will attempt to make his fourth start for #00 Michael Waltrip Racing this weekend in the Sony HD 500 Nextel Cup race at California Speedway but says he still isn't sure what he will do next season. The semi-retired Elliott still has one more race for MWR and then three for Team Red Bull this year. He said he was undecided on his 2007 plans. "I honestly don't know. I'm trying to sort through some stuff right now and try to figure out where I'm going to land," Elliott said.(SceneDaily.com)(8-31-2006)
- Elliott still has not decided: Bill Elliott says he is within a couple of weeks of deciding what he'll do next season. The semi-retired former series champion, who won this race in 2002 and is at the Brickyard this year driving Michael Waltrip's #00 Chevrolet, has been courted by several teams, including some that plan to field Toyotas next year. "I'm still waiting on a few things to come together," said Elliott. "The folks that I've talked to still haven't decided what we're going to end up doing. I'm going to try to put things together a little bit more in the next couple of weeks."(Atlanta Journal-Constitution)(8-5-2006)
- Elliott fulltime with Red Bull in 2007? According to sources in the garage, Bill Elliott, also known as 'Awesome Bill from Dawesonville', will return full-time to NASCAR Cup competition as Brian Vickers' teammate at Team Red Bull in 2007.(source Ford Racing)(7-15-2006)
- F-1 Car in Vickers future? Sometime next season, Brian Vickers might get to drive a Formula 1 car owned by Red Bull. And he could easily become the face of the energy drink now that he's signed to drive the #83 Toyota Camry for Team Red Bull when it enters Nextel Cup competition next year.(SceneDaily,com)(6-28-2006)
- Vickers to drive for Red Bull Racing MORE: it was announced by Brian Vickers on Speed Channel's Wind Tunnel with Dave Despain that Vickers has signed with Red Bull Racing to drive one of their two Toyota's in 2007. Bill Elliott will drive for the team in three races and could run for the team full time in 2007, he will supposedly drive Dodge's in the three 2006 races.(6-25-2006)
MORE: As revealed this evening on Speed TV, Team Red Bull formally announces a multi-year agreement with NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series driver Brian Vickers, the 2003 NASCAR Busch Series champion, to race the #83 Red Bull Toyota Camry starting with the 2007 NASCAR NEXTEL Cup season. Rumors notwithstanding, more official information on the new team, including the second 2007 driver, will be made available later this year.(Red Bull Racing PR)(6-26-2006)
- Vickers looking to get out of contract? UPDATE 2: Hearing that Brian Vickers, driver of the #25 GMAC Chevy for Hendrick Motorsports is now looking to get out of his contract with Hendrick after the 2006 season.(6-7-2006)
UPDATE: Hendrick Motorsports has given driver Brian Vickers permission to seek a ride elsewhere in racing. Hendrick spokesman Jesse Essex said Thursday that the driver of the team's #25 GMAC Chevy in the Nextel Cup Series had asked team officials for permission to pursue "employment opportunities outside our operation." Essex said "multiple years" remain on Vickers' contract at Hendrick.
AND rumors have Vickers going to the #88 Robert Yates Racing ride or one of the Red Bull Racing rides.(6-8-2006)
UPDATE 2: There's been speculation that Vickers might drive a Toyota for Team Red Bull next season. Team Red Bull general manager Marty Gaunt indicated in an e-mail that there's no deal yet with any driver. "Frankly, it is flattering to have this much interest in our new program, but the reality is that the driver search is still very open right now," Gaunt said.(Atlanta Journal-Constitution)(6-9-2006)
- Elliott to drive for Red Bull UPDATE: Red Bull Racing is planning to announce that former Nextel Cup champion [1988] Bill Elliott will drive for the team for three races this season as the team prepares a full-time entry into Cup racing with Toyota in 2007, a source close to the situation has confirmed. The car Elliott will drive will not be a Toyota, but the make of car has not been determined. He will attempt to qualify for the races at Charlotte and Atlanta in October and Texas in November. He also is running select races this year for MB2 Motorsports and Michael Waltrip Racing. The Red Bull team will use the races to help get its crew ready for the Daytona 500 in 2007. Drivers and crew chiefs for 2007 have not been announced.(SceneDaily.com), Elliott is also scheduled to run five races for Michael Waltrip Racing in the #00 Burger King Chevy at Chicago, New Hampshire [July], Indy, California Homestead.(6-5-2006)
UPDATE: Originally scheduled to debut in 2007, Team Red Bull today announces a short schedule of three NASCAR NEXTEL Cup races it plans to enter in the fall of 2006 with veteran driver Bill Elliott, a two-time Daytona 500 winner, behind the wheel. “The organization and its competitive spirit are what attracted me to Team Red Bull,” says Elliott, who won the NASCAR Winston Cup driver’s title in 1988. “My job is simple . put the car in the show, drive it toward the front, and provide valuable input so that Team Red Bull is fully prepared by the Daytona 500. It’s really a great role at this stage of my racing career.” Leading the preparation of the non-Toyota equipped car are two recent race staff additions, Competition Director Elton Sawyer, a stock car racing veteran, and Technical Director John Probst, one of the racing industry’s top vehicle dynamics engineers. Sawyer and Probst join Gaunt and another appointee, Guenther Steiner, who came over to Team Red Bull from the Red Bull Racing F1 operation in a technical advisor role, as the team’s racing leadership operating out of the race shop in Mooresville, NC. The 60,000 sq. ft. facility recently underwent a Red Bull make-over since the energy drink company acquired the property from Penske Racing South prior to the team’s January 24 announcement by Toyota. Gaunt says the driver agreement with Elliott spans over three NEXTEL Cup races this fall – Charlotte, NC (Oct. 14), Atlanta, GA (Oct. 29), and Ft. Worth, TX (Nov. 5). Starting with the 2007 NASCAR NEXTEL Cup season, Team Red Bull will field two, full-time Toyota Camry entries. Rumors notwithstanding, more “official” information on the new team—including 2007 drivers and crew chiefs—will be made available later this year.(Red Bull Racing PR/Newsletter)(6-5-2006)
- Red Bull Shop...and rumors: Mears? Sadler? Knaus?: Toyota's Marty Gaunt has turned the lights on over at Roger Penske's old shop [in Mooresville, Lakeside Park], hired about 40 people for NASCAR's newest team, and is now looking for a couple of good men to run Dietrich Mateschitz's Red Bull [Toyota] Camrys on the Cup tour next season. #42-Casey Mears may be signing with Red Bull for 2007, leaving Chip Ganassi. Mears, in the final year of his Ganassi contract, was courted by car owner Richard Childress, either to fill Kevin Harvick's ride if Harvick had decided to leave, or to run a fourth Childress car. #38-Elliott Sadler [but is signed with RYR thru 2008] may also be signing with Red Bull, leaving Robert Yates, who is already dealing with the defection of Dale Jarrett to Toyota's Michael Waltrip for 2007. #48-Crew chief Chad Knaus, who has put Jimmie Johnson in the thick of the Nextel Cup championship race for four years now, may also be getting a major offer from the Red Bull team, though his current contract with car owner Rick Hendrick runs through 2007. Hendrick just extended Johnson's contract through 2010, but Knaus said that no one has talked with him about a contract extension. And mum's the word with Gaunt. When will he name drivers? "We haven't put a timetable on it, though obviously we'd rather do it sooner than later. When the time is right, we'll do it," Gaunt said. "We're going to run three races near the end of the year; hopefully we can clarify which three soon. And we'll be doing some testing throughout the year.(Winston Salem Journal)(5-21-2006)
- Red Bull Hire: Red Bull Racing has hired John Probst from Ford Racing Technology, a team spokesman confirmed Tuesday night. Probst will serve as the new team's technical director. A mechanical engineer with a degree from Penn State, Probst was the vehicle systems supervisor for Ford. The Red Bull operation, owned by the energy drink company, will field two Toyota teams in Nextel Cup in 2007. Probst joins a management team that includes recently hired Elton Sawyer as director of competition, Marty Gaunt as general manager and Guenther Steiner as a technical advisor. Steiner comes over from Red Bull Racing's Formula 1 team.(SceneDaily.com)(4-20-2006)
- Toyota and...Jarrett? UPDATE 3 Allmendinger? Gibbs?: The new NASCAR Nextel Cup Toyota operation that is being backed by Red Bull "has opened the checkbook," according to one top Ford man, who points to Red Bull's hiring of John Propst, a top Ford Motor Company vehicle dynamics specialist, and the hiring of a top Dodge engineer from the Ray Evernham camp for its new stock-car racing team. General Motors executives are anxiously watching their own key engineers for any similar defections. Elsewhere on the Toyota-NASCAR front, Toyota has made a bid to sign a two-year contract with Dale Jarrett, the tour's 1999 champion and a three-time Daytona 500 winner. Jarrett's contract with car owner Robert Yates is up at the end of this season. While it has been unclear for several months if Yates and Jarrett could come to new terms, Ford officials said Yates is offering Jarrett a contract similar to the Toyota deal.(Winston Salem Journal)(4-8-2006)
UPDATE - Red Bull Drivers? When Red Bull Racing debuts their two Toyota teams at Daytona in February of 2007, rumor has it the organization is looking to pair a rookie with a veteran, taking an approached used by Evernham Motorsports with Dodge. Veterans on the Red Bull list are said to be Kevin Harvick and Dale Jarrett. No word on a rookie, but it could easily be an accomplished veteran from another of the Motorsports arenas.(CircleTrackPlus)(4-9-2006)
UPDATE 2 Allmendinger? Murmurs in Champ Car circles say Red Bull, which carries a personal services contract with AJ Allmendinger, might like to see the young American in Nextel Cup, where it hopes to strike big in 2007 in partnership with Toyota. With so much money and fame up for grabs in NASCAR, it has become a challenge to keep promising open-wheel drivers away from the France family circus. It could prove difficult for Owner Carl Russo and Champ Car to hold onto Allmendinger, especially if he starts winning.(Autoweek)(4-9-2006)
UPDATE 3 Gibbs? There is still no word on which drivers Toyota might back, but Toyota may be making a run at car owner Joe Gibbs, with hopes of persuading the veteran Chevy man, and his three-man team of #20-Tony Stewart, #11-Denny Hamlin and #18-J. J. Yeley, to jump to the Camry brigade, according to sources. Chevy's Kevin Harvick continues to be a focal point of Toyota speculation. However, there is word that Harvick may be under consideration by Ford's Jack Roush for a driving job next season, though Harvick insists "I've not talked with Jack Roush, and I don't know Geoff Smith (Roush's contract attorney)." Smith was not here to discuss the situation, and Roush demurred: "I hear Toyota goes with Kevin Harvick, and there's not a Toyota in my future. What I do know, is Toyota just hired (engineer) John Propst from Ford, and that gives Toyota access to everything all the Ford teams have known about the engineering of the cars, and that's a cheeky move by Toyota, and it's certainly a coup for Toyota. The thing that is more distressing is Toyota is in position to make their own tires, with its relationship with Bridgestone....And I've heard Toyota has acquired 100 acres of land in Charlotte to put together a test track."(Winston Salem Journal)(4-10-2006)
- Red Bull hires Elton Sawyer: Elton Sawyer, who was working with Evernham Motorsports in its driver development program, has been hired by Red Bull Racing as its Director of Competition, a team spokesman confirmed Thursday. Sawyer is third all-time in Busch Series starts with 392. He finished fifth in points three times in the series. He also had 29 Cup starts. Red Bull Racing will field two teams as part of Toyota's Nextel Cup effort next season. The team is owned by the energy drink company.(SceneDaily.com)(4-7-2006)
- Red Bull's technical director moves to NASCAR: Red Bull will use one of its first prominent figures to set-up its NASCAR team in the US. Their technical director for Red Bull Racing in Formula 1, Gunther Steiner, will more from Formula 1 to NASCAR starting April 1st. The forty-year-old South Tyrolean will also assume the function of Technical Director for the Red Bull Toyota NASCAR team, acting on a level with General Manager Marty Gaunt. Red Bull's NASCAR team will start preparing for their debut season in 2007 on the first of April. Gunther Steiner said about his career move inside Red Bull Racing: "It is a new and fascinating challenge. If as a European you are asked to help set up such an ambitious project you simply cannot say no. I'm really looking forward to working on my new task."(f1racing.net)(3-3-2006)
- More on Toyota's move to Cup: According to Toyota Racing Development officials, the newest manufacturer will field six Camrys when it debuts in 2007. Bill Davis Racing, Waltrip-Jasper Racing and Team Red Bull will each enter two apiece. The only driver sure to be racing a Toyota in 2007 is Michael Waltrip. Dave Blaney, who will drive a Dodge for Davis this year, is only under a one-year contract with the team.(Gaston Gazette)(1-26-2006)
- Three Teams to field Camry's in 2007 Cup Series UPDATE: hearing that Bill Davis Racing [#22,23], Michael Waltrip Racing [#55] and Team Red Bull will run the Toyota Camry in 2007 when Toyota enters the series. In addition to Red Bull, other sponsors that will be associated with the Toyota teams are Caterpillar (Bill Davis Racing) and NAPA (Michael Waltrip Racing). Team Red Bull will be based in Mooresville, NC, and stock car veteran Marty Gaunt [Penske] will serve as the team's general manager. Who will drive for Red Bull? how many teams/cars? not sure, Robby Gordon, who owns his own team has been sponsored by Red Bull. And have heard that Kevin Harvick, who drivers the #29 RCR Chevy, could be one of the drivers for Red Bull team. Expect these teams, but doubt the Red Bull drivers, in part to be announced at Toyota's Press Conference at Lowe's Motor Speedway tonight.(1-24-2006)
UPDATE: One veteran race team with close to 20 years of stock car experience, another with an owner who has been driving race cars for more than 20 years, and a third totally new team will all be running the Toyota Camry in the 2007 NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series.
Bill Davis Racing, Michael Waltrip Racing and Team Red Bull will all utilize the "Most Popular Car in America" when the 2007 NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series season kicks-off next February with the Daytona 500, Toyota and teams announced.
Bill Davis Racing has been a regular competitor in the NASCAR Cup Series since 1993, while Michael Waltrip Racing has primarily been involved in the Busch Series. Team Red Bull is new to NASCAR NEXTEL Cup, although the company has been heavily involved in worldwide motorsports. In addition to Red Bull, other primary sponsors that will be associated with the Toyota teams are Caterpillar (Bill Davis Racing) and NAPA (Michael Waltrip Racing). Caterpillar has been associated with Bill Davis Racing for nine years and NAPA has had a relationship with Michael Waltrip for five years.
"Based on our motorsports experience, we know the importance of working with experienced teams and partners," said Jim Aust, vice president of Toyota Motorsports and president and CEO of TRD, U.S.A. "We have developed excellent relationships with Bill Davis and the Waltrip family --- and look forward to developing a similar relationship with the Red Bull team as Toyota joins one of the world's most competitive racing series."
"Next year -- 2007 -- marks Toyota's 50th anniversary in America and seeing a Toyota Camry -- America's best-selling car -- in the NEXTEL Cup Series will be a great way to celebrate this milestone," said Kim McCullough, TMS corporate manager, marketing communications. "The response to Toyota's involvement in the Craftsman Truck Series has been very positive, and we look forward to building on that acceptance at the next levels -- in both NEXTEL Cup and Busch racing."
The Toyota Camry has been the best-selling car in America for four straight years and eight of the past nine years. Assembled at Toyota's Georgetown, Ky. plant, more than six million Camry models have been sold in the United States since its debut 23 years ago. The all-new 2007 Camry, a complete redesign from previous models, was recently introduced at the North American Auto Show in Detroit.
Bill Davis has been involved in NASCAR competition for 18 years. During his tenure as a NASCAR team owner, the Arkansas-native has worked with some of the sport's top drivers and claimed numerous honors, including the 1991 Busch Series Rookie-of-the-Year award with driver Jeff Gordon, and a 2002 Daytona 500 win with driver Ward Burton. Bill Davis Racing has 18 victories, 38 poles, 104 top-five finishes and 257 top-10 finishes as a NASCAR team owner. In 2004, Bill Davis Racing partnered with Toyota to field three Tundras in the Craftsman Truck Series. In two seasons participating in the NCTS, the Bill Davis Racing drivers have combined for two wins, 11 poles, 22 top-five finishes and 41 top-10 finishes. The team will again field three Tundras in the series in 2006.
Michael Waltrip, a two-time Daytona 500 winner, formed his own race team nearly a decade ago in Sherrills Ford, N.C. Established primarily as a Busch Series team -- where Waltrip would collect four wins and six poles -- the organization began fielding cars in the NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series on a limited basis over the past few years. In order to better prepare for the expansion of his team, Waltrip announced plans last August to develop, design and create 'Waltrip Racing World' -- an interactive, high-tech race shop that will feature more than 125,000 square-feet of shop space, buildings and housing when completed.
Team Red Bull will be based in Mooresville, N.C., and stock car veteran Marty Gaunt will serve as the team's general manager. Although Red Bull is new to NASCAR NEXTEL Cup competition, the world's leading energy drink company has been increasingly involved in global motorsports over the last decade. Red Bull owns and operates two Formula One teams -- Red Bull Racing and Scuderia Toro Rosso -- plus is an active supporter of action and adventure sports, music and culture, along with motorsports.
In 2004, Toyota became a regular competitor in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series (NCTS) -the first new manufacturer in elite NASCAR competition in more than 50 years. In its inaugural NCTS season, a Toyota Tundra recorded four wins, five pole positions and 25 top-five finishes. During last year's Craftsman Truck Series campaign, four Toyota drivers -- Todd Bodine (five), Mike Skinner (two), David Reutimann (two) and Brandon Whitt (one) -- combined for nine Tundra wins and Toyota drivers recorded 13 poles. This season, Toyota will again field five teams and nine drivers in the NCTS, including defending series champion Ted Musgrave. Toyota made its initial move into the NASCAR ranks in 2000 with the introduction of a V6-powered Celica in the Goody's Dash Series. In three years in the Dash Series, Robert Huffman won 10 races and earned Toyota it's first-ever NASCAR championship when he claimed the 2003 driver's title.
Powering all of Toyota's American racing programs is TRD, U.S.A. (Toyota Racing Development) in Costa Mesa, Calif., and High Point, N.C. A subsidiary of Toyota Motor Sales, U.S.A., Inc., TRD serves as the North American racing arm for design, development and assembly of Toyota's factory racing engines. In addition, TRD is also the source of high-performance aftermarket products for both street performance and grassroots racing Toyotas. From the race track to the aftermarket product segment, TRD plays a key role in providing Toyota with an enhanced performance image.(Toyota Motorsports Site)(1-25-2006)
