The 83's Strip Show

Two days removed from the Coke 600, Red Bull Racing’s No. 83 looked like it was half dead in the shop today, still recuperating from a rough day and night in NASCAR’s longest race. You might be wondering what happens to such a top-notch machine that escaped LMS with a top five in hand. Here’s the abridged version, according to Doug Richert, the guy who helped Brian Vickers nurse this baby home.
- Stop, survey and assess what’s right and wrong with the car. That damn power steering deal was the focus of today’s investigation.
- Yank the TRD motor. It gets torn apart, packaged and shipped to the big brains at Toyota Racing Development on the left coast. They have their own checklist because this piece was stout for 600 miles.
- Yank the tranny, suspension, brakes, rotors … all the parts and pieces that get used up. Each department dissects its own stuff.
- Strip the bull of its scarred skin, which can make for a hell of a piece of memorabilia. Sometimes, the signatures of AJ and BV grace these pieces of sheet metal and are auctioned off for charity. Other times, they’re simply used as marketing tools.
- Clean the naked frame, check it, re-check it and send it back through the process. Once it’s all done, “You’ll never know the difference,” Doug revealed.
Check with your local Red Bull Racing shop employee for more details.