View from the Top

Atlanta marked a career first for AJ and the No. 84 team - their first laps led in the NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series.

During a long caution on lap 233, crew chief Ricky Viers opted not to pit with the other lead lap cars and Allmendinger stayed out on the track to lead the first lap of his short Cup career, which garnered five additional bonus points. These points of course are very valuable for the teams outside the top-35 in points who are trying to end the season as high up in the points as possible. Of course, it also just felt nice to see the No. 84 on top of the board for the first time!

AJ's response? “Wow, can we get a picture of the pylon up there. That looks good!”

As you can see we did get a picture, AJ. His comments were met by lots of smiles and cheers from his pit.

Brian has already proven he can run up front by leading laps in several races this year - he has a total of 96 laps led for the season. And by the way AJ has been running the past few weeks, he isn't far behind. We hope this is forshadowing of things to come for Red Bull Racing in 2008.

COT Is All About Feel

AJ Allmendinger has driven just about every type of NASCAR machine around Atlanta Motor Speedway — a truck, a current Nextel Cup car and, as of Monday morning, a Car of Tomorrow.

The rookie’s favorite?

“I’m more comfortable in the COT cars and I don’t know why,” Allmendinger said. “It has a higher center of gravity and dances around a bit more, but I can control that. With the current car, I’m not really sure. Especially at a track like this, with how bumpy it is, I’m never sure if the car is under me or not. I feel like I have more control with the COT.”

Allmendinger’s No. 84a was one of 52 cars to test Monday morning at Atlanta — the first full-scale session for the new car at a 1.5-mile track. There have been other COT tests this season (Bristol, Richmond and Talladega), but not at a high-speed downforce track. The series’ seventh and final NASCAR-sanctioned test wraps up Tuesday.

Kyle Busch’s No. 18 topped the morning time sheets with a fast lap of 186.190 mph. Red Bull Racing Team’s Brian Vickers flirted with the top 10, as the No. 83b came in 12th (183.948 mph) and the No. 83a in 13th (183.905). Allmendinger was 17th at 183.704 mph. In the afternoon, Allmendinger was sixth at 183.759 mph. Vickers turned the 25th- and 29th-fastest laps (182.009 and 181.711 mph).

Monday morning’s top five:
1. Kyle Busch, 18, 186.190
2. Denny Hamlin, 11, 185.822
3. David Reutimann, 00a, 185.430
4. Carl Edwards, 99a, 184.911
5. Martin Truex Jr., 1b, 184.738
Monday afternoon's top five:
1. Greg Biffle, 16a, 185.158
2. Denny Hamlin, 11, 184.874
3. Kyle Busch, 18, 184.358
4. David Reutimann, 00a, 183.868
5. Martin Truex Jr., 1a, 183.777

Atlanta Trifecta

Brian Vickers No. 83 gas man, Doug Newell, (see Doug in action on left) has earned the newly coined “Atlanta Trifecta” crown - winning at Atlanta in all three NASCAR Series - Cup, Busch and Truck. The NASCAR pit crew veteran earned the third victory yesterday pitting for Kyle Busch’s #51 Truck. Doug's third trip to Victory Lane at AMS was preceded by wins with Mark Martin in the Busch Series, and Kurt Busch in the Cup Series. So if BV crosses the checkered flag in first today, Doug will have to upgrade his “Trifecta” title to…what? Let's hope we have to figure that out today...

Dry Times in the ATL

Dry lawns and dirty cars are a fact of life these days in the South, where an epic drought has the region’s biggest city nearly dying of thirst. Some 5 million Atlanta residents have less than a 90-day supply of water, and Gov. Sonny Perdue has urged the entire state to conserve every drop of H2O.

Shorter showers are recommended. Using the toilet as an ashtray is not.

Just how bad is it in the ATL? Bad enough that a total outdoor watering ban has blanketed the city because only two inches of rain has fallen in the past two months. Bad enough that two area lakes — Lake Lanier and Lake Allatoona — are 16 feet below normal. And, yes, bad enough that NASCAR has stepped in and instructed teams not to wash their mammoth big rigs and motor homes upon arrival at Atlanta Motor Speedway.

The sport’s conservation effort goes as far as teams “catching” water after engine flushes during practice and qualifying runs. Every little bit helps, especially in a seemingly permanent state of being parched.

Red Bull Racing Team wouldn’t hold it against Mother Nature should the skies open up around qualifying time at 7:10 p.m. ET Friday night. Atlanta, finally, would get some relief, and the Nos. 83 and 84, though prepared to time their way in, would get into the Pep Boys Auto 500.

Brian Vickers and AJ Allmendinger fit nicely into the protocol for determining a starting lineup if rain nixes time trials. Vickers, twice a top-10 finisher at Atlanta, is guaranteed a starting spot based on his victory last fall at Talladega. Allmendinger, whose No. 84 sits 45th in the owner standings (seven points ahead of the No. 36), would sneak into the show at the tail end of the field.

Cox Replaces Richert as No.83 Crew Chief

Sometimes marriages end in divorce, as was the case with Red Bull Racing and No. 83 crew chief Doug Richert. The good news – the split was amicable and both parties are moving full steam ahead. Red Bull Racing Team R & D Manager, Randy Cox (see photo), will take over the No. 83 crew chief duties starting this weekend at Atlanta. Cox is no stranger to the crew chief role with past Busch Series stints with Kenny Wallace and David Stremme.

"In any NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series organization, the crew chief and driver are the two key forces that make a race team competitive, and there must be a balance in both personalities and methods for achieving goals," Competition Director Elton Sawyer said. "Individually, each person can be strong at their job, but if they aren't efficient collectively, then changes must be made so both sides can reach their optimum potential. The formula we'd put together to try and make the No. 83 team successful was no longer working, so it was an amicable decision to part ways. Doug Richert made many contributions in helping this team grow in our first year of competition and we wish him the best of luck in his future endeavors."

Milk & Cereal

Scott Speed is notorious for having a great sense of humor, but did you know he even captures some of his stunts on home video? Scott let us in on a little video posted on Youtube.com of him and former teammate and Red Bull Driver Search candidate Colin Fleming. The duo shared a flat in England a few years back and apparently had a lot of free time on their hands. They made their own version of a Japanese video about “Milk & Cereal,” but Scott says his and Colin’s version is “way better!” I’d tell you more, but this video is one of those things you just have to see for yourself…

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZWh-cDnS0k8

Race Day, Martinsville-style

A typical race day starts a lot earlier than most would even imagine. The day usually begins leaving the team hotel before the sun is out - today we left the Martinsville hotel at 5:45 AM. The teams always park down the road from the track in order to avoid the post race traffic and out as quickly as possible. This is especially important in Martinsville because it is one of only a few tracks on the NASCAR circuit that most teams drive to. Everyone in racing becomes accustomed to making the most of their time and getting back home as quickly as possible.

Once a team arrives at the track, everyone must wait outside the garage until the gate opens - today, that was 7:00 AM. And as soon as it opens, everyone immediately gets to work. The pit crew (as you can see in the pictures) begins to set up the pit box and pit area, prepare tires, glue lug nuts, etc... and most of this is still happening before the sun ever comes up.

And of course since we are in Martinsville, a day at the track would not be complete without eating one of the track's famous pink hot dogs, which many of the guys use as their breakfast.

As race time nears, there is the driver/crew chief meeting, driver introductions, then finally, the green flag will wave at 1:40 PM. AJ starts 25th.

Score It!

Answers from Thursday's puzzle

Across:
2. Brakes
5. Nothing
8. Grandfather clock
10. Dale Jarrett
11. Bruton Smith
15. Paul Menard
17. Paperclip
18. Dario
19. Jared
20. Hot dog

Down:
1. Speed
3. AJ Allmendinger
4. COT
6. H. Clay Earles
7. Jeff Gordon
9. Curbs
12. The Chase
13. Railroad
14. Blocking
16. Eighth

Cross Words at Martinsville

Anything and everything to do with the Subway 500...

ACROSS
2. There’s a glow about them.
5. Bobby Ginn owes us …
8. Winner’s eternal timepiece
10. What can Brown do for the booth?
11. "I knew Concord would come around."
15. Tony’s latest enemy
17. "The Pretty …"
18. Mr. Judd
19. Annoying Subway spokesman
20. Best item on the menu

DOWN
1. He’s got it, and so does his name.
3. Career-best 15th at Lowe’s
4. Not a collapsible bed
6. Founding father
7. Chasing one for the thumb
9. Steer clear or spin
12. Halfway there
13. Noisy neighbor
14. It worked for Jimmie in April.
16. BV’s best Martinsville finish

*Check back for answers on Friday...

AJ Does Orlando

AJ spent Monday evening in warm Orlando with Toyota Craftsman Truck Series driver Johnny Benson and a bunch of folks from Toyota.

TEMA (Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing) hosted their annual Fall Supplier event at the Ritz-Carlton Grande Lakes in Orlando, Florida. Approximately 200 people attended the event including lots of VIP's and senior management, CEO's and TEMA's top suppliers. The conference was themed "Racing Forward" so AJ and Johnny fit in nicely! They guys were able to thank all the hard working employees for everything they do and for supporting the Toyota race teams, all while they dined on good food and drinks and signed autographs. AJ even signed a few Red Bull cans.

Unfortunately he did not have time to sneak away to check out Walt Disney World - although you could see the park and it's roller coasters off in the distance! Maybe in the off season!

Club V: "On the Backstretch"

What better place to entertain your loyal, die-hard fans than “On the Backstretch” of Lowe’s Motor Speedway? Members of Club V, Brian Vickers Fan Club, got the full VIP treatment Friday night during the 3rd annual Brian Vickers Fan Club event. Almost 80 guests were on hand at the Red Bull Energy Station sitting high and mighty above Turn 3 taking in the sights and sounds that only a race fan could love. The featured event of the evening was of course meeting their favorite driver Brian, but his fans also got the added bonuses of guided pit tours and Busch Series race action from the unique – and invite only – view. We’re not talking a hot dog and burger joint - Energy Station guests were treated to high class catering like shrimp cocktail and crab cakes, all washed down with ice cold Red Bull. Wish you’d been there? You could be next year. Join Club V!

Everybody Loves Lists

Guess who barely sniffed the top 50 of the 100 most powerful people in sports? That’d be big, bad Bernie Ecclestone, the head of Formula One. Guess who came in No. 6? That’d be Brian France, the chairman and CEO of NASCAR and basically the equivalent of Ecclestone in the United States.

Ecclestone was ranked 57th in the recent BusinessWeek Power 100 poll — a subjective experiment certainly geared toward American sports. But we have no problem that the stubborn old man whose arrogant paddock scoffs at oval-track racing came in behind four names from NASCAR — France, Dale Earnhardt Jr. (23rd), Roger Penske (54th) and Jeff Gordon (56th).

Bernie, 20 insiders from the sports world apparently think F1 is, well, rubbish. (He doesn't look very happy about it, does he?) What they do think is that NASCAR is kind of a big deal, as Jack Roush (62nd) and John Henry (65th), Tony Stewart (74th), Bruton Smith (84th), Joe Gibbs (93rd) and Lesa France Kennedy (98th) all made the list. Any mention of Formula One ends with Ecclestone.

Check out the list at http://www.businessweek.com/table/07/0926_power100.htm.

PS: Check out Brian Vickers on “Inside Nextel Cup” (8 p.m. ET on Speed).

The "Circus" Comes To Town

It has been very evident to those who live in the Charlotte area that the race is in town this weekend. Many a race fan has traveled from other cities and states to make it to tonight's race under the lights of Lowe's Motor Speedway. There has been a little more traffic on I-77 than usual, all local hotel rooms are booked - the excitement is in the air.

On the way to AJ's merchandise signing today, we encountered thousands of race fans enjoying the fantastic weather and soaking up the race atmosphere. The picture above shows Speedway Boulevard in front of Lowe's Motor Speedway, right by the merchandise haulers and fan zone.

And the garage area is no different. More garage and pit passes are distributed at this race than almost any other track because this is NASCAR's "home" track. Those who work in the sport invite their family members, friends and loved ones to come out and see what keeps them busy most weekends of the year.

The green flag of the Bank of America 500 waves tonight at 7:46 PM EST. AJ will roll off the grid in the 30th spot.

Charlotte: Good To Be Home

This weekend, there’s no rushing to the team plane, no rental cars with five seats for six people, no doubling up in tiny hotel rooms, no sleazy sheets that stink of menthols and stale beer. This weekend, it’s just Red Bull Racing, our own homes and the 30 miles that separate us from Lowe’s Motor Speedway.

Any NASCAR race on the outskirts of Charlotte is a welcome one, and there was an extra-special event held the last time the Nextel Cup Series stayed home.

Brian Vickers, driving Red Bull Racing’s No. 83 Toyota, endured NASCAR’s longest day and night to lead 76 laps and finish fifth, this despite wheeling a beaten and battered Camry that had no power steering when the last of 600 miles were complete.

Never mind that. Sure, Vickers and teammate AJ Allmendinger are expecting stellar weekends, but Red Bull Racing’s road crew is anticipating a three-day stint that finally includes family, friends and the old NASCAR phrase, “We get to sleep in our own beds.” This is everyone’s chance to shine in front of everyone that matters.

NASCAR teams travel 10s of thousands of miles each season, so when a weekend’s living arrangements don’t require check in and check out is a welcome sight. Trust us, many a spouse stuck home with the kids appreciate a weekend like this.

Beast Attack!

In the past month or so a billboard of the No. 24 wrecking into the No. 84 at the May Coca-Cola 600 at Lowe's Motor Speedway has been popping up around the Charlotte area with the phrase - "Beast Attack!" (For those of you who live in the Mooresville area, the billboard above can be seen going South on I-77 on the left before Exit 33).

We are hoping both AJ and BV make it through the weekend with out the "beast attacking!" Both guys say they are looking forward to being able to sleep in their own bed's this weekend. No. 84 crew chief Ricky Viers said racing in Charlotte is kind of like being the home team in a baseball game with the home field advantage. And these things can only help as Red Bull Racing prepares to qualify both cars into the field Thursday night!

AJ's seat-time experiment continues in the No. 42 Busch car. He’ll drive the Chip Ganassi Racing-owned and Memorex-sponsored Dodge in Friday night’s Dollar General 300. His qualifying efforts have been solid, with three top-15 starts in four tries. There is room for improvement in the results column, as his best Busch Series finish is 14th on Sept. 7 at Richmond.

Radio Chatter

Scott''s great run in his stock car debut at ‘Dega on Friday brought plenty of entertainment as he passed through the field for a 7th place finish, but what people wouldn’t know - is how much entertainment Scott was giving his ARCA crew over the airwaves…

Beginning of Race
Scott to Spotter: “It’s a bit hard to hear you because it’s so quiet in here (sarcastic), so can you talk a little louder?”
Scott’s Dirty Windshield on a Pit Stop
Scott: "Did you guys know you only got one screen off? What’s up with that? You get behind here and look through this windshield and tell me you shouldn’t have taken another one off?"
Advice from Spotters Stand
Spotter: “When you’re running alone that car shoots like a bullet and you can pass four to five cars.”
Scott: “Well, we’ll just have to get this thing into the lead then!”
Spotter: “See what you can do about that.”
Referring to His Drink Bottle
Scott: "Gotta give a shout out to my man “Dave 3” for this icy cold beverage he put in my car."
During a Caution
Scott to Spotter: “Next time tell me when there’s a car coming on the inside. That scared the shit out of me!”
End of Race
Scott to Crew: "Do we have enough fuel to make it to the end?"
Crew: "We should make it with one lap to spare."
Scott: "Ok, then I’ll conserve the shit out of this fuel."

Release the Hounds

The No. 83 recently earned its first victory of the season, only the win came on the hunting fields of North Carolina rather than 1.5-mile Kansas Speedway.

On Oct. 29, Red Bull Racing’s director of competition, Elton Sawyer, spent his Saturday afternoon at the Yadkin Valley Hunt Club, where folks ride horses and hunt fox. Ten hunting hounds were “auctioned” off to help the club raise money. Bidders, of course, did not keep the dogs.

Using a NASCAR theme, each hound was numbered with a little shoe polish. There were the Nos. 83, 84, 9, 07 and 88, among others. Sawyer saw something in one pooch and let his money ride.

“After the weekend at Kansas,” Sawyer said, “I felt like the 83 was due. So I put my money on the 83.”

A fox scent was scattered around a course about the length of a furlong or two, and the hounds were cut loose to race. Guess who came in first? That’s right — the No. 83, with the No. 84 earning a podium position in third.

The auction earned nearly $1,200 worth of kibble. Check out some images at www.yadkinvalleyhounds.com.

Speed To Race '08 ARCA Season

Team Red Bull formally announces an agreement with former Formula 1 Scuderia Toro Rosso driver Scott Speed to race the No. 2 Red Bull Toyota Camry with Eddie Sharp Racing for the 2008 ARCA Re/MAX Series Season. Red Bull may consider occasional opportunities for Speed in NASCAR as the 2008 season progresses.

From Scott's Mouth...“I’m really excited to race ARCA because it’s an opportunity to learn a completely new animal for me - stock car racing - without being put under a huge spotlight. One of the great things about ARCA is that you have a whole field full of young guys like me just trying to make a name in this sport. It’s hard to judge the level of competition I’ll face next year, but that’s just part of the fun.”

Appetite For Destruction

Talladega Superspeedway demands that no fan partake in any sort of lewd behavior during one of its two NASCAR weekends. (Cue the laughter anytime now.)

A venture into the fields in and around Talladega reveals a war zone without the guns, IEDs and rubble. Bodies saturated with barley and hops lie all over the place, some clothed and some not. The ones that are standing aren’t standing straight up, and a few stragglers are still hanging onto that beer from the night before, which by this time tastes like bath water. There are, of course, fancy living arrangements with electricity and running water, but a school bus gutted for 72 hours of debauchery does just fine.

Indeed, life at Talladega is not for the faint of heart. Many adolescent males have gawked at their first set of breasts, and many busty bimbos have unveiled theirs to earn Mardi Gras-style necklaces. Beads around these parts of central Alabama are worth far more than the American dollar.

No matter how hard Talladega tries to redefine its character, the legend remains intact. Some 25 police agencies from across Alabama attempt to infiltrate the crowd with hopes of creating a family-friendly atmosphere. They’re on horse, in choppers above, on bikes and on foot. But they are far outnumbered by folks who resort to medieval living just to see a pack of race cars scream by every 50 seconds.

Bad behavior isn’t condoned at Talladega. It is, however, expected. Last April, 14 fans were permanently banned for throwing objects onto the track when Jeff Gordon — considered the devil at Dale-a-dega — won the Aaron’s 499. Red Bull Racing’s Brian Vickers, driver of the No. 83 Toyota, heard a few F-bombs after his controversial victory last fall.

Just remember to send a search party should anyone brave the infield or outskirts of Talladega.

Highlight Reel - Season So Far....

We have put together a highlight clip of the races from Daytona through Indianapolis - February through July - and posted it on our team website. You can see the best Red Bull Racing on-track footage of the season so far, along with highlights from Brian and AJ's media appearances.

Check it out...!

http://www.teamredbull.com/video.php#
Click on the "HIGHLIGHT REEL - February-July" link on the left side of the page.

Enjoy.

Super Fan!

Kansas may not have been the best outing for Red Bull Racing, but we can’t say there was a shortage of fans out there supporting our team. This Super Fan came all the way to Kansas from South Dakota with his very own claim, “I drink two Red Bulls every weekend before the Brian and AJ qualify. I didn’t get a chance to drink my Red Bulls today. Oh no, is that why they didn’t qualify?” If only it were that simple, we’d have this guy a lifelong supply of Red Bull and a personal assistant reminding him when to drink it! Here’s hoping he’s wide awake on Red Bull this Saturday morning. Tune in to Talladega qualifying at 10 AM (EST).

Scoring... NASCAR Style

One of most little-known positions on a race team is the scorer. Red Bull Racing's travel coordinator Abbie spots for the No. 84. She was nice enough to let us into her world in Dover a couple of weeks ago. At most tracks, you will find the scorer's stand high above the race track, as you can see from the picture above.

Each team is required to have a scorer. They keep track of what happens each and every lap of a long NASCAR race and push a button every time the car passes on the race track, which can get a little nuts when you are at a short track like Bristol and the race is 500 laps long! They also keep track of lap times, cautions and other important info - this serves as a backup in case NASCAR's electronic system was to go down. Scorer's are also the first to get their hands on the updated owner and driver points standings after a race that crew chiefs and management are always eager to see!

Ten to fifteen NASCAR officials hang out in the scorer's stand to make sure everyone is doing what they are supposed to be doing. And a scorer is NOT allowed to leave their car unattended. If they need to step away for a bathroom break or anything else, they have to find someone to fill in. In fact, just a few weeks ago a fellow scorer left his car unattended, and the crew chief was fined! As you can see, NASCAR takes this job very seriously.

Another "scoring" fact is the scorer's sit according to points or according to the qualifying order - it depends on the track as to which system they use. Poor Abbie has been stuck at the back of the room for a good part of the year when the points system is used, but jokes that she is always near the bathroom.

Since the races can sometimes last a long time, she usually takes enough Red Bull with her to keep everyone awake!