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.
posted by racing bull at 8:24 AM
57 Comments:
Qualifying draw for tonight:
BV 18th
AJ 35th
Can't wait for this weekend. Brian's car was awesome during the 600. Hopefully it's the same this time around. By the way, if Brian is reading this, thanks for the picture and autograph after the Driver's Meeting at Dega. I really appreciated it. Definitly put a smile on my face for the rest of the day. Good luck this weekend TRB!
WE BELIEVE!
By the way, anyone know the name of BV's spotter? At Talladega, it wasn't David Green.
Good luck Brian and AJ in quals tonight!!!
Unbelievable...
not looking good. Maybe TRB should purchase RYR just for the owner points!
AJ knocks BV out!
A top 5 earlier this year and now the #83 doesn't make the race. Can't believe this. TRB has to work on consistency.
There is no consistency there, look who's running the place.
Rumore has it they are trying to get DEI's Richie Gilmore, but he has been sick, so who knows what is going to happen! We totally need some help!!
that sucks... and knowing that BV should've won the Coke 600. what a big disappointment.
things look good for AJ. good job 84 team.
redbull83fan. you're out of line.
that's uncalled for.
that comment by you, redbull83fan, is inappropriate and unacceptable...why don't you leave that talk for your teenage chatrooms...you loser. Awesome work #84!!!
The #83 ran only 12 laps in a 90 min practice session and wasn't very fast. Why didn't they practice more? The car didn't look bad during qualifying it just seemed not to have any power. Are they running different engines then last week? Just trying to figure out why! This is getting very old!
When you practice nothing but qualifying set ups (as the TRB teams have to do) you run fewer laps because you need to cool the motor. The motor is no different- look at the other Toy. teams.
Richie Gilmore? Sadly he is in bad shape, we need to pray for him.
I heard that we might be getting Cole Trickle to drive the 82 car next year, creating a three car unstoppable powerhouse!
To qualify 3rd last week and this week not even make the race. So sad! I guess BV will have a lot of time now to sleep in his own bed and enjoy being home.
Some very funny posts to make me feel better after a bad qual day. I really thought Red Bull was better funded than this. I'd be embarrassed if I was them. I'm not a fair weather fan, but I do have limits on my expectations.
REDBULL83FAN, you're an idiot. When will I see you on dateline NBC? Don't come back here.
I can't believe the mods and staff of this blog would let allow that post from REDBULL83FAN. That was uncalled for and very rude! I haven't been mean to anyone who posts on here and to be attacked is rude. Hopefully something is done by the staff.
Congratulations 84 team! Stinks we will not see BV in the race. I was really looking foward to it. GOod luck AJ. WE BELIEVE!
Did the 83 and 84 switch cars in the past few weeks or what?... seems like AJ is consistantly better all of a sudden. I dunno how the 83 goes from a winning car to a bottom feeder all of a sudden. Sucks! Better hope Nascar changes that top 35 rule by 08 or it'll be more of the same next year.
Where is that Super Fan now???
Well...no one saw this coming. I'm kind of speechless. I think that they are focusing too much on having good racing set-ups, when they really can't afford that luxury. Like Riggs and some of these other teams, they need to put some ultra agressive set-ups on it that they can work to remove during the race. Heck, even if they went down a lap or two by replacing shocks, they'd at least be in the race and have a chance at getting the laps back. This is really troubling. Maybe the departure of Marty Gaunt had a larger effect than expected. I'm just rambling.
Oh well, on to Martinsville.
I don't know who should be more embarrassed the TRB folks or Brian himself. I am truly dissappointed as a diehard vickers fan for the past 4 years.
Is it that Brian isnt focused like he used to be, running around New York and galavanting with Nick Lachey. How is it that my young home grown driver from Thomasville, the one that everyone at the dentist office, trinity high school, the T-Ville Chamber, even dominoes on Main absolutely loves, can spend millions of dollars on a penthouse in New York City and then can't qualify at a track he's probably driven on 3845 times since he was a teenager?
Is it Toyota still under delivering on their engines last time I checked Old Thomasville Road in High Point was a mere 50 minutes from Lowes Motor Speedway you think theyd have their crap together for the hometown race
Is it that TRB spends too much time ranting about their hotel rooms and sheets to get their A list driver into the race?
How is it that a company with the enginuity, know how and determination to FLY Bi-Planes at hundreds of miles an hour overhead in California, can't get their 83 car into the G-D HOME RACE? HELLO PEOPLE
and what hurts more is that in the 6 weeks known as the office season, Jimmy goes back to California, Jeff Gordon (Who's won championships and made millions upon millions BRIAN) can go back to New York, Tony goes back to Indiana but HOME GROWN BOY wants to perpetrate to the point where he DOESNT EVEN QUALIFY AT HOME.
If this wasnt the official red bull blog i'd probably be cussing now. I thought Red BUll gave us wings. We've been jointly dissappointed by everyone involved
Kyle Sandler,
S. High Point, NC
www.vickersfans.com
kyle@vickersfans.com
FLAME ON! but real die hard TRIAD AREA vickers fans know that I am ABSOLUTELY Right
aquaguy
its easy because Brian right now wants to pretend he's a mega star instead of the diehard track rat he was growing up, the one that wouldve quailidied at home with his eyes shut...
TRULY DISSAPPOINTING
And some fans STILL just don't get the sport.
To bad they always assume that life should revolve around their desires.
Dissapointing indeed.
KVNS
elaborate I dont quite understand your post.
Kyle
Missing this race for the #83 is significant in many ways. First the hope of being up in the top 35 by the end of the season in owner points went out the window. Reutimann will now pass Vickers moving him down to 39th. So assuming NASCAR keeps the current mode for qualifying, TRB will have the same problem they currently have next year. The first six races Jarrett will be in because of the past Championship provisional and then there is Elliott in the #21. Toyota will be focusing on Gibbs. But missing this race just shows that there is an eternal management problem. It’s not like TRB doesn’t have the resources to put behind this team. It’s not like they don’t have an experience driver and crew chief for the #83 so why the inconsistent season. It’s probably time to fire some people and make some changes. Maybe the director of COMPETITION should be someone with a NASCAR background. Maybe its time to expand into a four car team. The rumors of TRB and RYR may not be a bad thing. It would expand TRB and give this organization the respect needed in this sport. Something has got to change and change NOW!
Yeah, because Elton Sawyer didn't race for like...what, 10 years or so.
Your right, how does a team with the resources the #83 has get out qualified by teams like the #04 and #49? (No offense to these teams but we know they have a limited budget compared to TRB) How does this team manage to fail at Kansas and now at Lowe’s where they have been strong in the past? How is it the #83 has practice times that are good enough to be in the race but when it actually comes down to qualifying they fail to make it. (Twice) Is it driver or crew chief or does it go higher into management? So many questions and the fans want to have answers.
31 races and still the same B.S. I'll be at the Fan Club party this weekend and I'm sooooooooooo curious to see Brian's mood, I realize he has to entertain us, but I as a lifelong fan of his and backer of all his sponsors past and present, I see a very upset Brian, I'm there to enjoy the other Club members, but I want to hear Brian speak and see his emotions. A pissed Brian is what I think we need to see, some sort of raw emotion to what has been a miserable year. I hope he is honest about what is going on, and plans to fix the issues with the 83, I thought the team would be farther and better by now, but I'm not loosing hope and will continue to slam back my Red Bull.
Paul
Everyone knew coming into this season it wasn't going to be easy. No one thought it was going to be this hard either. If you are a true fan you don't kick the driver or the team when they're down--you support them. Yes, it's frusturating but don't you people think they are trying? This is their job and their passion and I'm sure they don't take either lightly.
We're behind you Brian!!!
Thank you mods for deleting the post! I really appreciate it.
On Points...
Brian will not have that Taledaga win from last year to fall on during rain-outs next season either.
Brian is a way better driver than this season has made him look.
On the scanner...
when you listen to the scanner on race days it just seems so non-chalant compared to the other teams red bull fires me up, are doug and the others drinking some right before race time?
Nicole
IMO- a true fan sticks with his/her team/driver through thick and thin but can also see that everything isnt always as rosey as some would like.
Something just isnt right in looking at Red Bulls sports or extreme sports porfolio all their other ventures and teams seem to run like well oiled Austrian machines (like arnold) except for TRB
It may take a little time for that to change but we dont seem to have a lot of that...
Nicole, I agree with Kyle, don’t be naive to think everything is rosy at TRB. Yes as fans we need to be there when times are hard just as when times are good. But with that said when things aren’t going as planed you need to take a hard look at the organization and make the necessary changes. Yes we knew a start-up team would have obstacles to overcome but in this case the #83 isn’t making races he should be. This is the end of the season and things should be improving instead of going backwards.
I agree with whoever said that TRB needs to expand to four cars. Make their presents know! Be a force to reckon with! These single car and two car teams are really suffering. Look at MRW with his 3 car team, a rocky start but improvements every week. They don’t always have all three cars in the race but seem to at least have two.
im not going to slam but i think they should get their 1st two programs set up and running right before fielding another ride.
For a while there I was wondering about AJ and thinking they should have run AJ on a limited Cup and a full on Busch that way he wouldnt blow a rookie op while they are getting on their feet but that didnt happen.
I do agree though something just aint right on knob hill right now and comparitively speaking to their other sports their isnt as much fire with the red bull nascar team. Even down to the merch, you can go anywhere and buy a red bull airplane jacket, cap, back pack water bottle same with motorcycling, dirt bike racing etc
but nascar, the more popular of the sport, come on you've seen the trailers...
I know, I have been to three races this year Daytona, MIR and Kansas and been to the trailer to purchase various items. I wanted items other than t-shirts and stickers and was surprised that there wasn't much to offer. Does anyone know where to get a soft sided “Red Bull Cooler”?
Everyone is aware that changes need to made and I don't live in some make believe world where I think everything is perfect. What's going on is not going to be fixed overnight. IF it was that easy it would have been done. I just think we need to show support for the whole organization. Do you think this is the type of season they wanted to give to their fans? Yes they Brian should be making races and winning them that is a given. Changes will be made I fully believe that.
I like pancakes.
I like pancakes with butter.
Anonymous for merch:
Go to redbullf1.com they have cool F1 stuff there, I dont remember the site but a few months ago I got a backpack and a silver winter jacket from a german red bull site it miraculously took under a week to get everything stateside and the money conversion was painless i paid with my USA Visa Card the guys emailed me the next morning and shipped my stuff out. If you google around you'll find the stuff im talking about some of its really nice. There is a leather motorcycle racing jacket with the bulls on the back thats nice to but its like $299 US
Kyle
The director of competition, Elton, actually has a ton of nascar experience. It's the vp of competition that has none.
No Bush race, No cup race this week. As a BV fan this is very dissapointing! I guess we can only hope somthing changes for next week!
Then maybe the VP of Competition should be replaced?
Here is my opinion and everyone can rip it all you want but:
Could it be that TRB just isn't focusing on the old cars like they used too? I would love to see BV in every race but if they have to sacrifice the old car to make the COT a lot better than so be it. If BV makes all the COT races for the rest of the year, I'll be happy b/c then I'll know that there is hope for the beginning of next year since it will only be the COT cars. While I expected the 83 team to make Lowes, I didn't really expect them to make Talladega but they did and had an awesome run before getting crashed out. Sometimes things happen that we don't expect. That's part of life.
I'll give TRB and Toyota a lot of credit for even attempting to get into Nascar this year with having to juggle two different cars. Shoot it sounds like the two cars even use two different engine packages based on articles that I've read. There would have been no way I would have attempted that feat.
If you look back over the entire season, TRB has made a lot of improvements especially with the COT. It's not like they aren't trying. Sometimes things can only improve through trial and error not money. Besides if everyone were really honest with themselves, we have known for a while now that it wasn't likely that the 83 team was going to make it into the top 35. Yeah we had hope that it would happen but it has been a real possibility that it wouldn't happen for a while.
Now granted Reutimann is going to move up in points after this weekend but that doesn't mean that next week BV won't take back that spot. Honestly as long as BV stays higher than 43 than I don't really care where he finishes this season since in like 4 months the board will be wiped clean. With improvements that I have seen in the COT car this year, I have no doubt that BV will be in the top 35 next year. It might take 6 or so races but so be it. Next year will be better than this year.
As for a four car team, I think that will hurt TRB more than help them next year. Yeah MWR has made a lot of improvements but there has only been a handful of races that all 3 of their cars have made it in. Now for the win rule outside the top 35, I have only heard the commemtators say that the person out the top 35 who has the most recent win gets that 36th spot when qualifying gets rained out. So to me that would say that until someone besides BV wins, he will get that spot next year too. I could be wrong which wouldn't be the first time.
Okay I've had my say so go ahead to bash it. However, I'm not naive or wearing rose-colored glasses. I might have a tendency to put a positive spin on things but that's my personality. I'm not going to sit here and bash the team, driver, crew chief, or any of the employees b/c I don't do their job or even know how too. It's easy to sit back and say this is what needs to change and how to change it but things are rarely that easy in this world. We all have the right to be mad and upset but you just deal with it and move on.
Krystle, Question...If something in your life wasn't working for you would you make the necessary changes to improve it? You can put a positive spin on this and anything else but if you don’t make the necessary changes then what?
Krystle--NICE JOB!!!!!
I totally agree Krystle! Well said!
Anonymous- how do you know that TRB isn't making changes? Not everything is made public all the time. Sometimes it's just minor changes that need to be made that we don't hear about. Who would have thought that changes would have been needed for this weekend before yesterday? I bet the entire 83 team is just as shocked as the rest of us if not more so. Maybe this shocker will help the team make some changes that will help for Texas, Atlanta, and Homestead. Changes are necessary but they don't have to be explosive changes like some people always call for. Sometimes minor changes have just as big an impact as the huge ones.
TRB have been trying to improve their program all year. That's why they have been doing so much testing. BV even said in an interview a couple of weeks ago that he has done more testing this year than the last 3 combined.
I get that TRB has been struggling more than we all thought they would but imagine what it would have been like if BV had missed 12 straight races this year like Mikey did. All the Toyota fans have been through a lot of highs and lows this year along with the teams. Shoot I bet all the AJ fans would say they have had a harder year than the BV fans. We are all looking forward to a better year next season.
I was watching Speed Live this afternoon and it was mentioned that all the employees for RYR have been give their notice of termination and that the company will no longer exist after the end of the year. If TRB would purchased RYR as the rumors mentioned and TRB only raced the two cars they already have would the points from RYR cars transfer over, kind of like Ginn and DEI? If so this would be something to look at. At least making the race wouldn’t be an issue and they can concentrate on actual racing.
elubrxnhIf TRB really want's us to stop complaining about them on this blog, then they would post some inside info to help us understand what's going on. I'm tired of seeing the pit crew playing a softball game or AJ and BV at a social event. This blog is for RED BULL RACING FANS, not socialites. C'mon Bull Spotter. Give us some inside scoop!
Good job Krystle. I tend to think similarly. All of TRB is working hard and they'll continue to fight through these setbacks. Better days are in front of us. Go get 'em boys!
Did you all know that you can vote for the most popular driver? I just ran into this and BV and AJ name was on the list. You can vote once a day at www.mostpopulardriver.com
Here are the top ten so far:
Dale Earnhardt, Jr.
Jeff Gordon
Kevin Harvick
Dale Jarrett
Jimmie Johnson
Kasey Kahne
Matt Kenseth
Elliott Sadler
Tony Stewart
Michael Waltrip
going to be honest, too lazy and tired to read all the posts.. but basically.
it sucked that he didnt race this week. it cuked that my first trip to charlotte.. i didnt get to see him on the track at all. It sucked. But what can we do.. not much of anything. So I'm just going to movwe on to next week and pray this doesnt happen again. It was a crappy situation.
And, at the club v event someone told me about the post that apparently got deleted.. dont really know what it was about but.... yeah this isnt the place for that stuff.
anonymous @ 4:56 - I saw that bit on Speed too.
It looks like the TRB to buy RYR rumors are still lingering. I didn't catch the full gist of it - something about TRB getting the #28 & #38 and somehow switching to Ford power with the Yates-Roush engine thing.
However this thing shakes out, the rumors of TRB switching power persist.
At this point, I'm not opposed to TRB switching manufacturers.
PS - way to go AJ!!
All I can say is that these are probably just rumors. And I say that because no one in the main stream is picking it up. Unless Toyota is dropping TRB, I doubt that it would be the other way around. For Christsake, I turned to 2 different channels today during the Vikings game, which they won, and saw Red Bull flying in a RED BULL sponsored air race and also running in a truck race. We have all kinds of money. Toyota wouldn't turn us away. If I'm wrong, I'll eat my words, but I think TRB is the one in the commanding position. We don't need any other bee-otches pushing us around. TRB to Chevy, has possibilities. TRB to Ford, give me a break!
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