Frye, No. 83 Have a History

Jay Frye and the No. 83 go way back, long before he became Red Bull Racing Team’s general manager and vice president earlier this month.

For four seasons (1983-86), Frye played college football at the University of Missouri, fighting off pass rushers and blitzing linebackers as a tight end and offensive lineman. He earned a varsity letter in 1986.

It just so happens that his black-and-gold jersey number was 83 (pictured above), which, two decades later, is the same number as Brian Vickers’ Sprint Cup car.

There’s a story behind Frye’s No. 83, and it starts with Kellen Winslow, an NFL hall of famer who also played tight end for the Tigers. Winslow wore the same number in the late 1970s.

“Kellen Winslow went there, and, of course, he was pretty good,” Frye explained. “There were a couple of guys between he and I who were really good tight ends. When I got there, you’re carrying on the tradition of the No. 83. Ultimately, they retired the number, so I tell people my number is retired. But really there’s a different name on it — Winslow, not Frye.”

Sin City Speeds

Mother Nature must not have been too happy that the Sprint Cup teams were invading Sin City – and she let it be known by delivering rough weather conditions for yesterday’s test. The desert air temp’s were in the chilly 40 degree range, but making conditions even more brutal were winds steady at 20 mph, with gusts up to 40 mph, and afternoon rain – not ideal conditions for testing. While several drivers have found their way into the wall during testing – BV and AJ have managed to steer clear of the wall and turn some decent lap times. The two-day test wraps up today and sends teams to Fontana for the second leg of their west coast swing for a NASCAR open test on Thursday and Friday.
Check here for Las Vegas testing speeds.

Time Not on AJ's Side

This one is going to sting for a while.

With his work day done, AJ Allmendinger could do nothing but share a few F-bombs with the rest of Daytona International Speedway after watching the No. 6 Daytona Prototype — the car running second in Sunday’s Rolex 24 with co-driver Ian James at the wheel — pull up lame with a blown tire and suspension damage with more than three hours remaining.

AJ qualified the car on the front row, and the No. 6 was stout all day and night and was a fixture at the front (especially with AJ driving). But the mechanical demons of endurance racing sent the team home with a 14th-place finish — 43 laps behind Chip Ganassi’s No. 01. (Red Bull athlete Memo Rojas was part of the winning team. More to come on him at www.redbullracingusa.com.)

For the third year in a row, AJ missed out on the overall title in America’s most prestigious sports car race after finishing second in 2006. He’ll have to shake it off rather quickly, however, because AJ, Brian Vickers and Red Bull Racing Team begin a two-day test Monday at Las Vegas. Then it’s off to California Speedway for two days Thursday and Friday.

Look Out for Levi

One down, two to go for Levi LaVallee, who’s the first snowmobile rider to compete in racing and freestyle events at Winter X Games 12.

The Red Bull athlete earned his first gold medal of the Winter X weekend Thursday night in the debut of snowmobile speed and style, a unique event that combines acceleration and elevation. “Lauchin’ Levi” proved he’s the best at both, defeating Sam Rogers in the final.

“I just really enjoy jumping,” LaVallee said. “I think it’s fun. So doing this, jumping and throwing tricks, I’m just having a ball doing it. I’m a racer … that’s what I do.”

The victory marked LaVallee’s second X Games gold (2004 in hillcross was the first), and he has two events to go — snocross and freestyle.

And for the record, Tanner Hall took superpipe gold — again! He edged fellow Red Bull skier Simon Dumont in the final for the second straight year.

Looking Back... Then Ahead!

It is time for one last reflection on 2007. Check out the video section at www.redbullracingusa.com --note the new web address -- for a "Year-in-Review" look-back video on Red Bull Racing Team's inaugural season in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series (formerly the NEXTEL Cup Series).

Now that you have reminisced, it is full-steam ahead into 2008! And did we mention the Daytona 500 is only a couple of weeks away?! We hope you are as excited as we are.

New Paint

For all of you anxious to see the 2008 Red Bull Racing Team paint scheme, wait no longer! As you can see from the pictures, both cars are identical with the exception of the numbers. Let us know what you think!

Frigid Weekend for AJ

Right about now, AJ Allmendinger is settling in somewhere for Sunday night’s NFC championship game. He and fellow drivers Brian Vickers and Scott Speed spent a chilly weekend skiing 5,616 feet above in Kitzbühel, Austria.

But it wasn’t nearly as cold as it is in Green Bay, Wis. When the New York Giants kicked off to AJ’s Green Bay Packers at about 5:45 CT at Lambeau Field, the temperature was minus-1, with the wind chill minus-23.

It’s the third-coldest game in NFL history. The 1981 AFC championship game — played Jan. 10, 1982 in Cincinnati — gave frigid new meaning. The temperature was minus-9, the wind chill minus-59. Next was the Ice Bowl on Dec. 31, 1967 for the NFL title at Lambeau. It was minus-13 that day, and the wind-chill factor was estimated at minus-48.

Knowing AJ, however, he’d rather be freezing his tail off right there watching.

08 PIT CREW

The guys on the Red Bull Racing Team pit crews and coach Greg Miller have been working hard in the off season - drills, practice, weight training, yoga, more practice, and a team-building trip - all in preparation for the 08 Sprint Cup Series.

Here are the guys who make up the 83 and 84 pit crews this season:

No. 83 car
Front Changer, Brian Haaland (Minot, North Dakota)
Front Carrier, Aaron Schields (Goodland, Kansas)
Jack Man, Shaun Peet (Nanhimo, British Columbia)
Rear Changer, Danny Kincaid (Port Byron, New York)
Rear Carrier, Jake Brzozowski (Sterling Heights, Michigan)
Gas Man, Doug Newell (Oxnard, California)
Catch Can, Mike Metcalf (Washington, DC)

No. 84 car
Front Changer, Ryan Langley (Cloquet, Minnesota)
Front Carrier, Ryan Crellin (Chatham, New York)
Jack Man, Andy Turner (Coloma, Michigan)
Rear Changer, Chad Avrit (El Centro, California)
Rear Carrier, Andy Shahan (Mascot, Tennessee)
Gas Man, Aaron Pieratt (Lexington, Kentucky)
Catch Can, Brian Dheel (Norton, Ohio)

And it won't be long until you see them in action.... Daytona is less than a month away!

Cole Can Handle Himself

Here’s a name race and Red Bull fans should remember.

Cole Whitt is a 16-year-old midget and sprint car driver from California. Lately, he has been tearing up asphalt and dirt around Indiana, but now that he has his driver’s license, Cole can race anywhere. This season, with the backing of Red Bull, he is taking a crack at the USAC national ranks, as well as various regional events.

Cole finished 13th out of 24 cars in the grand finale of the five-day-long Chili Bowl Midget Nationals — a prestigious race run indoors last weekend at the Tulsa Expo Raceway.He held his own against the best in midget racing and NASCAR Sprint Cup stars Tony Stewart and Kasey Kahne. Cole even passed Stewart in an earlier qualifying round.

Out of 284 entries, 13th isn’t bad — not for a driver who has been street legal for half a year.

Here comes Cole!

RBRT Giving Teams a Run for Their Money

The No. 84 Red Bull Racing Team threw down some impressive testing times last week at their Daytona open test, so the pressure is on this week for the No. 83 to show they too could get their car dialed in. Vickers proved today that he’s not holding back on the start to a good season. BV was 3rd on the speed charts in the PM session, and was the 8th fastest driver in the AM session. Camry’s posted consistently fast times throughout the day – foreshadowing good things to come at the season opener? We believe it. New Crew Chief Kevin Hamlin was taken under the wing of the 83 crew and is quickly getting acclimated to his new home. Testing resumes tomorrow at 9 AM (EST). For a full rundown on test speeds and updates, tune in here.

Jay Frye Appointed GM

Red Bull Racing Team is pleased to announce Jay Frye as General Manager effective January 14, 2008. Jay 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.

Hamlin Signs On as 83 Crew Chief

Red Bull Racing Team formally announces Kevin Hamlin to crew chief the No. 83 Red Bull Toyota Camry piloted by Brian Vickers for the 2008 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series season. Although the aforementioned Kevin Hamlin shares the same name as a NASCAR development driver, we can assure you that our Hamlin has prior crew chief experience and is a proven winner at NASCAR’s highest level.

Our Hamlin’s past crew chief roles include his most recent stint with Dave Blaney’s No. 22 Toyota, preceded by nine years of crew chief duties with RCR drivers including Jeff Burton, Kevin Harvick, and the late Dale Earnhardt Sr. To date, Hamlin has amassed nine Cup wins; five of those with Earnhardt Sr. Despite Hamlin’s "nine" theme, there are no plans to change the No. 83 to No. 89.

Back To Daytona

Well the moment a lot of you Red Bull Racing fans have been waiting for has arrived... the cars are back on track! AJ and the No. 84 team began their first official test of the 2008 season today at Daytona International Speedway. Right off the bat, both the 84A and 84B cars jumped into the top 10... and that is where they stayed the rest of the day. AJ said he is happy with both cars and comfortable on track - and that is evident.

When asked what was the best holiday gift he received? AJ's answer: “So far, it looks like a competitive car at Daytona. We weren’t bad this morning. Our guys did a lot of work to get the bodies right in the off-season and Toyota has stepped up their game. It’s a combination of everything. We’re only three hours in to a long process, but last year at this time, I don’t think we were ahead of anyone after the first session. We’ve definitely had a better start and that gives us something to build on.”

Sounds good to us!

Here is how the 84 stacked up in today's sessions:

Morning
1. 48A, Jimmie Johnson, 48.706
2. 5B, Casey Mears, 48.761
3. 5A, Casey Mears, 49.027
4. Jacques Villeneuve, 49.092
5. 84B, AJ Allmendinger, 49.101
6. 84A, AJ Allmendinger, 49.167

Afternoon
1. 48A, Jimmie Johnson, 48.735
2. 5B, Casey Mears, 48.852
3. 5A, Casey Mears, 48.891
4. 18, Kyle Busch, 48.896
5. 84B, AJ Allmendinger, 48.918
12. 84A, AJ Allmendinger, 49.122

The No. 84 will continue testing through Wednesday. Brian and the No. 83 team will test next Monday through Wednesday.

Danger at Dakar

Danger is nothing new to the Dakar Rally, and Saturday was supposed to be the day rally racers like Carlos Sainz began their 16-day, 5,760-mile adventure across some of the world’s most lethal terrain.

But the threat of an al-Qaida-linked attack on the vulnerable Dakar Rally — an inviting target that zigzags through barren, unpopulated areas in western Africa — forced organizers to call off the epic event Friday. They cited warnings from the French government after the Dec. 24 al-Qaida-linked slaying of four French tourists in Mauritania, home of eight of the rally’s 15 stages.

Part of the Dakar’s charm is its tough geography, but the lawlessness of the land won out. For the first time in 30 years, dune buggies won’t negotiate endless camel grass and motorcycles won’t kick up sand in the Sahara.

Sainz, who drives the Red Bull Volkswagen, was a favorite to win after claiming five stages in 2007. “You spend a year preparing for this rally. It is a year of hopes and dreams lost,” the Spaniard said.

Go Packers Go

Amid all the testing and holiday travel that comes in the off-season, the guys have still managed to sneak in some fun here and there. A few weeks ago, AJ's wife Lynne gave him a birthday to remember by sending him to Green Bay to see his beloved Packers play at Lambeau field. One of the mechanics on the 84 car, Ben - and also an avid Packers fan - accompanied AJ to the game. Brett Farve was injured the week before, so unfortunately, AJ wasn't able to meet his idol due to all the pre-game medical exams Brett had to go through. AJ and Ben still had an unforgettable day, though. And to top the experience off, the Packers beat the Oakland Raiders 38-7, securing them a spot in the playoffs.

It's Robbie's Record Now

It’s a bird. It’s a plane. It’s … Robbie Maddison!

Red Bull athlete and motocross ace Robbie Maddison broke the world motorcycle jumping record during Monday’s Red Bull Experiment in Las Vegas, soaring 322 feet, 7½ inches at the Rio All-Suite Casino and Hotel.

Facing a slight headwind, Maddison gave it another go, but the second jump covered only 320 feet. The goal had been 360.

“A little disappointed,” Maddison admitted. “The wind slowed me down a bit, but this is awesome — a dream come true. This isn’t the last you’ve seen of Robbie Maddison. There’s more to come.”

The Aussie broke the Guinness World Records-certified mark of 277-6 set by Trigger Gumm and the non-certified mark of 310-4 set by Ryan Capes in Kent, Wash. Both jumps came in 2005.

“I’ll take it,” Maddison said.

To watch video, click here.