Speed Does More NASCAR Truckin'
Red Bull Racing Team development driver Scott Speed is going NASCAR trucking in the No. 24 Bill Davis Racing Toyota. Speed will take his direction from veteran NASCAR crew chief Richard “Slugger” Labbe, who coached the careers of Dale Jarrett, Michael Waltrip, and most recently, Jacques Villeneuve.Speed’s part-time run in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series starts with Kansas Speedway on April 26, followed by Charlotte, Dover, Michigan, Bristol, Talladega, Martinsville, Atlanta, Texas, Phoenix and Miami. Speed’s Truck credentials include two previous races at Atlanta and Martinsville.
The rookie scored big in his ‘08 teammate lineup pairing with former NCTS champion Mike Skinner and veteran Johnny Benson. Skinner’s relationship with Red Bull Racing Team dates back to 2006 as a test driver for the startup Cup team, and includes his current status as an interim driver in the No. 84 Red Bull Toyota, and mentor to AJ Allmendinger.
posted by Wise Little Portraits at 11:50 AM
36 Comments:
Why isn't AJ getting this ride?!? I don't get it!! They are not helping AJ by giving Scott Speed more seat time. They say they are behind AJ 100 percent, but it really doesn't seen like it. If I was AJ I would definitely want to talk to someone about this. RCR is going to have a 4th car next year and he has plenty of Busch rides and KHI has trucks so AJ might want to look into that because he is getting jack crap from Red Bull.
Totally agree with the post above! Look for another ride AJ. And, then, go out and race the crap out of that ride and beat this Speed character.
Bye Bye AJ, No one else will give him a ride.
AJ will never be back in a cup car
This is great, Red Bull Racing is looking to the future for the 84 team. Scott, get as much seat time as you can then your transition to the 84 next year will be a success. Work with BV, Learn from BV and Respect BV unlike AJ does and you will make it in the top 35 in 2009
Childress has a deep driver development program. He isn't going to put an underperforming open wheel guy in his last slot.
Yall are ridiculous! AJ will be driving the cup car by this point. And SS's future is in a cup car when RBRT goes to 3 cars.
Bobby Labonte will be in that 4th RCR car...hence the sponsor...
AJ has burned to many bridges with Open Wheel that they wont take him back. Two Red Bull Toyotas next year with Vickers and Speed driving them. There is a new Sheriff in town and he is Jay Frye, Jay did not hire AJ nor would he have hired him.
Scott, Keep on a Truckin to the 84 next year!!!!!
Why does everyone like Speed over AJ? I don't get it!
The man with the wallet likes SS that is all you need to know...
AJ is not a good cup driver and is very cocky and arrogant
I find it hard to believe AJ is more arrogant or cocky than Speed. I thought AJ and Speed were friends again, as they seem to be similar in character or personality. And I thought the man with the wallet(the owner) did hire AJ.
Unlike the underperforming Formula1driver who wouldnt have any job at all if it wasnt for the "man with the wallet". AJ was winning races on one of the top CC teams when he "chose" to go to cup based on promises made by RedBull that obviously have not been kept. Get your facts straight if your going to write negative comments.
Speed got the truck ride becuase AJ is going to be back in the 84 starting in Phoenix! The truck series is off until Kansas on the 26, and that weekend, the Cup guys -including AJ- are in Talladega. They are sticking with their original plan - Skinner in for 4 races, then AJ back in the car after that. Come on people! Have a little faith and a little patience!
AJ is at best a mediocre stock car driver and an outstanding open wheel driver.
Scott Speed is at best a mediocre open wheel driver and a better stock car driver.
Scott Speed has more top 10s in the two three series + ARCA than AJ does in nearly twice as many starts. Hell, Scott Speed would have WON the Daytona race in ARCA had he not crashed.
We don't know how well AJ would perform in an ARCA car because he hasn't been given a ride. Also, I do remember AJ finishing second in a truck race last year at Charlotte. So give him a chance and he will race his heart out.
Open Wheel, How many raced each week when AJ was racing 9 or 10. Dick Trickle could finish high every week with that many cars in the race.
How about Brian Vickers! Past Nationwide Champion and currently 18th in cup points. Keep on rockin Brian.
Wow, that's a little harsh!!! They just need to stop worrying about Scott for a minute and focus on AJ! I just don't get it when they make a commitment to AJ saying they are going to help, but than go off and give another drive a ride and he is left sitting on the sidelines.
Wow you people need to chill out!!! AJ got plenty of development time last year, maybe he needs to go find a little more? Speed needs to be developed too.....just calm down. AJ is a cool guy just like Speed. Its obvious that Vickers is numero uno at RBR, which makes me happy.
Speed has accumulated a total of ZERO points in his F1 carreer, and so on will be in nascar, His arrogant and his has no talent whatsoever !
And if NASCAR had a similar points system to F1, AJ wouldn't have accumulated any points, either.
haha, this is worse than youtube comments
Worst day ever with this news!! First Tom Crean is leaving Marquette for Indiana!! As a Marquette student I am furious! Than to read that Scott Speed is getting more seat time when AJ still hasn't gotten any. WTF!! April Fool's Day sucks this year!!!
yeah boys! nothing like a good ol' shootout in the RBRT Corral to see who's gonna drive the #84 next year. i'm looking forward to watching AJ and Scott compete hard for that spot! good luck fellas~! it's a competition people - not a love parade!
You know, there's room for everyone in the organization. This team has the money to keep everyone on the payroll. I think Scott Speed is obviously returning the investments made in him. A.J.'s value has slipped a little in the last few months, but if he does much of anything after he gets back in the car, he'll be fine. In my opinion, the problem with the #84 isn't A.J.'s driving ability, but rather the team itself. All indications insist that Frye knows this, too.
The point is, there's too much riding on any of these young men for snap decisions. A.J. isn't going to be immediately fired from the team any sooner than Scott Speed is going to get in the 84 and race his way into the chase this year. In 3 years we'll probably have a three car team with Brian Vickers, Scott Speed, and A.J. and we'll have all forgotten this.
Team Red Bull is still a growing team. Frye is a smart man, and he likely realized that the 83 team and Brian Vickers had the most potential for immediate success. Anyone who wants to argue against Brian Vickers' franchise driver status is not very well versed in this situation.
You can bicker and insult the talent level of these professionals all you want, but it isn't going to change anything. In fact, it's incredibly immature and does nothing more than clog up these comment sections and makes everyone weary.
Just give these things time. The cream will rise to the top, but the mixture has to be stirred first.
(P.S. I refuse to call it by the hideous "Red Bull Racing Team." Seriously guys, do you have a marketing department? Worst decision in NASCAR in a long time. I refuse to buy any merchandise with "Red Bull Racing Team" on it. "Red Bull Racing," sure. "Team Red Bull," sure. Not "Red Bull Racing Team." That has no flow at all and it sounds kind of lame. It looks bad, and "RBRT" is hard to type.
Viva la TRB!)
The right man for the 84 car next year isn't AJ nor is it SS, it is David Stremme. he has proven himself to be good at the go or go home qualifing, when he made 18 racing in a row. Why is it that we want to put open wheel drivers into stock cars?? put someone in that has done this before and at the worst can give some good feed back.
OK....now we are off the rails! RBRT has 3 drivers already...Stremme belongs in the Nationwide series, right where he is.
Everyone needs to take a chill pill. Jezzz! It's not hard to figure out that RBR will eventually go to a 3 car team so Scott won't be taking AJ's ride.
As for AJ being cocky and arrogant, I find that very hard to believe. Based on all his interviews, what other people have said about him, and then getting to meet him at the Indy race last year, I would have to say AJ is anything but cocky and arrogant.
P.S. RBR isn't going to listen to anything on here when all people do is complain and attack each other. They will do it their way and don't need advice from people who aren't in the industry.
I agree! Why isn't AJ getting the ride? Why are they helping Scott Speed and not AJ!
most of you who are whining about AJ should listen to Bull Chat more often. it's not only Red Bull that's been helping Scott Speed. Mike Skinner had something to do with that deal for the #24 truck. Skinner and BV are Scott's mentors, every week, and they are helping Scott learn stock car racing so much faster. i think everyone should be pumped up about Scott's progress.
now AJ is on a different agenda. we all know what the deal is with the #84 team. AJ will be back in it, the car still has AJ's name on it, that is enough assurance. and when Scott makes it to Cup racing (I know he will), they will field a 3rd. RBR has mentioned it before and i'm sure they will stick to it. the #84 team should be a lot better by the time Scott reaches the Cup level. judging by the way things are going for Scott, I believe he will attempt a Cup race just before the season ends.
Curt, You are not going to get anywhere here when you make that much sense! Excellent post
For those few of us that know AJ up close and personal he is a great person with a huge heart. He is a terrific race car driver in everything he drives and you would see that if the equipment was there! We have seen him win with a pile of crap to drive on many different occasions. So if you have not met him or know what he is capable of, don't make comments!
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