Here He Comes

The crew chief on Red Bull Racing Team’s No. 84 has an appreciation for “Speed Racer.” The driver? Not so much.

“I watched a little bit of ‘Speed Racer’ growing up, but I can’t say I was a fanatic,” AJ Allmendinger said. “I’m not going to lie — I was more of a ‘Scooby Doo’ and ‘Flintstones’ type of guy. But I know if you talk to Ricky Viers, he was a huge ‘Speed Racer’ fanatic.”

Indeed.

“Everyday I’d come home and watch ‘Speed Racer’ after school while I was doing my homework. That way, I could watch more TV later on,” Viers said. “I remember ‘Speed Racer.’ I’m an old timer, but I remember watching it. I loved watching ‘Speed Racer’ when I was growing up.”

“Speed Racer” hits theaters today.

P.S.: There are two practice sessions at Darlington Raceway (noon and 2 p.m. ET) before this evening’s time trials (5:15 p.m.).