The Talk of Testing
Red Bull Racing Team has upcoming tests scheduled at Road Atlanta, the short track in Winchester, Ind., and Nashville. These tracks may never again be on the R&D radar if NASCAR follows through on its discussion about no limits on testing in 2009.
NASCAR limits the series to seven tests each year, but teams slip past that number by testing at tracks that don’t host Sprint Cup events — places that are out of officials’ control such as Milwaukee, Kentucky and Virginia International Raceway. Outside testing usually brings mixed results, but turning laps at tracks used in competition (and on Goodyear rubber) would provide data that actually means something.
“In the end, maybe we wouldn’t do as much testing,” said Kevin Hamlin (above), Brian Vickers’ crew chief on the No. 83. “We’d be going to tracks we’re racing at now instead of going to places that we don’t race and try to figure out things that don’t mean anything. We’ve been going to all these places to do this testing anyway, now you might settle down and do possibly less. You’re not going to go to all the tracks — some are cookie-cutters — so if you got it figured out at one track you can make it work for the others.”
Last week at New Hampshire, NASCAR series director John Darby and Co. met with Sprint Cup crew chiefs about the idea of unlimited testing. They’ll revisit the issue in another week or so.
“It’s open conversation more than open testing,” said Rick Viers, AJ Allmendinger’s crew chief on the No. 84. “John Darby wanted us to go back and talk to our owners and general managers and let them know what the conversation was about. We’ll be coming back with our thoughts and comments. If you can test at the real race tracks on the real tires … hopefully this will help us.”
As for tonight’s race at Daytona, AJ starts 13th. Brian, who finished 37th in Friday’s Nationwide race after transmission and rear end issues, rolls off 28th at the green flag (8 p.m. ET, TNT).
NASCAR limits the series to seven tests each year, but teams slip past that number by testing at tracks that don’t host Sprint Cup events — places that are out of officials’ control such as Milwaukee, Kentucky and Virginia International Raceway. Outside testing usually brings mixed results, but turning laps at tracks used in competition (and on Goodyear rubber) would provide data that actually means something.
“In the end, maybe we wouldn’t do as much testing,” said Kevin Hamlin (above), Brian Vickers’ crew chief on the No. 83. “We’d be going to tracks we’re racing at now instead of going to places that we don’t race and try to figure out things that don’t mean anything. We’ve been going to all these places to do this testing anyway, now you might settle down and do possibly less. You’re not going to go to all the tracks — some are cookie-cutters — so if you got it figured out at one track you can make it work for the others.”
Last week at New Hampshire, NASCAR series director John Darby and Co. met with Sprint Cup crew chiefs about the idea of unlimited testing. They’ll revisit the issue in another week or so.
“It’s open conversation more than open testing,” said Rick Viers, AJ Allmendinger’s crew chief on the No. 84. “John Darby wanted us to go back and talk to our owners and general managers and let them know what the conversation was about. We’ll be coming back with our thoughts and comments. If you can test at the real race tracks on the real tires … hopefully this will help us.”
As for tonight’s race at Daytona, AJ starts 13th. Brian, who finished 37th in Friday’s Nationwide race after transmission and rear end issues, rolls off 28th at the green flag (8 p.m. ET, TNT).
posted by Bull Rider at 7:07 AM
18 Comments:
I hope that they do make the testing unlimited. I think it would give RBRT an advantage.
and also for those Formula 1 Red Bull fans, Mark Webber will start from P2 in Britain, Red Bull's first front row starting position.
I can't wait to see the #83 in victory lane tonight.
I agree Curt. The 83 will look awesome in VL tonight!! :)
did i hear correctly?? Is this Coulthards last British Grand Prix??
hoping the 83 keeps up with the track conditions tonight......kick ass Vickers!!!!!!!!!!
Nascar and their impound rules lost the 84 team a great chance at gaining points tonight. Truly sucks!
Regan and Bowyer took the win away from the #83. He was coming.
Curt I have to agree with u on that one because the BV coming fast and furious.
A win? No. Maybe 5th or 6th.
You know, I know it sucks about the 84 team, but they're not out of it yet. We're halfway through the season, and they've lost however many points on the top 35. So if they can lose that many in that many races, they can get them back. I've always said, it's better to be running good and get fucked out of finishes than the opposite. AJ is awesome and will be in the top 35 before the first 5 races of 2009 end. Promise.
I had SO much fun watching BV tonight. I loved how he was right on every wreck there was and made it through. And especially once the car started not running so well, and then he pulled out a good finish. I had fun tonight.
Yea I think BV had a really decent shot at winning. Everyone usually follows the guy with the best momentum and going into turn 1 BV was hauling it. BV's fresh tires would've gone through the highline a lot faster than the guys on the bottom with old tires. But no point in doing the coulda-woulda-shoulda thing, we can't change the passed. Another decent points day for the #83 if NASCAR gives him 9th instead of 11th. But I'm proud of the #83. They did their best in their worst situations.
and I agree with Suzie on the #84 team. Today was another deal where it was out of AJ's control.
*can't change the past*
..typo
I was at the race tonight and couldn't believe NASCAR screw the 83 team again. To avoid wrecking BV drove down pit lane and NASCAR scored him back behind cars that did pit after the accident. (The 48 for one) He should have started 16th instead of 28th according to the Track Pass. The race is over and BV had move up to 9th a great finish. I get home and he drops from 9th to 11th. What is up with all of this? Does NASCAR have a problem with BV/Red Bull or are they just incompetent idiots?
anonymous I totally agree with you NASCAR is completely has something against BV/Red Bull because they keep getting screwed by NASCAR every other week by NASCAR. I'm sure NASCAR gave them the same old explanation to them as last time. So is there going to be another apology made to BV and Red Bull come MOnday or Tuesday on this call.
I know what you guys are saying. I thought BV had 9th too but I saw the replay and BV crossed the line in 9th, but at the time of the caution BV got passed by 2 cars, after he had to check up for Bowyer.
and the reason BV got moved to the rear is because it's a safety issue when you avoid a wreck and drive onto pitroad at a high rate of speed. It's a blackflag and you have to restart in the rear.
It sucks, I know. =(
Holly crap, BV had a hellava run on the outside there, looked like it was going to be the night, but I'll take the 11th, were just not making gains in the PTS to 12th, bull hell this is way more fun than last year, I'll take it. great job BV
Paul
I thought NASCAR told the drivers at their meeting to avoid using pit road but if you do slow down. (What BV said when pleading his case) The 83 wasn't the first car of the race to do this. I was focused on them all night so I didn't notice if every car that came down pit road to avoid an accident went to the back? If so there would have been quite a few cars.
Also why wouldn’t NASCAR throw the caution when the 24 was spun by the 99? The field would have been frozen and the 83 would have finished 9th. NASCAR has different rules for different teams. It seems like they want to manipulate the results/standings to their liking.
Thank you BV and the whole 83 team for not giving up!!! Good rally back!!!
Why didn't NASCAR throw the caution? Because you can't retry the green-white-checkered. They were trying to finish the race. The 83 finished 11th and didn't have any damage on it. A great day for us! Brian had fun driving in the 400, and that is all that matters. We are moving up towards the top 12, and with penalites coming towards Martin Truex Jr by Tuesday, we'll definitly move up a spot. I'm so proud to call myself a fan of the 83. We just have to get AJ's car working. It was so heartbreaking to see! Keep your head up AJ. Hope everyone at Red Bull Racing enjoys the day off and gets ready for Chicagoland on Saturday night!
WE BELIEVE!
Ok folks, go ahead and grab your remote if you Tivo'd the race. It's not where you cross the start finish line under caution. You can CLEARLY see BV running 11th when the caution lights come on. I was pretty anal about the situation too and went out of my way to pause it like they did when the lights came on, and sure enough, the 8 was ahead of us for 10th place.
I too thought they had a pretty good run going into 1 on the last lap, but something was definitely escrew all night with the 83 car. I think BV made some dumb moves earlier in the race and got himself caught out of the draft a few times. Pretty frustrating to see him strung out all the times he was in the last 100 laps.
All in all though, 10 laps to go he restarted 28th and you can see him lagging way behind on the restart because the 70 of Sauter held him up. Then restarted 15th for the GWC, and eventually finished 11th. Sure, 17 and 6 finished ahead of us, but when the 1 car has it's penalties go against it, we'll be 15th in points 110 or so behind 12th place.
And if you had told me last season at this time, or hell, even at the beginning of the season we'd be racing to get in the chase, I would have gladly taken that over nearly any other options.
I sat there last night watching the leader board after Bush was declared the winner. They had the 6 in 7th, 88 in 8th and 83 in 9th. They never changed the leader board during all the post race festivities. They even took the 83 and put it on pit road in this order with the other cars in the top ten.
Kristin, I know once they throw the green/white and there is a caution the race is over. It just appears to me that NASCAR manipulates the outcome at times. The caution should have been thrown once the 24 was spun. If the 6 car had received the points for 7th place and the 83 had the points for 9th, BV would be ahead of him in the standings and with any penalties coming down for the 1 we could be sitting in the 14 spot closing in on the top 12.
Also the 83 did have right side damage when he brushed the wall when he accidentally got into the 32.
All in all it was a great race, one of the best I have seen at this track. Even though BV might have made a few mistakes (coming in the pits too close to change left side tires) it all worked out for them in the end. It was a hard fought race with a lot of bumping and banging. He did an excellent job staying out of the accidents and after being put in the back when he shouldn’t have, he and the crew were able to fight back to pull out a decent finish. Great job BV and the 83 TEAM!!! Now on to Chicago!
If NASCAR ended the race when Jeff Gordon spun, BV would've finished 14th. BV took the white flag running 9th. He finished 11th because a few guys passed him before the caution lights came on. NASCAR left the scoring monitor set with the start/finish line. There's nothing wrong with NASCAR's ruling. It's fine. David Regan and Clint Bowyer got together and ruined it for the #83.
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