BV and Speed Swap Seats
Have you heard this one yet? Red Bull Racing Team’s No. 83 and No. 84 drivers will swap cars for this weekend’s NASCAR Sprint Cup Series season finale at Homestead-Miami Speedway. Brian Vickers, who’s normally behind the wheel of the No. 83 Red Bull Toyota, will pilot Scott Speed’s No. 84, and Speed will pilot the No. 83.“We already have two talented drivers under our roof, so we chose to switch drivers for one race and change the momentum for this team,” said Jay Frye, RBRT Vice President and General Manager. “Brian’s a team player and wants to help the No. 84 see the same success the No. 83 has had this year. Scott’s a rookie and we wanted to take some pressure off of him and let focus on just driving the car. This organization is a team effort and we're treating it that way by finding a solution that works for everyone."
If you log onto NASCAR’s own version of TMZ, Jayski.com, our response to “Is that really true?” is “No.” Vickers will not be required to wear sequined hats, zebra driving shoes or white Paul Frank sunglasses for this event. Vickers agreed to just drive the car.
posted by Wise Little Portraits at 6:10 AM
41 Comments:
The truth comes out...
You might make fun at jayski but usually there is some truth to the rumors. This time they got the driver wrong...maybe Martin would have been a better choice!
There WAS a deal with Martin to drive the 84 UNTIL GM got involved at the last minute... I think that would have been a better solution also!
Wow, they never did AJ that favor!
red bull needs to put speed back in a f1 car because he sure cant handle a cup car. go aj
Because Red Bull learned from their mistake with A.J. They're not going to make the same mistake twice by letting Scott suffer through his rookie season. What did you expect them to do? Just let Scott struggle and turn their head the other way?
rumor has it red bull is contacting AJ back
rumor, huh? just like mark martin was driving the 84 this weekend. rumors are just that, rumors.
If Red Bull wants to dump Speed for another drivers, its sure not going to be A.J. They'll go for someone good this time. They should look at a veteran like Mark Martin. Not another driver they have to develop.
Question...What does Red Bull do if something out of BV's control happens during qualifying and he doesn't make the race?
They already have their veteran driver. It's Brian Vickers. The deal with Martin in the #84 almost did happen so it's a fact, not a rumor.
The rumor of Red Bull trying to get AJ back seems a bit too much. I can't see that happening because they won't dump Scott Speed. Unless RBRT starts the 3rd team. But I understand that sponsors will be hard to find for 2009.
It'll be interesting to see Speed and Vickers switching ride.
Don't think Red Bull is going to drop Speed but it is clear he is not ready yet. Wish they had stuck with keeping AJ full time and running Speed part time in '09.
And yes they should let Speed struggle some, he needs to earn his position and learn what it truly takes. AJ had done that and no for all his efforts he may end up with no ride.
I find it disappointing that some are making jokes about the situation. I don't see any humor in what has happened. Maybe this is one of those times when you have to find something to laugh about so you won't cry but try something actually funny.
It is sad that Red Bull has let this happen because they aren't Nascar enough to put a real driver in the 84. Scott maybe get to that point eventually but he's not there. Testing is definitely different from racing. Logano seems to be struggling too and he has spent alot of time in the COT.
If a driver can't keep their car in the top 35 then they shouldn't be there. Ambrose has just as little Cup experience as Scott and he has driven his butt off to get in there. I will feel bad if he gets knocked out.
Honestly, I think the whole issue is moot anyway. I see one or two of the locked in teams not being around next year. So the top 36 or 37 will be safe. Maybe not at Daytona, but after that.
Well Mark Martin is driving for a team next year already...you may have heard of them...Hendrick or something. Whatever, they never should have let AJ go!
You people act like A.J. is some awesome driver or something. If he were that awesome he would have a ride lined up for next year. Ouch! The truth hurts. I like A.J. and all, but he hasnt done anything worthy of keeping the 84 ride anyway. He had almost two years to prove himself and he never did.
I'm not an AJ fan but I think he was proving himself and has continued to do so in the 10 with GEM. If the economic situtation was not an issue I believe there are 2 to 4 teams that would absolutely sign AJ, but alas, sponsors are hard to find these days.
I don't understand putting that much work into something, getting it going, and then pushing it out the window, unless there are facts that we as fans don't know about the AJ situation.
AJ never got bailed out the way Speed is this week either
If they would have left AJ in the car until the end of the year and he was having the finishes he's been having, the top 35 would not be an issue. Besides it take more than the driver to succeed. Once they made the crew chief change things with the 84 improved dramatically, as it did when Speed took over.
"He had almost two years to prove himself and he never did."
Nonsense. His crew chiefs were a joke for most of that time. Once he got a real CC...he matched Vickers.
The reason he has no ride is that in Nascar...there are these things called contracts. TRB knew they were going to give Scott the seat. They just kept AJ in long enough to get far enough inside the top 35 that they felt comfortable letting Scott take over...thinking he could stay inside the 35 till the end of the year. This left AJ no options as almost all the rides were taken.
If GEM could get rid of Sorrenson...they would do it in a heartbeat...but they have a contract.
Points over last 4 races since AJ joined GEM in the #10:
No Driver Total
99 Carl Edwards 725
48 Jimmie Johnson 708
11 Denny Hamlin 597
17 Matt Kenseth 588
16 Greg Biffle 581
88 Dale Earnhardt Jr. 573
29 Kevin Harvick 562
26 Jamie McMurray 555
6 David Ragan 539
7 Clint Bowyer 538
18 Kyle Busch 533
24 Jeff Gordon 528
31 Jeff Burton 483
5 Casey Mears 453
10 A.J. Allmendinger 439
2 Kurt Busch 435
1 Martin Truex Jr. 428
20 Tony Stewart 409
44 David Reutimann 402
83 Brian Vickers 386
28 Travis Kvapil 367
12 Ryan Newman 349
8 Mark Martin 345
9 Kasey Kahne 343
55 Michael Waltrip 334
15 Paul Menard 334
22 Dave Blaney 316
21 Bill Elliott 310
42 Juan Montoya 310
77 Sam Hornish Jr. * 310
96 Ken Schrader 292
43 Bobby Labonte 289
347 Marcos Ambrose 285
7 Robby Gordon 283
66 Scott Riggs 281
1 Regan Smith * 265
84 Scott Speed 261
Ah, somebody's paying attention atleast. Yeah, the AJ stuff is well overplayed. He's done a pretty decent job, but nothing spectacular. Scott is being trashed after what... 3 or 4 races? The only way he's going to learn is driving the car in race conditions. The trucks and Nationwide cars are nothing like the COT.
A) Scott Speed drove open wheel -including Formula One- his entire career. During his transition to stock cars he won 4 times in ARCA, nearly won the ARCA championship, and has a victory in the Truck Series
B) Speed has had what, 4 Cup races? Yeah, he had a buffer, and yeah, it's gone, but this cat is going to rock it when this go full swing. Gordon, Stewart, Kenseth, Edwards... they ALL ran the last few races to get their feet wet before their true rookie season.
C) Look what AJ has done since he & RBRT parted ways. Ended w/ a career high 9th, and in the last 4 races he's scored the 15th most points of any driver. It didn't work out with RBRT, but if ANY of you had enough sense to listen to Jimmy Spencer you'd know he's going to land a good ride.
D) You got something to say, sign your name
-Eric
well said and its not Speed's fault, the 84 team is the problem, they need to get up to speed thats what the swapping is all about. Speed has done very well in trucks and arca so he knows how to drive stock cars.
I just wonder if Red Bull is doing with the crew chiefs for this race. Scott and Jimmy need more time together and who knows how long Kevin is going to be gone. I would think the two teams would swap crew chiefs as well to help both teams.
because "Eric" means so much more than Anon?!?!?!
AJ has givin redbull their only cup victory, points race or not
It is not "something" we don't know about AJ. It is obviously something we don't know about SPEED & the boss at RB...
Are you forgetting? AJ was offered a 1 year extension in the 84 and turned it down in search of a long term arrangement. Like someone else mentioned earlier, I became a Red Bull fan because I'm a BV fan and I became a fan of AJ's by being a fan of BV & Red Bull. How soon, I don't know, but I believe AJ will figure something out for the long term. Good Luck to him. Go get 'em boys!
Red Bull is doing the right thing. It's far more important to have the 83 and 84 in the top 35 for Daytona than it is to have Vickers in the 83 for this race. A few extra points doesn't mean anything for Brian. The season is over. Take your lumps from a crappy second half and move forward to 2009. Onward and upward.
It say right in the blog that the swap is to take the pressure off Speed. Nothing about the 84 team...
Anon 9:04,
At least you can tell who I am. Out of the 31 posts, over 20 of them are from "anonymous".
Scott, AJ, & Brian are all great racers. Scott has performed WAY better at stock cars then any open-wheel driver since Tony Stewart. AJ earned Red Bull's first Cup win, & hasbeen on fire ever since Kansas. Brian would be in the chase were it not for a lug nut in Charlotte.
All 3 drivers as nothing but blue skies ahead of them, and it just sucks that RBRT couldn't go to three teams.
So... With a little bit of luck this swap will put the 84 back in the top 35 (sorry Ambrose, it hasta be done) & then we can all watch Daytona Qualifying & the Duals without having a heart attack.
-Eric
I was pretty upset when I first heard about the switch. I didnt want to see it happen but I've thought about it and I'm better. I think its a great choice and it can only help the 84 team. Brian will do a great job!
And I will admit I've never been a Scott Speed fan..and I didnt think I'd be able to be but he's growing on me. I'm anxious to see what he does next season. I know by this time next year I'll be a fan. You cant cheer for one Red Bull driver and not the other. I really believe once Scott gets more experience and all he'll be ok. :)
Where are all of the AJ fans at now? Speed qualifies 2nd and AJ barely makes the race.
I don't fully understand the situation of the 84 car ... But in my opinion, there should be a ladder-system established in NASCAR.
If you can perform well and succeed in the ARCA series, you should move up the ladder and into the Truck series or Nationwide. From there, move to Cup. Somehow, we've been turning away from that. Joey Lagano for example, he's a great driver and all -- but what has he done to truely establish himself to race for JGR?
So in Speed's case, I think they should have put him in the Nationwide and or Truck series for at least a season, and then move him to the Cup. It's only logical.
Congrats to Scott for being on the outside pole!
Good luck to both Brian and Scott in tomorrow's race :)
Dave,
I agree about working your way up the ladder. Instead of leaping from open-wheel to stock, it makes the steps smaller & the drivers work up their skills in progressively better equipment with better competition.
That was the biggest reason why AJ floundered in '07. Brian & AJ both had difficulties making the races (see: Top 35 rules), but when Brian was in the races he did FAR better then AJ.
Why? AJ was put in a "sink or swim" position in 07, and a new team, new manufacturer & a rookie driver from CART didn't do much to help.
Scott is being groomed through the series' the way that AJ should have been before going full-time Cup. If AJ had the same route that Scott has had, there's no way they would have struggled for so long.
Like I've said before, AJ, Brian, & Scott are all good drivers & it's a real bummer that RBRT couldn't go to 3 cars
Brian,
I'm right here, and I'll remind you again that AJ has scored the 15th most points of any driver since his stint at GEM. He didn't qualify well. Boo hoo, it's not like the 9 or 19 earned the pole.
I liked NASCAR before Red Bull, and I'll always support Red Bull Racing Team, but AJ has earned my following. There are a shortage of open seats (DEI/Ganassi? HoF?) in Cup, but I'd be surprised if there weren't some Nationwide or Truck teams that wouldn't mind giving him a seat until the economy picks back up.
And go Scott! Outside pole!
AJ fan, right here!!
how does 43rd to 11th sound???
"Where are all of the AJ fans at now? Speed qualifies 2nd and AJ barely makes the race."
And yet AJ finished 11th with a car that we all know was not as good at the 83.
Good job by Scott though. Homestead is a tough track. He did a great job.
Anon, Speed did a hell of a lot better than Aj did in his first time to Homestead. Oh ya he DNQ.
Post a Comment
<< Home