One Red Bull Collects Another

Both of the Red Bull Racing Team Toyotas dropped to the bottom of the scoring sheets after being involved in a multi-car accident in Sunday’s Daytona 500.

No. 83 driver Brian Vickers had a run-in with Dale Earnhardt Jr. that sent Vickers’ Red Bull Toyota spinning in front of a hungry pack of race cars running 190 mph down the backstretch. With rain on its way, Vickers led the inside line on a restart on lap 124, and behind him was Earnhardt, who, like Vickers, was desperately trying to get his lap back.

Earnhardt dove low. Vickers blocked — clearly a legal move above Daytona’s double yellow line. The right-front corner of Earnhardt’s car clipped Vickers’ left rear, and most everyone knows what happens when two cars connect in a restrictor-plate race.

Vickers’ No. 83 darted out of control to the right, straight into the lead pack. When the smoke cleared, the final count showed 10 cars were involved. Included in that count was rookie Scott Speed, who was just logging laps and minding his own business toward the back while he continues to learn the draft and the attitude of the cars in it.

Speed pitted twice as the No. 82 team fixed damage. He went on to finish 35th in his first Daytona 500. Vickers went to the garage for repairs and returned to the track before the rain came. He finished 39th.