Contract Status: Driver: 2009, plus 1 year option; Primary Sponsors: owners of the team
- Latest on Red Bull to Chevy: Red Bull Racing [#82 & #83] will decide in a month whether to switch from Toyota to General Motors in 2010, sources close to the situation said. There has been speculation for a month that Red Bull would move to Chevys with the chassis and engines supplied by Hendrick Motorsports. HMS owner Rick Hendrick has said he needs to pick up some additional business to make up for the financial support GM cut after it filed for bankruptcy last month. Red Bull general manager Jay Frye, who has worked with HMS in the past, said Thursday at Daytona International Speedway, that no decision has been made. Richard Petty Motorsports could leave Dodge and fill Red Bull's vacancy if there is one. Robbie Loomis, the vice president for race operations at RPM, said the organization continues talking to all manufacturers about next season.(ESPN Insider)(7-3-2009) Comment here
- More on Red Bull Manufacturer: Red Bull Racing driver #83-Brian Vickers has won back-to-back poles in a Toyota Camry, but to hear his boss talk, it doesn’t sound like that will make a difference on whether Red Bull remains a Toyota team. Red Bull is in its final year of its Toyota contract, and there has been speculation that Red Bull, could move to Chevrolet (without manufacturer support). But wouldn’t two consecutive poles make the team brass think twice about going to a new manufacturer, especially after being one of Toyota’s initial teams when it entered Cup in 2007? “Ask them,” Red Bull Racing general manager Jay Frye said at Infineon Raceway Saturday. “Obviously Toyota has been great to us. We’ve been one of their freshman teams and all that. We appreciate everything they’re doing and continue to do. We’re going through lots of different scenarios right now. There’s a lot going on in the world and it’s been reported that our deal is up with them at the end of the year and it’s possible they don’t want us to come back, right? It’s possible. Or it’s possible they want us to come back but they can’t for some reason do that. Anything is possible.” Toyota Racing Development senior vice president Dave Wilson said the manufacturer wants to continue the relationship with Red Bull and there have been discussions to extend the relationship. There have been reductions in Toyota’s total racing budget, but Wilson said the manufacturer wants to have 10-12 cars on the track. “We have a great deal of loyalty to those guys,” Wilson said. “They slogged it out in the tough entry period in ’07 and obviously we should have notched a couple of victories with Red Bull. We’re certainly not looking to change that.” Frye said there is no time frame to make a decision. The other contract Red Bull needs to get finalized is the one for Vickers. Frye indicated that everything just needs a look in the corporate offices in Austria. “Everything is agreed, done, just the legalese stuff and things like that are going on right now. There’s no [issues],” Frye said.(SceneDaily)(6-22-2009) Comment here
- Red Bull to Chevy? UPDATE: It is very possible that Brian Vickers, winner of the pole at Michigan International Speedway on Friday, could be behind the wheel of the #83 Red Bull Chevy next season. Yes, Chevy. Over the last three years, the Red Bull program has worked to gain speed but has experienced some reliability issues with the Toyota Racing Development engines. Red Bull's contract with Toyota is up at the end of this season. And although General Motors likely cannot afford to support additional teams at this time, Austrian billionaire Dietrich Mateschitz, who owns race teams in both NASCAR and Formula One, could certainly afford to take on the role as Chevy parts customer. If Red Bull Racing was to make the switch to Chevy engines, Hendrick Motorsports would be the logical choice of vendor. Given Jay Frye's relationship with HMS, most recently during the management of Ginn Racing and MB2 Motorsports prior to that, there's a familiarity as a technical customer.(FoxSports)(6-13-2009)
UPDATE: Red Bull is in its last year of a three-year contract with Toyota and that's led to a report that the team could switch manufacturers to Chevrolet and receive equipment from Hendrick Motorsports, as Stewart-Haas Racing does. The team fields cars for Brian Vickers, who is starting on the pole for today's race, and rookie Scott Speed. "We're going through lots of different scenarios right now,'' said Jay Frye, the team's general manager. "It's possible they won't want us to come back. It's possible. Or it's possible that they want us to come back but they can't for some reason do that. Anything is possible at this point. They've been a great partner. We'll see here shortly what's the next step.''(Roanoke Times)(6-21-2009) Comment here
- Vickers close to re-upping with Red Bull UPDATE: Red Bull Racing is close to finalizing a contract extension with #83-Brian Vickers, who is in the final season of a three-year contract. Both sides hold an option on next season that has to be exercised by June 1st .(ESPN/AP)(5-24-2009)
UPDATE: Sprint Cup driver Brian Vickers has agreed to a multiyear contract to remain the driver of the #83 Toyota for the Red Bull Racing Team, sources confirmed Wednesday. Terms of the deal were not disclosed. An official announcement is expected later this week. Vickers is competing in his sixth Cup season. He was in the last year of a three-year contact with Red Bull, but team officials had an option to extend the deal one season. Vickers wanted a multiyear agreement, which team officials gladly accepted to keep Vickers in the organization long term.(ESPN)(6-10-2009) Comment here
- Red Bull Racing Team will host their annual Fan Day on Friday, May 22 at the shop located at 136 Knob Hill Road in Mooresville, N.C. Fan Day runs from 10am to 3pm/et with appearances by drivers Brian Vickers and Scott Speed from 12noon to 1pm. Tickets for driver autographs will be given out starting at 10am to the first 200 fans. Red Bull Racing Team's Fan Day will feature music from DJ Van Dam, Red Bull sorbet, a performance by BMX flatland rider Terry Adams, a Red Bull Albatross flyover, as well as pit crew members teaching the art of changing tires. Fans will have a chance to win big in a raffle that includes a driver uniform, gloves and shoes signed by Vickers, a #82 hood and 1:24-scale diecast signed by Speed, framed photos and team merchandise.(TRB)(5-20-2009)
- Reggie Busch to visit with Vickers: NFL running back Reggie Bush, who plays for the New Orleans Saints, recently became the first- ever NFL player to join the Red Bull family and their extensive athlete roster. The 2005 Heisman Trophy winner and former USC star will hang out with Brian Vickers prior to this Sunday’s events for the Samsung 500 at Texas Motor Speedway and watch the race from the #83 pit box.(Toyota PR)(4-2-2009) Comment here
- New associate sponsor for Vickers: The familiar blue paint scheme of the #83 Red Bull Toyota driven by Brian Vickers will sport a new logo for the 2009 Sprint Cup Series season as Mighty Auto Parts joins Red Bull Racing Team as an associate sponsor. Since 1963 Mighty has provided automotive service professionals with leading-edge sales tools, renowned training, outstanding business acumen, and parts and products that have helped some of NASCAR’s finest drivers to victory lane. Red Bull Racing Team will utilize Mighty's technical expertise to engineer professional performance- grade air and oil filters designed to endure the grueling demands of the racetrack. "I see a natural fit between the philosophies of Red Bull Racing Team and Mighty Auto Parts,” said Ken Voelker, President of Mighty Auto Parts. “The opportunity to partner with a company such as Red Bull Racing that brings passion, an inventive style of thinking and marketing acuity to everything they do, mirrors Mighty's own modus operandi. We look forward to developing a long-term relationship with RBRT, continuing our long-standing relationship with Jay Frye, and seeing the results of such a synergistic partnership." Mighty has been involved with NASCAR and Red Bull Racing Team General Manager and Vice President Jay Frye for ten years, most recently as an associate sponsor of Mark Martin at MB2. “It is a privilege to continue my relationship with Mighty,” said Frye. “As a team we have high expectations for next season; the quality products Mighty provides will help improve our on-track performance and take us to that next level.”(RBRT PR)(12-16-2008)
- Tire Testing at Las Vegas UPDATE: there is a Goodyear Tire test scheduled at Las Vegas Motor Speedway on December 10-11, 2008, hearing the drivers to test will be #99-Carl Edwards, #5-Mark Martin, #83-Brian Vickers and #12-David Stremme.(12-4-2008)
UPDATE: #99-Carl Edwards, who won this year's Sprint Cup event at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, will be joined by #5-Mark Martin, #83-Brian Vickers and #12-David Stremme for a two-day Goodyear tire test this Wednesday and Thursday at LVMS. For Martin, it will be a chance to get acquainted with Hendrick Motorsports' #5 Chevrolet, which he will pilot in the 2009 season. Vickers will be in the Red Bull Toyota, and Stremme will be in his new Penske Dodge. Stremme has replaced Ryan Newman in the #12 car for next season. "These two days in Vegas are going to be, quite possibly, the two most important days of our 2009 season," said Alan Gustafson, crew chief for Martin. "With NASCAR's new ‘no testing' rule, we are very fortunate to have been invited by Goodyear to this test. This gives us two extra days on an intermediate track that only three other teams are getting. We need to maximize that time all we can." The race teams and Goodyear will be testing in preparation for the March 1 Shelby 427 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race. The test will be closed to the public. Tickets are available for the 2009 NASCAR Weekend, more info by calling 1-800-644-4444 or logging on to www.lvms.com.(LVMS PR)(12-9-2008)
- Pemberton leaves MWR for Red Bull UPDATE 2 new crew chief?: After asking for his release, #44 crew chief Ryan Pemberton is expected to reunite with his friend and former boss Jay Frye at Team Red Bull. Pemberton, 39, spent this year working with David Reutimann and the #44 Toyota after weathering the MB2 Motorsports buyout and the Ginn Racing/Dale Earnhardt Inc. merger last fall. The Pemberton-led crew won the pole at Homestead, but finished 20th on Sunday. Pemberton's official position has yet to be determined.(FoxSports)(11-18-2008)
UPDATE: #44-David Reutimann [will be back in #00 in 2009], who finished 22nd in points in his second full Sprint Cup season and won the pole in the finale at Homestead, is short a crew chief and a half-season's worth of sponsorship on his Toyota for next season. He also is unlikely to run a third straight full Nationwide season because of sponsorship issues. Reutimann said a replacement for (crew chief) Ryan Pemberton, who said late in the season he was leaving for Red Bull, could be announced next week. "You would like to get somebody in there because Ryan decided to do his deal so late in the season it doesn't give you much opportunity to talk with people," Reutimann said. "You know your crew chief is leaving halfway through the year, you can start talking to people who are interested in doing something different. He just didn't give us that option."(St Petersburg Times)(11-23-2008)
UPDATE 2: hearing former #19 GEM crew chief, Rodney Childers, will be Reutimann's crew chief in 2009.(11-26-2008)
UPDATE 3: #83 driver Brian Vickers will have a new crew chief for his third season with Red Bull Racing Team, as Ryan Pemberton leads Vickers’ charge to his first Red Bull victory and a spot in the 2009 Chase. Teammate Scott Speed will return for his rookie NASCAR Sprint Cup Series season. He’ll drive the #82 Red Bull Toyota under the watch of returning crew chief Jimmy Elledge. “We’re entering our third Sprint Cup season with driver and crew chief pairings that have what it takes to consistently compete at a high level,” said Jay Frye, RBRT Vice President and General Manager. “Brian and Ryan are each at a point in their respective careers where they can bring home wins and make a run for the championship. Scott earned his Sprint Cup ride by exceeding our expectations in ARCA and trucks. He has a great asset in Jimmy, who has experience working with both rookies and open-wheel drivers.” Pemberton, 39, inherits a #83 team that earned a pole, three top-five and six top-10 finishes before Vickers finished 19th in points. His most recent crew chief role was with the #44 Toyota, guiding driver David Reutimann to four top 10s in 2008. A longtime crewman, Pemberton became a crew chief in 1995 in the Nationwide Series and took his first Sprint Cup job in 1997 at MB2 Motorsports. Since then, he has crew chiefed for the likes of Derrike Cope, Jerry Nadeau, Joe Nemechek, Mark Martin and Aric Almirola. His first victory as a crew chief came when Nemechek won the 2004 race at Kansas Speedway.(RBRT PR), hearing that forrmer #83 crew chief, Kevin Hamlin will end up in a managerial position at RBRT.(12-1-2008) Comment here
- Red Bull testing at Nashville: Team Red Bull is testing Friday and Saturday [11/21-22] at the Nashville Superspeedway. The testing is closed to the public. Brian Vickers is the driver behind the wheel testing.(Nashville Superspeedway)(11-21-2008)
- Martin in the #84 at Homestead UPDATE 3 NO, but Vickers/Speed swap: Monday [11-10-2008] on “SIRIUS Speedway” on SIRIUS NASCAR Radio, host Dave Moody is reporting that Mark Martin will drive the #84 Red Bull Toyota this weekend at Homestead-Miami Speedway, replacing Scott Speed. Host, Dave Moody: “Since taking over for the released AJ Allmendinger four races ago, Speed has recorded an average finish of 34.2, including a 40th yesterday in Phoenix. The team has fallen out of the Top-35 in owners’ points now. They now trail the Michael Waltrip Motorsports #47 team by 16 points with one race to go in the battle for that all important 35th position in the owner standings. An official announcement is expected from the team later this afternoon. Mark Martin, of course, enjoys a long relationship with Red Bull Racing general manager Jay Frye, for whom he drove at the former MB3 and Ginn Racing teams. He ran his final scheduled event for Dale Earnhardt, Inc. yesterday in Phoenix. He, of course, will move to Hendrick Motorsports full time in 2009. His arrangement with Red Bull Racing is, we are told, for one race only and will have no impact on the team's long term plans for Scott Speed.(SIRIUS XM Radio PR)(11-10-2008)
UPDATE: been told that Martin will NOT run the #84 and Scott Speed will drive the #84 [#82 in 2009] at Homestead this weekend. The entry list from NASCAR has Team Red Bull having a third car entered, the #82, but it was withdrawn.(11-11-2008)
UPDATE 2: Martin's deal to drive the #84 Red Bull Toyota this weekend at Homestead-Miami Speedway has apparently fallen through. Sources close to the team say the deal was signed, sealed and all but delivered, only to have high level executives at General Motors nix it at the last minute. Martin is set to drive a Hendrick Motorsports Chevy full-time next season, and when GM brass got wind of Red Bull's plans, a series of phone calls was made to scuttle the deal just minutes before a press release was to be issued announcing it. The end result is reportedly an angry Martin, a disappointed Red Bull Racing Team, and a "Plan B" that could result in Scott Speed and Brian Vickers trading cars this weekend in Miami.(SIRIUS Speedway)
AND In an effort to secure a spot among the top 35 in the owner's standings, Team Red Bull is playing musical chairs this weekend at Homestead-Miami Speedway. #83-Brian Vickers will swap rides with teammate #84-Scott Speed for the season finale. As a result, Vickers will have to qualify on time for Sunday's Ford 400 while Speed will be locked into the field no matter where he qualifies. Currently, the #84 is 17 points behind 35th place in the standings. Being inside that threshold at the end of the season is valuable, as it guarantees a starting spot for the first five races of 2009, including the prestigious Daytona 500.(FoxSports)(11-11-2008)
UPDATE 3: Red Bull Racing Team’s #83 and #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 #83 Red Bull Toyota, will pilot Scott Speed’s #84, and Speed will pilot the #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 #84 see the same success the #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."(Red Bull Racing PR)(11-12-2008) Comment here
- Red Bull fires supervisor, reprimands others: Red Bull Racing has fired a supervisor and reprimanded several other employees for their involvement in the violation that resulted in major points penalties and suspensions for Brian Vickers' team [see #83 Team Page for the penalty news], general manager Jay Frye said on Friday. Vickers was fined 150 driver points and crew chief Kevin Hamlin was indefinitely suspended and fined $100,000 after NASCAR officials determined during a random post-race inspection at Martinsville that the sheet metal did not meet the minimum thickness specifications. Frye said Hamlin and Vickers had no knowledge of the violation that also resulted in the indefinite suspension of car chief Craig Smokstad and the loss of 150 owner points to Dietrich Mateschitz. "It was an isolated incident and somebody made the decision without the appropriate people knowing," Frye said. "These people are good veteran guys. They should have known better. They just made a poor decision. There's too much at risk and NASCAR has very much of a zero tolerance on these cars. We know that." Frye said the sheet metal was not dipped in acid as originally reported, but it simply was a thinner grade that he estimated lightened the car by two or three pounds. He said procedures are being put in place to make sure such an incident doesn't happen again. Frye said NASCAR has given no indication of whether the suspensions will spill over into next season. And while he sees the suspensions as a setback, he is confident interim crew chief Randy Cox will fill in nicely.(ESPN)(10-24-2008) Comment here
- Red Bull faces heavy fines for shaving weight UPDATE: NASCAR is expected to levy what could be record-breaking fines on the #83 Team Red Bull Toyota outfit on Wednesday. After Brian Vickers finished 11th at the Tums QuikPak 500 at Martinsville Speedway, the #83 Toyota was selected as the random car to be further inspected at the NASCAR Technical Center in Concord, N.C., where officials discovered the sheet metal on the #83 car did not meet the minimum thickness requirements. According to sources familiar with the situation, the sides of the car — the doors, fenders and quarter panels — were too thin. The NASCAR rulebook states in rule 20-2, 1D that teams must use a minimum of 24 gauge (0.025 inch thick) sheet steel for their car bodies. Also, the practice of "Acid dipping or chemical milling," which makes the sheet metal thinner, is strictly forbidden. One individual close to the situation said acid dipping would allow a fabricator to make the metal thinner. Once the steel is sanded and painted, it is nearly impossible for NASCAR to detect. Multiple sources said NASCAR returned the car to TRB after cutting off the sheet metal.(FoxSports)(10-22-2008)
UPDATE: NASCAR has issued penalties, suspensions and fines to the #83 team in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series, as a result of rules infractions found on Tuesday during a Martinsville post-race inspection at the NASCAR Research and Development Center in Concord, N.C. The car was found to be in violation of Sections 12-4-A (actions detrimental to stock car racing); 12-4-Q (car, car parts, components and/or equipment used do not conform to NASCAR rules); and 20-2.1-D (exterior sheet metal body parts did not meet the specified minimum thickness) of the 2008 NASCAR rule book. As a result, both the crew chief, Kevin Hamlin, and the car chief, Craig Smokstad, have been suspended indefinitely from NASCAR. Additionally, Hamlin has been fined $100,000. river Brian Vickers and owner Dietrich Mateschitz have been penalized with the loss of 150 driver and 150 owner points, respectively.(NASCAR PR)
RED BULL STATEMENT: Jay Frye, General Manager & VP, Red Bull Racing Team, on the #83's infractions: "As a team we accept full responsibility for the infractions regarding the #83's Martinsville car and will not appeal NASCAR's ruling. This approach to racing is against the values of the Red Bull Racing Team, and the necessary steps will be taken to rectify the situation ensuring it does
not happen again. It is a privilege to race in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series and we are taking this penalty seriously. R&D Manager Randy Cox will assume the duties of interim Crew Chief on the #83 in Atlanta."(TRB PR)(10-22-2008) Comment here
- Frye to stay at Red Bull: Jay Frye announced in a team meeting Tuesday that he has agreed to remain as the general manager of NASCAR’s Team Red Bull [#83-Vickers, #84-Allmendinger]. In an exclusive interview with Yahoo! Sports, Frye expressed his desire to continue the course he’s laid out for the fledgling stock-car organization. “I’ve been given a unique opportunity to build this team into something great,” said Frye, who has been at the helm of the two-car Sprint Cup team owned by the Austrian energy-drink giant since January. Frye’s decision puts to rest any speculation that the Rick Hendrick protégé would leave Red Bull to take a similar position at Stewart Haas Racing. When asked about the Stewart Haas offer, Frye replied, “I’ve always wanted to stay here. I love where I’m at. This is the perfect job.” After meeting with Red Bull executives in Austria two weeks ago, Frye left convinced of Red Bull owner Dietrich Mateschitz’s strong commitment to building the NASCAR organization into a championship contender.(Yahoo Sports)(9-16-2008) Comment here
- Speed to test at LMS in 3rd Red Bull car: Red Bull development driver Scott Speed will turn laps in the Sprint Cup Series open test at Lowe’s Motor Speedway on September 23 – 24. Speed will drive the #82 Red Bull Toyota under the watch of NASCAR officials who will assess his ability to participate in future Cup races. “I’ve really enjoyed testing and working with Red Bull’s Cup team,” said Speed. “They’re a very professional group and they operate at level that’s much closer to what I’m used to, so it’s nice to be a part of that. I like driving the Sprint Cup car too because I can feel the car better and its much more sensitive to my input. I haven’t driven it in traffic yet though, so that will probably be a very different experience!” Speed will test alongside teammates #83-Brian Vickers and #84-AJ Allmendinger. Rumors surfaced that Speed had already been privately testing a Sprint Cup car. We [Red Bull Racing] can confirm - those rumors were true. Speed tested at both Nashville Superspeedway and Kentucky Motor Speedway. During the 2008 season, Speed has been running a full-time ARCA RE/MAX Series schedule under the wing of Eddie Sharp Racing, earning four wins to date. Speed has also been logging seat time in the Craftsman Truck Series with Bill Davis Racing, earning his first Truck win at Dover. Scott Speed on Lowe’s Motor Speedway: “I raced at Lowe’s earlier this year in the Truck Series, so I’m in a good position to test the Sprint Cup car since I’m familiar with the track. The track itself is nice to drive on because the two corners are very different. Lowe’s is a track that has character too. It’s not a cookie cutter track so I enjoy racing on it a bit more than some of the others. It will be good to see where we stack up against everyone else, since there are so many good teams that will also be testing.”(Red Bull Racing PR)(9-8-2008) Comment here
- Red Bull to 3 teams? UPDATE: Jay Frye, who has engineered a solid turnaround at Team Red Bull is back from a post-California trip to the company's Austrian headquarters, and is reported to be seriously considering moving to the Stewart-Ryan Newman Chevy team next season. According to those close to the situation, Red Bull boss Dietrich Mateschitz wants Frye to put former Formula One driver Scott Speed in a full Cup ride next season, though there is still only sponsorship support for two drivers. #83-Brian Vickers and #84-AJ Allmendinger are the team's Cup drivers, and Frye wants to keep both. If Frye stays, that would likely mean a three-car team.(Winston Salem Journal), word is that Speed will test at LMS in a few weeks in a #82 Toyota and could make his Cup debut there in Oct.(9-6-2008)
UPDATE: Jay Frye had a "positive meeting" with Red Bull Racing management in Austria, but would not say Sunday whether he'll remain general manager or leave to run Tony Stewart's new team. Frye also said the team is not certain AJ Allmendinger will be back in the #84 Toyota next season. "AJ has been a Red Bull athlete for a long time. They are very fond of AJ," Frye said before Sunday's race at Richmond International Raceway. "We are going through different scenarios right now and should know something shortly." Asked if it was possible Allmendinger would not be back, Frye said "Yes, that's one of the scenarios." The future of the team has been widely discussed since an ESPN report earlier this week that Stewart had asked Frye to manage Stewart-Haas Racing next season. The report came as Frye was traveling to Austria to discuss the direction of the race team. Among the issues was Allmendinger, who is in the second and final year of his Red Bull contract. He's shown marked improvement this season under Frye, and the entire Red Bull organization has been considerably better since Frye's late January arrival.
Frye would not directly comment on the reported Stewart offer. "I'm very happy where I'm at," Frye said. "Obviously there is a lot going on in the sport right now, there are a lot of flattering things being said and a lot to think about, but I'm very happy where I'm at." Toyota Racing Development president Lee White said he was told by Red Bull executives the meeting was positive and Toyota officials are optimistic Frye will remain with the team. Red Bull struggled in its first NASCAR season last year, when team leadership operated with a Formula One mentality. The addition of Frye, a NASCAR veteran who spent 12 years running the team that merged with Dale Earnhardt Inc. last year, has put Red Bull on the right track in its second season. Brian Vickers is 15th in the standings, Allmendinger is no longer failing to qualify for races and former F1 driver Scott Speed is quickly adapting to stock cars under Frye's developmental plan. "I think (Frye leaving) would be a significant challenge for their evolution and improvement as a team," White said. "We are absolutely thrilled with their progress and that they are fulfilling their possibilities." Frye said it was his first trip to Austria, where the energy drink maker is based. "The NASCAR program is very important to their business," he said. "As a company, I wanted to understand where we're at, what's in store for the future. There is a lot going on with the company that is really good. We've made good progress. It was a very positive meeting. No matter what happens, it is great to have Red Bull part of this sport."(ESPN/AP)
AND Jay Frye, whose work this season as general manager for Team Red Bull has helped spark a turnaround, is just back from a trip to Salzburg, Austria, the home of Red Bull. And Frye says he laid out for owner Dietrich Mateschitz all the various team options for 2009 – including possible expansion to a three-car team, or what Frye called “a 2-1/2-car team,” with a new Scott Speed team running a partial Cup schedule as teammate with Brian Vickers and AJ Allmendinger. But Frye also pointed out that Allmendinger’s contract is up at the end of this year, and Frye said the owner has not been particularly enthusiastic about funding a full three-car operation. “We should know more in the next week,” Frye says.(Winston Salem Journal)(9-8-2008) Comment here
- 3rd Red Bull team in 2009? Between now and the end of the 2008 season, Scott Speed likely will make his Sprint Cup debut. Red Bull Racing will probably employ its test team – which includes veteran Cup crew chief Richard “Slugger” Labbe — for a third car for Speed, said team Vice President and General Manager Jay Frye said Friday at Bristol Motor Speedway. Red Bull is still deciding whether or not to run two or three full-time cars next season, or two full- and one part-time cars, and whether it will retain AJ Allmendinger in its #84 Toyota. Speed, who has a chance to win the ARCA RE/MAX Series title this year, has been exceptionally impressive transitioning to stock cars, while Allmendinger has shown huge improvement since the start of the season. Frye said he hopes to have 2008 plans finalized in October.(SPEEDtv)(8-23-2008) Comment here
- Speed aiming for Sprint Cup debut: Scott Speed is confident that he can make his Sprint Cup debut before the end of this season. The Red Bull-backed American will test a Cup car for the first time later this month, and has been racing in the ARCA and Craftsman Truck series this season after losing his Formula One drive with Toro Rosso 12 months ago. He hopes to continue full time in Craftsman Trucks next season but also wants to include several Sprint Cup outings. "I'm about to start testing, proper testing, in a Cup car with (Red Bull's lead driver) Brian Vickers," Speed told this week's Autosport magazine. "The car is quite a bit different from the Truck, but if it goes well, and I think I should be able to adapt, then we can go racing."(Autosport.com)(7-18-2008) Comment here
- Red Bull Racing helping out: After treating all of Red Bull Racing Team to lunch Tuesday, members of the #83 and #84 pit crews caught I-85 north to Randleman, N.C. The destination? The NASCARnival at Victory Junction Gang Camp. They took a tour of the sprawling facility that, through fun activities and experiences, empowers the lives of children with chronic medical conditions or serious illnesses. Along with #84 driver AJ Allmendinger, the Bull Crews sat down for dinner with campers, then performed pit stops and taught them how to tear through lug nuts. And all were more than happy to offer an autograph or two. The #83 Bull Crew’s victory in the Sprint Pit Crew Challenge is still paying off. The charity portion of the hefty purse earned in May comes out to $23,793.25. On Friday, crew members will present a check, through the NASCAR Foundation, in that amount to the Speediatrics unit of Halifax Medical Center in Daytona Beach. Over-the-wallers Jake Brzozowski, Brian Haaland, Danny Kincaid, Shaun Peet and Aaron Schields will take a tour of the unit and hand out Speediatrics teddy bears.(Red Bull Racing PR)(7-2-2008)
- Vickers wins at Golf: #83-Brian Vickers won the second round of the HP Tee Shot Tour on Thursday at The Grande Golf Club in Jackson, Mich. On the lighted 395-yard par 4 first hole, Brian proved he can drive more than a race car when he won the driver and team categories. Brian once fired a 79 on the high school golf team and claims his longest drive ever is 300- plus (with some roll). He was paired with Kevin Bullard, who’s a regular in the power golf series with long drive professionals and NASCAR drivers that include Marcos Ambrose, Stephen Leicht, Kyle Petty, David Ragan, Elliott and Hermie Sadler and J.J. Yeley. The winning cumulative score at the end of six events will have $25,000 donated in their name to the Victory Junction Gang Camp. The next Tee Shot Tour event is scheduled for July 9 at Joliet Country Club in Joliet, Ill.(Red Bull Racing PR)(6-18-2008)
- Vickers says NASCAR admitted scoring mistake: NASCAR admitted to #83-Brian Vickers that it made a mistake in placing the Red Bull Racing driver behind Dale Earnhardt Inc.’s #8-Mark Martin prior to a restart during the waning laps of the LifeLock 400 Sunday at Michigan International Speedway. For Vickers, that admission was important. Vickers said he had passed Martin two laps prior to the caution coming out. He believes he could have had a chance to win the race if he hadn't had to restart behind Martin. Vickers went to the NASCAR hauler after the race to talk to NASCAR officials. “They said, ‘We made an honest mistake – the 8 car [of Martin] was supposed to be behind you,’ ” Vickers said Tuesday during a NASCAR teleconference. “That’s all you can ask for. It’s like when a driver on the race track gets into you, it makes all the difference in the world if they call you the next day and say, ‘Man, I’m sorry. I messed up. I’m sorry. Let’s just move forward from here on.’ And I totally respect that. I’ve made many, many, many mistakes in my life, and I probably will make many more. The important thing is to just own up to it and move on.” Vickers ended up finishing fourth. “I was pretty upset by it and rightfully so,” Vickers said. “I wanted an explanation of why that took place. I felt like in a lot of ways it cost us a shot at the race. There’s no guarantees what would have happened, but it definitely hurt us.” So what can NASCAR do? Not much, Vickers said. “Unfortunately in our sport, and if I was sitting in the tower, I couldn’t do it any different – you can’t just call timeout and go look at the replay and sort it out,” Vickers said. “You look at a football gamem and they get a bad call on the field, they call a timeout and they look at the replay, they fix it, and they move on. That’s one call. For those guys, it’s 43 calls up in the tower; they have 43 positions to sort out every caution, not one. It’s a tough job, and they can’t just halt the race. They’ve got guys running out of fuel, the race is coming to an end, and it’s time to go green and get the checkered out there.”(SceneDaily)(6-17-2008) Comment here
- Red Bull Racing F1 driver to visit Dover: Red Bull Racing’s David Coulthard will be heading out early to North America prior to the Canadian Grand Prix to pay a visit to Red Bull’s NASCAR team. The weekend before the F1 race in Montreal sees the NASCAR boys racing at Dover in Delaware, on a track known as the Monster Mile. David will be a guest of the NASCAR Red Bull Racing Team, which is now in its second year of competition, racing Toyota Camrys, driven by #83-Brian Vickers and #84-AJ Allmendinger. “I’m interested in all sorts of racing, but hardly ever get a chance to see anything other than Formula 1. So when Red Bull came up with the idea of shooting a promo film around their NASCAR operation on the week before the Canadian GP, it seemed like a great opportunity to go and see why this form of racing is so popular in the States.” Coulthard arrives in time for race day, Sunday 1st June, when he will get a chance to sit in the race car as well as sitting in on the team’s pre-race engineering briefing, before watching the “Best Buy 400”. Coulthard is just there to visit the team and do a film and has no plans to move to NASCAR in the future.(Red Bull Racing PR)(5-27-2008) Comment here
- Vickers Red Bull Racing team wins Pit Crew Challenge: The #83 Red Bull Toyota pit crew of Brian Vickers entered the NASCAR Sprint Pit Crew Challenge as the 24th – and final – eligible team, but left on top after dominating the competition and the record book. The team posted the quickest time in each of the five rounds and edged the #11 FedEx Toyota crew of Denny Hamlin in a photo finish in the Finals to take the title. The #83 team changed four tires, filled the car with fuel and pushed it 40 yards to the finish line in 22.902 seconds, besting the #11 crew by 0.109 seconds. Each of the five times put up by the #83 crew was under 23 seconds, with its top time of 22.572 seconds coming in the second round. The previous record was 23.35 seconds, set last year by the champion #12 Alltel Dodge team in the quarterfinals. “I can’t say enough about this team,” said pit crew coach Greg Miller. “Words can’t describe this group, the effort they put in day-in and day-out. It’s all about them.”
The team was one of three in the event that has not secured a position in Saturday night’s NASCAR Sprint All-Star Race. Each of the 21 teams in the all-star race competed in the Pit Crew Challenge, with the three final positions going to the top available teams based on owner’s points. If the #83 Toyota makes the all-star race by finishing in the top two in the Sprint Showdown, it will have its choice of pit stalls.
The team includes several former collegiate athletes, a trend that has become commonplace in the sport. Catch can man Mike Metcalf played football at Appalachian State University, while front tire changer Brian Haaland and jackman Shaun Peet are former minor league hockey players. The other members of the championship crew are gas man Doug Newell, front tire carrier Aaron Schields, rear tire changer Danny Kincaid and rear tire changer Jake Brzozowski. Two new records were also set in the individual skills competition.
#24 Dupont Chevrolet gas man Caleb Hurd and catch can man Jamie Frady combined to fill the car with 18 gallons of fuel in 10.031 seconds, shattering the previous record of 14.20 seconds. Eric Wilson, jackman of the #9 Budweiser Dodge finished with a time of 5.431 seconds, topping last year’s record of 5.94 seconds. Other skills competition winners were #17 DeWalt Ford rear tire changer Dave Smith and carrier Jason Binger and #18 M&M’s Toyota front tire changer Nick O’Dell and carrier Brad Donaghy. O’Dell also won last year’s individual competition while with the #9 crew.(NASCAR PR/Teamredbull.com), more info at pitcrewchallenge.com.(5-16-2008)
- Thomas to Red Bull? UPDATE: Brandon Thomas, who recently was replaced by Steve Boyer as crew chief for #96-J.J. Yeley at Hall of Fame Racing, is apparently bound for Red Bull Racing, though his exact duties remain to be seen.(SPEEDtv)(3-31-2008)
UPDATE: hearing that Thomas will go to Red Bull Racing as Chief Design Engineer.(4-2-2008)
- Changes at Red Bull, Labbe?: Guenther Steiner is no longer the director of competition for Team Red Bull. Officially, Steiner is on "vacation." However, sources close to the team say he's gone and there's been no replacement named. It's all part of the shakeup underway at the team now that Jay Frye has been put in charge. I [Yahoo's Bob Margolis] also hear that Slugger Labbe could be on his way over to Red Bull to be reunited with Frye.(Yahoo Sports)(3-17-2008) Comment here
- Sadler's and Yeley enter Horsepower Series UPDATE: Elliott and Hermie Sadler, and J.J. Yeley will join a cast of eight stock car personalities [five to be named later] as they will team with Power Golf Professionals Sean Fister, Brooks Baldwin, Danny Luirette, Kevin Bullard, Vince Howell, Scott Ionno, JD Murkerson, and Carl Wolter in the 2008 HorsePower Tee Shot Tour. The Horsepower Tee Shot Tour (HTST) will include six events being played under the lights during race weeks next season. The scoring format will not only reward length off the tee, but accuracy as well. SPEED TV will be airing all the HTST events during the summer and early fall of 2008. Jeff Hammond is the spokesman for the HTST and NASCAR on FOX broadcaster. In addition to the “Power Golf” competition, each stop on the Tour also will include a golf trick-shot exhibition, fan participation and a charity event to benefit the Petty’s Victory Junction Gang Camp.(HTST PR)(12-30-2007)
UPDATE: HorsePower Sports Marketing (HSM), the sanctioning body of the 2008 Horsepower Tee Shot Tour (HTST), proudly welcomes Brian Vickers, its fifth stock car personality, to the upcoming 2008 HTST season. The six "Power Golf" events constituting the HTST take place during Sprint Cup race weeks at select venues in close proximity to the race tracks between May and October. All events are scheduled to air on SPEED.(SPEED PR)(3-11-2008), for the tour schedule and more info, see hpteeshottour.com.
- Vickers skydives: #83-Red Bull Racing driver Brian Vickers completed his first skydiving jump - Solo - yesterday under the guidance of the Red Bull Air Force, a group of air savvy professionals who specialize in skydiving. Vickers spent the first half of his day at Skyventure Orlando in a skydiving wind tunnel with the RBAF simulating the motions he'd feel in the sky and taking an Accelerated Free Fall (AFF) class that allowed him to complete his skydiving mission solo - not tandem, like most first time jumpers. Vickers
jumped at Skydive Deland.(TRB PR)(2-13-2008) Comment here.
- Scott Speed Taking Baby Steps Toward a Career in Stock Cars: Instead of racing in places like Monaco or hobnobbing with the European elite, Speed will now be checking out the sites in such exotic locales as DuQuoin, Illinois or Berlin, Michigan. Speed will spend this season competing full-time in the ARCA Series. Speed said he’s prepared to give himself 2-3 years to figure out if stock car racing is something he can be successful with. If it doesn’t work out he said he’d likely go back to open wheel racing.(Hartford Courant)(2-9-2008) Comment here.
- Frye named Red Bull GM: Red Bull Racing Team [#83-Vickers, #84-Allmendinger] announced Jay Frye as General Manager effective January 14, 2008. Frye brings on board 16 years of experience in the NASCAR industry, most recently with a 12-year stint as CEO and GM of Ginn Racing (formerly MB2 Motorsports). “Red Bull along with Toyota has all the necessary tools to compete at a very high level. I’m excited about the opportunity to work with an organization that has unlimited potential,” says Frye. With a long-standing history of industry success, Frye completes Red Bull Racing Team’s search for a GM, since the position was vacated in June 2007. Guenther Steiner, who joined the team in 2006 with extensive Formula One technical expertise, will continue to work as Technical Director and focus fully on delivering advanced engineering performance and technology. Red Bull Racing Team's focus on superior and precision engineering paired with Jay Frye's industry expertise is certain to lead to consistent and successful results in 2008.(Team Red Bull PR)(1-13-2008)
- New Crew Chief for Vickers: Red Bull Racing Team announced Kevin Hamlin [no relation to Denny] to crew chief the #83 Red Bull Toyota Camry piloted by Brian Vickers for the 2008 Sprint Cup Series season. Hamlin’s past crew chief roles include his most recent stint with Dave Blaney’s #22 Toyota, preceded by nine years of crew chief duties with RCR drivers including Jeff Burton, Kevin Harvick, and the late Dale Earnhardt Sr. To date, Hamlin has amassed nine Cup wins; five of those with Earnhardt Sr. Despite Hamlin’s “nine” theme, there are no plans to change the #83 to #89. Red Bull Racing Team Competition Director Elton Sawyer: “Finding the right crew chief for the 83 team was a pivotal decision in an effort to restructure the foundation on that team. We need a crew chief with not only the right experience and background to work effectively with our driver and crew, but someone who also shares the same vision for success. We found that package with Kevin Hamlin. Our focus between now and Daytona is not only getting our cars up to speed for the season opener, but also getting Kevin up to speed working with Red Bull, Brian (Vickers) and the 83 team.”(Team Red Bull PR)(1-10-2008)
