Warning: Objects in this post may be the only way to successfully live through the NASCAR off-season. For best results, read rearview mirror early and often.
Driver: Brian Vickers Team: No. 83 Red Bull RacingToyota '08 Final Standing: 19th (-3104) Best Race: Pocono 500 (2nd-place) Worst Race: Phoenix, Indianapolis & Lowes (42nd-place)
Season in a box: Aside from a not-so-surprising impressive first year under the Toyota banner for Joe Gibbs Racing, Brian Vickers was easily the brightest star from NASCAR's newest manufacturer with some near-wins and consistent finishes.
Instead, the team was given all but a heavy dose of corporal punishment Wednesday afternoon thanks to NASCAR finding that the sheet metal on Vickers' No. 83 was too thin for NASCAR's specifications.
The lack of depth left Vickers with 150 less points (drops from 15th to 17th in the driver point standings) and without a car cheif (Craig Smokstad) or crew chief (Kevin Hamlin) for an unknown amount of time after both were suspended indefinitely by NASCAR.
Ouch.
However, the team took complete responsibility for the violation in a subsequent press release saying they wouldn't appeal the ruling and that they realize it's a "privilege" to compete in NASCAR. Ominous words for the person mainly behind this penalty were also included in the release as it said "necessary steps will be taken to rectify the situation and ensure it won't happen again".
All that being said, what in the world does it mean and why does it help for a team to have thin sheet metal?
It's an interesting way to start for Speed -- at the circuit's smallest track that has roots deeper in NASCAR than ugly driver t-shirts -- but he'll do so anyway in the No. 84 Toyota from Red Bull Racing.
Speed is apparently ready for NASCAR, but the real question lies not in his awareness or readiness.
Rather, is NASCAR ready for Scott Speed?
He's brash, he's outspoken, and he's talented. He'll tell you how he feels, and doesn't mind who's feathers get ruffled along the way. Simply, he wants to win, and truly thinks he can be a champion rather quickly in stock car racing.
Ultimately, he's pretty darn close to being the open-wheel crossover driver version of the always oh-so-well-received Kyle Busch.
The first problem struck on lap 53 on the backstretch of the 2.66-mile circuit when Michael Waltrip Racing's David Reutimann spun sideways after the right-rear tire exploded on the No. 44 Toyota. Directly behind him, Hendrick Motorsports' Jeff Gordon swerved to miss the spinning Reutimann and caught the nose of Jon Wood, sending the front-end of the No. 24 in to the wall.
The impact for Gordon sent him behind the wall for cosmetic, suspension, and radiator repairs. He would return after about 30 laps, but the car that had looked quite competitive early in the event later lost an engine while trying to make up points.
Red Bull Racing Team and driver AJ Allmendinger have agreed to part ways for the 2009 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series season. Allmendinger is in his second NASCAR Sprint Cup Series season driving the No. 84 Red Bull Toyota, which currently sits 34th in owners' points.
"AJ is a talented driver and we really enjoyed working with him," said RBRT Vice President and General Manager Jay Frye. "He's come a long way in just two years and we wish him nothing but the best."
That last line -- "we wish him nothing but the best" -- just seems to have a certain Jay Frye-is-totally-BS'ing-us ring to it, doesn't it?
On the Carpentier side of things, word came out Wednesday that Gillette-Evernham Motorsports has officially made NASCAR's favorite driving Canuck a free agent after his first season in a race car with fenders.
Carpentier is being let go effective at the end of 2008 in favor of the younger, more marketable but seemingly-similarly (say that five times) talented Reed Sorenson. Sorenson is departing Chip Ganassi Racing's No. 41 ride after having a disappointing foray into the Sprint Cup Series racing with that team.
Carpentier's story is one that just makes you want to frown and say "that just ain't fair" because of his noted improvement from when he started driving a NASCAR (hasn't even been a year yet) to now, on top of his interesting and always honest personality. Given the right opportunity with a patient car owner and sponsor, Carpentier could easily succeed as a solid driver in NASCAR.
Unfortunately, it doesn't seem like that's going to happen, and that's a shame.
Speaking of potential shames (Can you really make that plural? Probably not. Works for me, though.) the future relationship betwee Red Bull Racing and A.J. Allmendinger appears headed toward a crossroads in the very near future with a decision on 2009 coming soon.
Both are former open-wheel racing drivers. Both have struggled at times to get a strong foothold on NASCAR racing.
And both have now been strung along by their race teams, with Carpentier finally getting the word this week that his services aren't a top priority at his Gillette-Evernham Motorsports home. Allmendinger has yet to receive word on his 2009 plans.
Most people in the NASCAR world would have signed Allmendinger a month ago to an extended contract after the driver has shown an obvious improvement in not only finishing races, but qualifying for them, too. But Red Bull Racing isn't like most other teams.
The operation has its NASCAR base in North Carolina, but most of the big personnel decisions -- like hiring a driver -- are handled by the ownership group in Red Bull's native country Austria. And that ownership group is used to the Formula One train of thought when it comes to driver decisions of waiting until September or October to make plans for the following year.
That has got to be frustrating to Allmendinger for many, many reasons -- the least of which is Scott Speed.
Brian Vickers made a big statement Friday afternoon at Michigan International Speedway.
The Red Bull Racing driver not only posted the fastest time in practice Friday afternoon, but also put his No. 83 Toyota on the pole in commanding fashion for Sunday's 3M Performance 400 at the track an hour west of Detroit.
Kasey Kahne truly had the best car Sunday afternoon at Pocono Raceway, and despite the interesting race strategies applied by Top-5 finishers Brian Vickers and Dale Earnhardt Jr., he managed to muscle his No. 9 Dodge to his second win of 2008.
Vickers, Earnhardt Jr., Jeff Gordon, and a host of others got off the pit sequence in the race's final 70 laps. The move especially played out well in terms of track position for Vickers and Earnhardt Jr., while Gordon deviated from the strategy on the final caution flag by choosing to head to pit road.
But before we talk about NASCAR's newest winner, Biffle captured the top spot after running a lap of 155.219mph with Kurt Busch second and Kyle Busch third. Read more about that here...
Scott Speed -- the former Formula One driver -- won his first career NASCAR race Friday afternoon at Dover in the Craftsman Truck Series race. Speed, who raced in some inferior equipment while driving as the lone American in F1, has made his way across the pond to expand his career.
Friday, though, it seemed as if Speed had doing the NASCAR gig for a long time as his team used some strategy to secure his first win in six starts. That strategy? A two-tire stop to Ron Hornaday's four-tire stop that gave Speed track position and finally a win over Sprague and Hornaday.
Following the race, Speed was more than elated to be in victory lane and seemed to truly think about how lucky he was to be having so much fun. Speed is still under contract with Red Bull from his F1 days, and you've got to believe he'll be offered a Sprint Cup test sometime in the near future, given teammate A.J. Allmendingers's rough season in the No. 84.
Plus, how can you not hire a guy named "Speed" to drive a race car?
Brian Vickers
Scott Speed.jpg)
Patrick Carpentier
Greg Biffle
