NASCAR Defuncts: Team Red Bull
By Ryan Morgan
It is no secret a select few NASCAR teams dominate the Sprint Cup scene. In 2014, two have claimed their dominance: Hendrick Motorsports and Team Penske. Their drivers have combined for an incredible 21 wins in 31 races to date.
To dethrone these well-organized, well-financed teams is obviously no walk in the park. Yet some teams find enough success and become competitive, take Michael Waltrip Racing (MWR) as a recent example.
But for every MWR, there are hundreds of teams that are but a footnote in NASCAR history, but even footnotes are worth reading.
NASCAR Defunct: Team Red Bull.
The extremely successful energy drink corporation owned by Austrian Dietrich Mateschitz expressed interest in NASCAR in 2005, the same year they begin their Formula 1 race team.
2006: The Foundation.
In January, Mateschitz purchases Roger Penske’s 425,000 square foot racing facility in Mooresville, North Carolina.
Brian Vickers announces his decision to join the team starting in 2007 after three years at Hendrick Motorsports. He will drive the No. 83.
"“I think they are going to bring new ideas, new concepts into our sport that they have learned from other forms of racing around the world. The sponsor is the team. That’s kind of a new concept for our sport. And it’s a clean sheet of paper. We have seen the clean sheet of paper concept work very well for a lot of teams including the 24 way back when, the 48, it worked real well for those guys.”–Vickers, June 2006"
Champ Car driver A.J. Allmendinger makes the move from open-wheel racing to pilot the No. 84 car.
The team attempts to qualify in three races, failing to do so each time.
2007: Growing Pains.
Along with MWR and Bill Davis Racing, Team Red Bull will drive the new Toyota Camry in the makes first year in the series.
Both drivers fail to qualify for the Daytona 500. By season’s end, Vickers misses 13 races on speed, Allmendinger 19.
The No. 83 team provides the biggest highlights of the year, scoring a 10th place finish in the second race of the year in California, and a season best fifth place in the Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte.
For the rookie driver, 15th place at the fall race in Charlotte is his season’s best.
2008: Improvements
Kevin Hamlin takes over as crew chief of the No. 83, bringing his experience gained from working with Dale Earnhardt Sr., Jeff Burton, and Kevin Harvick.
Allmendinger continues to struggle on qualifying day, missing the first three races of the year. He is temporarily replaced by veteran Mike Skinner, who starts the next five races for the team. His best finish is a 27th in Atlanta.
With Allmendinger back in the seat, the No. 84 team wins the Sprint Showdown in Charlotte. He also scores the first top-10 finish of his career in the Brickyard 400 (10th), and follows that up with another at Kansas (ninth).
Vickers and Hamlin find chemistry as they score back-to-back top-five finishes at Pocono and Michigan midway through the season, including a runner-up at the former. They end the season with three top-fives and six top-10s.
Allmendinger announces his departure from the team after two seasons, moving over to Richard Petty Motorsports. Scott Speed, a former Red Bull F1 driver, steps in to drive the final four races of the year in the No. 83 car. He qualifies second and finishes a respectable 16th at the season finale at Homestead.
2009: Welcome to the Chase
His third full year with the team finds Vickers, along with new crew chief Ryan Pemberton, developing a groove.
The No. 83 team heats up in the summer months. Beginning with the night race at Daytona, they rack up seven top-10 finishes in nine races, including the organization’s first ever Sprint Cup win coming at Michigan International Speedway.
Vickers earns six poles, four top-fives, and 14 top-10s on his way to the Chase. In the final 10 races, the No. 83 team’s best finish is an 11th at Louden and Martinsville, finishing 12th in the driver’s standings.
2010: Medical Woes
Any hopes of capitalizing on a strong 2009 season come to an end for Vickers when he gets sidelined with medical issues after only 11 races. The No. 83 team uses a rotating door of drivers to finish out the rest of the year including Casey Mears, Reed Sorenson, Mattias Ekstrom, and Boris Said.
Kasey Kahne drives the last five races in the car, scoring a pole and a sixth place finish at Homestead. He will race full-time for the team in 2011 in a one-year deal.
Speed shows little improvement in this sophomore year, with another lone top-10 coming at the summer race in Daytona. He finishes 30th in driver’s standings and is let go at the end of the year.
In return, he files suit against Red Bull Racing for $6.5 million, citing breach of contract.
"“They can’t say ‘We’ll give you three more years’ and then at the end of the season say ‘Just kidding.’ They think they have a way of getting out of my contract. I think they’re crazy.” –Speed, Dec. 2011."
The two eventually settle out of court.
2011: Goodbye
Vickers returns to drive the No. 83. Kahne pilots the No. 4 car.
The former Evernham Motorsports driver scores 15 top-10s, including a win at Phoenix at the end of the year.
Rumors abound that Red Bull will leave NASCAR at the end of the year, and in June the team confirm their departure.
"“They never really had the level of success (in NASCAR) that I’m sure they were hoping for. And on the flip side, you have enormous success around Formula One. I’d probably say it’s a combination of both, and I’m not sure there was ever the same level of excitement and passion (for NASCAR). (Red Bull owner) Dietrich (Mateschitz) is a winner, and he’s not going to go on forever if he doesn’t get the results.”- Zak Brown, founder and CEO of Just Marketing"
Conclusions:
And just like that, they were gone. One day they are giving drivers wings, the next they are giving them the slip. Now they are just a NASCAR Defunct.
Team Red Bull NASCAR Stats: 2007-2011
Races: 324
Wins: 2
Top Fives: 20
Top 10s: 56
Poles: 10
Average Finish: 22.94
Total Laps Led: 887
DNFs: 45
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