CHARLOTTE, N.C. - A.J. Allmendinger became the latest open-wheel defector
Tuesday when the Champ Car driver signed a deal to drive for Team Red Bull in
NASCAR.
In this Aug. 14, 2005 file photo,
A.J. Allmendinger holds the third place trophy on the podium at the Denver
Grand Prix in Denver. Allmendinger became the latest open-wheel defector
Tuesday when the Champ Car driver signed a deal to drive for Team Red Bull
in NASCAR. [AP] |
Allmendinger, who turns 25 in December, signed a multiyear deal to drive the
No. 84 Camry to complete TRB's two-car lineup. Brian Vickers announced in June
he was joining the team.
Allmendinger will attempt to make his Nextel Cup debut on Sunday at Atlanta
Motor Speedway. He received clearance from NASCAR to race on a superspeedway
late Tuesday.
"A.J. has the talent, guts and ambition to be successful in any form of
motorsports," TRB general manager Marty Gaunt said. "He has proven to be one of
America's top young race car drivers in open-wheel racing, and we are confident
he can accomplish the same in stock car racing over time."
A former Toyota Atlantic champion and former Champ Car rookie of the year,
Allmendinger kick-started his career earlier this season when he was fired by
the RuSport team. He was snapped up within days by Forsythe Championship Racing
and scored his first career victory that weekend.
He went on to win three straight, and five overall this season, and is
currently second in the Champ Car standings with one race remaining.
"I'm really excited about this next challenge in my racing career,"
Allmendinger said. "To race against some of the best drivers in the world in
front of fans that are as enthusiastic about racing as I am is going to be a
pretty big thrill."
Allmendinger began exploring his options in NASCAR late this summer, and ran
two Truck Series events for Bill Davis Racing. He finished 13th in New Hampshire
in September and was fifth earlier this month at Talladega.
Red Bull officials kept tabs on his efforts, then chose him to join Vickers
as the fresh faces of their upstart organization. The team also hired crew chief
Rick Viers, who guided Allmendinger during the two truck races.
TRB is one of three teams that will field Toyotas next season in the
automaker's debut, but TRB is the only one starting from scratch.
"I know this is going to be a lot of work in the upcoming months, but I
couldn't be happier to do it with Team Red Bull," Allmendinger said. "Hopefully,
we can all go out and deliver a good show."
His signing is somewhat surprising because many in the industry had predicted
the team would tab a veteran driver to partner with the 23-year-old Vickers.
Because the team is starting from scratch and won't have any owner points at the
start of the 2007 season, both cars theoretically could miss the season-opening
Daytona 500.
Allmendinger's move to NASCAR is also a blow to the struggling Champ Car
series. He was one of the budding stars of the open-wheel series, and its only
American driver. Team owner Jerry Forsythe had offered Allmendinger a multiyear
contract extension with a sizable raise and options, but the driver is believed
to have received considerably more guaranteed money from Red Bull officials.
"To me, it's good and it's bad," said Paul Tracy, Allmendinger's teammate
with Forsythe Championship Racing and a longtime mentor who first worked with
him in go-karts.
"I know Jerry is upset over it. He kind of bailed A.J. out when he was
jobless and he's hurt about the way everything was handled by A.J.'s new
management team."
Tracy, one of several Champ Car drivers who have ventured into NASCAR with
only limited success, said he wishes Allmendinger well in his new ride.
"I wish him luck," said the former series champion. "I hope he succeeds. He
certainly has the desire and ability to be a success there. And Champ Car is
going to survive without him. We've had guys come and go before, and the series
has a lot of good, young drivers, like Graham Rahal and (Simon) Pagenaud coming
up from Atlantics next year."
TRB had been scheduled to field a Dodge for Bill Elliott in a three-race
trial run aimed at practicing pit stops and getting at-track experience. But
they asked Elliott, who failed to qualify the car at Charlotte two weeks ago, to
step aside and allow Allmendinger to run at Atlanta and Texas. Allmendinger is
also entered in Saturday's truck series event at Atlanta.
Allmendinger will join Formula One star Juan Pablo Montoya as open-wheelers
in NASCAR next season. Montoya, a former champion in Champ Car and Indianapolis
500 winner, is making his NASCAR debut in Saturday's Busch race in Memphis and
will run a full Nextel Cup schedule next season.
