Not that anyone was gonna pick him anyway, but....

Red Bull Racing Team has confirmed that veteran NASCAR driver Mike Skinner will temporarily replace AJ Allmendinger in the #84 Red Bull Camry in the Sprint Cup Series effective this weekend at Atlanta Motor Speedway. Skinner, a Craftsman Truck Series champion, currently races full-time in the #5 Toyota Tundra. "Were at a crossroads where we need to make a change that will elevate the #84 team to success, said VP and General Manager Jay Frye. AJs our guy and hes a talented driver, but theres a lot being asked of him. In order for him to be successful, we have to get this team pointed in the right direction. We hope we can do that with the help of a veteran driver. Skinners history with Red Bull Racing Team dates back to 2006 when he served as a test driver for the team. Skinners history with Allmendinger also dates back to 2006, when he mentored teammate Allmendinger during the rookies part-time ride with Bill Davis Racing NCTS team. Frye hopes with the help of Skinner, that RBRT will have the program turned around and the ride returned to Allmendinger in no time. AJ Allmendinger, #84 Red Bull Driver said: Lets not kid ourselves; Im a racer and I want to be racing, but I get the big picture here and obviously we need to improve our program. Do I want to be out of the car? No. But, I know Skinner can help both me and my team. All I can say is he better be prepared for me to eat, drink, and sleep with him. Ok, well maybe not the sleeping part, but Im ready to attach myself to him and learn everything I can. Mike Skinner, Substitute #84 Driver: The first time I ever met AJ, I took an immediate liking to him. Hes not just a great personality; he also has a remarkable amount of talent. He took on a huge challenge jumping into stock cars last year, and Im glad I can be the one to help him and his team figure out where the glitches are in their program. This is a positive thing for AJ as a learning experience, for the Red Bull Racing Team to get back on track, and for me to have the opportunity to help another Toyota team that has great equipment and potential.(Red Bull Racing PR)(3-3-2008).



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