Red Bull Racing announced Monday that Mike Skinner temporarily will replace A.J. Allmendinger as driver of the No. 84 Toyota in the Sprint Cup Series, effective this weekend at Atlanta.
"We're at a crossroads where we need to make a change that will elevate the No. 84 team to success," said Jay Frye, the team's vice president and general manager. "A.J.'s our guy and he's a talented driver, but there's 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."
SkinnerAllmendinger failed to qualify at Las Vegas, making him 0-for-3 on the season. Teammate Brian Vickers has made all three races in the No. 83 Red Bull car.
Skinner, who won the inaugural Craftsman Truck Series championship in 1995, currently drives the No. 5 Toyota for Bill Davis Racing in the NCTS. Skinner served as a test driver for Red Bull in 2006.
"Let's not kid ourselves," Allmendinger said. "I'm 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 I'm ready to attach myself to him and learn everything I can."
Skinner has 246 starts in the Cup Series, the majority coming between 1997 and 2003. His best finish was a second-place run at Talladega on April 16, 2000. Skinner has 10 top-five finishes and 39 top-10s.
Skinner also mentored Allmendinger during the rookie's part-time ride with Bill Davis Racing's NCTS team in 2006.
"[Allmendinger] took on a huge challenge jumping into stock cars last year, and I'm glad I can be the one to help him and his team figure out where the glitches are in their program," Skinner said.
"This is a positive thing for A.J. 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."
Allmendinger is in just his second season of NASCAR after a successful open-wheel career. The 25-year-old left the Champ Car Series to drive for Red Bull, and the team gave him a Cup ride he perhaps wasn't prepared for.
He qualified for 17 of 36 races last season, and his best finish was a 15th at Charlotte in October.
Red Bull is also working on securing seat time for Allmendinger in Nationwide Series and Truck Series races to help his adaptation to NASCAR. Options in the Nationwide Series are rides in a Joe Gibbs Racing or Chip Ganassi car, and there could be some seat time available in a truck owned by Billy Ballew.
"He needs seat time, there's no question about that," Frye said. "But it takes time to put it altogether and we're working on it. We want A.J. in as many races as we can get him into, and we want him to gain as much experience as he can."
"We're at a crossroads where we need to make a change that will elevate the No. 84 team to success," said Jay Frye, the team's vice president and general manager. "A.J.'s our guy and he's a talented driver, but there's 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."
SkinnerAllmendinger failed to qualify at Las Vegas, making him 0-for-3 on the season. Teammate Brian Vickers has made all three races in the No. 83 Red Bull car.
Skinner, who won the inaugural Craftsman Truck Series championship in 1995, currently drives the No. 5 Toyota for Bill Davis Racing in the NCTS. Skinner served as a test driver for Red Bull in 2006.
"Let's not kid ourselves," Allmendinger said. "I'm 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 I'm ready to attach myself to him and learn everything I can."
Skinner has 246 starts in the Cup Series, the majority coming between 1997 and 2003. His best finish was a second-place run at Talladega on April 16, 2000. Skinner has 10 top-five finishes and 39 top-10s.
Skinner also mentored Allmendinger during the rookie's part-time ride with Bill Davis Racing's NCTS team in 2006.
"[Allmendinger] took on a huge challenge jumping into stock cars last year, and I'm glad I can be the one to help him and his team figure out where the glitches are in their program," Skinner said.
"This is a positive thing for A.J. 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."
Allmendinger is in just his second season of NASCAR after a successful open-wheel career. The 25-year-old left the Champ Car Series to drive for Red Bull, and the team gave him a Cup ride he perhaps wasn't prepared for.
He qualified for 17 of 36 races last season, and his best finish was a 15th at Charlotte in October.
Red Bull is also working on securing seat time for Allmendinger in Nationwide Series and Truck Series races to help his adaptation to NASCAR. Options in the Nationwide Series are rides in a Joe Gibbs Racing or Chip Ganassi car, and there could be some seat time available in a truck owned by Billy Ballew.
"He needs seat time, there's no question about that," Frye said. "But it takes time to put it altogether and we're working on it. We want A.J. in as many races as we can get him into, and we want him to gain as much experience as he can."
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