Mike Skinner ready to roll for Red Bull Racing
CONCORD, N.C. – Mike Skinner says he may make a couple more starts in the No. 84 Toyota of Red Bull Racing before the end of the NASCAR Sprint Cup season.
The team, which Skinner drove for in five races earlier this year while serving as mentor for AJ Allmendinger, announced on Tuesday that it would part ways with Allmendinger at end of the season.
Scott Speed, who was testing Red Bull’s No. 82 car Tuesday at Lowe’s Motor Speedway in preparation for making a Cup start later this year, is considered the top candidate for the No. 84.
Allmendinger will be in the car for this weekend’s race at Kansas Speedway, but his status for the rest of the season is uncertain.
“If we run a race or two, then that’s fine,” said Skinner, who was testing the car during Tuesday’s test at Lowe’s. “I think that their vision is – I really don’t know. But I think that Scott Speed is somebody they’re really wanting to develop and get going, and Scott’s done a phenomenal job this year, so we’ll just have to see what happens.”
Skinner said he was confident that Allmendinger, who is in his second full season with the team, would land a ride elsewhere for next season.
“I’d say his prospects are real good,” said Skinner, who drives full time in the Craftsman Truck Series for Bill Davis Racing. “He’s got youth on his side. Now he’s got a little seat time on his side. When he got thrown in this thing, he had no seat time.
“Man, he was doomed before he ever started. Now he’s got some experience, he’s run up front. He’s been to victory lane in a non-points race. He knows how to get there now.”
Despite showing some improvements since being benched earlier in the year, Allmendinger has just one top-10 finish. The former Champ Car Series driver won the non-points-paying Sprint Showdown at Charlotte in May.
“I think AJ’s done a phenomenal job,” Skinner said. “Maybe it was too little, too late. I don’t know. I think he’s done a good job. I think Red Bull has their sights and their visions of where they want to go, what they want to do. None of that’s up to me.
"But it’s been fun working with the Red Bull team, and I hope to work with them for a long time, whether it be with Scott or with AJ or just trying to be a little bit of a go-between, help testing or do whatever I can do for them. It’s been a great relationship.”
