xsiveone

Allmendinger makes the move to NASCAR

Champ Car openwheel racing star AJ Allmendinger made the official move to NASCAR Nextel Cup Series today. Rumours have been rampant that the young racer would end up in the top-level stock car series for months while he chased Sebastien Bourdais for the Champ Car World Series title this year.

"I'm really excited about this next challenge in my racing career," commented Allmendinger. "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."

Bourdais wrapped up the CCWS championship this past weekend in Australia, today Team Red Bull formally made the announcements that the American will make the switch in 2007 to pilot their Toyota Camry entry.

"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. Hopefully, we can all go out and deliver a good show," Allmendinger added.

Allmendinger competed in two NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series events this season under the tutelage of Rick Viers with Bill Davis Racing. Viers will move to the new Cup team with Allmendinger as his crew chief along with earlier-signed Cup driver Brian Vickers.

"I see a huge amount of potential in AJ. On the racetrack, he's smart, patient and definitely not afraid to race. For the first half of next year, AJ must use his patience to learn as much as he can before moving forward in the second half," Viers said. "Hopefully, he'll be a solid rookie of the year candidate by year's end."

The 2003 Toyota champion moved to Champ Car with his Atlantic championship team RuSPORT in 2004, earning the Rookie of the Yer title. Allmendinger will see out his second season in Champ Car currently holding second in the standings with five victories -- all with Forsythe Championship Racing -- the team he joined just prior to the Portland event, site of his first win. He has once more chance to notch his final Champ Car victory in Mexico City.

Bill Elliott has stepped aside for the Atlanta and Texas events this year to allow Allmendinger a chance to get acclimated in Cup racing.

"AJ has the talent, guts and ambition to be successful in any form of motorsports. 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," stated Marty Gaunt, VP of Team Red Bull.

http://www.motorsport.com/news/artic...&FS=NASCAR-CUP

John Shiels

they will be calling me to drive in CCWS as they near the bottom of the list What are the differences in money? Now if Danica P. was a good driver in NASCAR the sky for the $$$ would be the limit. He was doing good in open wheel.

Bink

Red Bull - Flush with cash. Enhanced sugar water has huge margins. Dieter lured Adrian Newey with his money - sad that Bobby Rahal couldn't.

Jeff Gordon's NASCAR earnings have surpassed 80 million dollars. That's race earnings - not sponsorship, marketing, memorabilia, or car ownership deals.

Rogue Leader

Thanks for selling out AJ.......

Falcon

Not many of us would turn down a BIG pay increase.

ghoffman

The CART/IRL pissing contest killed Indy cars so why not go where people actually pay to see you race.

Bink

Tony George ......idiot.

Kanmer

IMHO NASCAR still sucks. I was a huge fan. I lived for sat and sun. They ruined that too. Cookie cutter cars. Cookie cutter tracks. Don't let the drivers show any emotion. They damn near have to have a prepared victory speech in their firesuits. Its worse than "Professional Wrestling". So & so is about to go a lap down and lose XXX points, quick throw the caution and say there's debris on the track.

Bob

acrace

I *think* that it was through a Robin Miller column, but I may be wrong. Anyway, saw something on the economics earlier this week. Allmendinger was paid $200k a year from RuSport. Red Bull was for $9 million for three years. Forsythe originally offered five years at an unspecified amount, at an increase above RuSport, but not even close to Red Bull. Then Gerry offered three years, but still not even close to Red Bull's offer.

VetteDrmr

I don't think that's fair. Consider a similar scenario: You're a hot-shot software developer for Apple, coming straight out of college at a entry-level wage. Apple only guarentees your employment for one year.

Towards the end of that year, you've created the I-pod software. Microsoft notices, and offers you 15 times the money to come work for them. You go to Apple, and they say, "hey, kid, we'll give you a 10% bonus."

Now, if you make the switch, are you "selling out?" AJ, if he's smart financially, will be financially independent in ONE year (assuming $3M / year).

I wish him well (and am looking forward to watching him race).

Have a good one,
Mike

John Shiels

more races and I am sure more work with sponsors also. More money how can you blame a young guy? The money difference is HUGE

micro

Around 101,000 spectators were at the Champ Car street course race in Gold Coast City, Queensland Australia over the weekend.

http://motorsport.com/news/article.a...72&FS=CHAMPCAR

Over 62,000 people were at the Edmonton Grand Prix this year.

http://www.speedtv.com/articles/auto/champcar/29408/

Pacific Coast Motorsports will race two Panoz DP01s in Champ Car next year.

http://motorsport.com/news/article.a...86&FS=CHAMPCAR

NASCAR is sucking all the air out of the room.

The part about Danica Patrick in NASCAR hasn't come true. She signed in July with Andretti Green Racing for 2007.

http://www.speedtv.com/commentary/28732/

micro

There's more passion related to OW racing than computers, imo. He won't be considered "for real" now that he has switched to nascrap.

Nascar CoT vs Panoz DP01:

http://www.racingpress.com/publish/tjcot091206.shtml

1992 Indy 500

VetteDrmr

Not to Mac owners! The saddest thing to me is the shadow OW racing is today compared to 15 years ago. Thanks a bunch, TG!

micro

True, but Champ Car won't be stagnate next year.

Article with Champ Car's Kevin Kalkhoven

http://www.autoweek.com/apps/pbcs.dl...otorsportsNews

The IRL has a contract with Honda until 2009, but they aren't going into new markets.

Bink

You can't argue with success. Nascar is very successful.
Open wheel is near death in the USA - check the TV ratings.
It will be a long time before we see a resurgence. Fans are needed to support the advertising budgets - expenditures. Open wheel racing is a niche in the USA.
Very sad.......I love open wheel road racing.

John Shiels

Nascar TV ratings are dropping and stands are no longer sold out at many tracks. Not surprising with the ticket prices

ghoffman

I was the biggest Indy car fan back then, then the split killed my interest. As I have said before, it is really, really sad that there is more car diversity in NASCAR than whatever OW is called these days. At least NASCAR has different engines built by the teams (although that is not saying much). Want to know part of the problem with OW racing? The marketing job is very tough because the message is cloudy. We are calling it OW racing on this forum because none of us know what the heck to even call it. Are we referring to the CCWS, or IRL? When we stopped calling it "Indy cars" because there was only one series, it died. Now, having a big Spec Racer Ford will do nothing for me, no innovation equals no interest.
In NASCAR, the "Chase" is not working and since NASCAR is the ultimate Jerry McGuire story, that will change. Last year you had 2 of the popular guys not even in it, Gordon, Jr. and now no Stewart. That does not sell tickets or enhance your TV market share.

VetteDrmr

Gary, that's a great observation. If *we* don't know what to call it, how in the world is John Q. Public going to identify with it?

micro

Did you read this article?

http://www.autoweek.com/apps/pbcs.dl...otorsportsNews

Panoz builds the new DP01 Champ Car, not Ford. Bridgestone makes the tires, not Ford. Cosworth makes the engine, not Ford and they haven't owned them since 2004.

http://www.champcarworldseries.com/oneof/2006/chassis/

Champ Car isn't F1 and even F1 will have frozen engine technology until 2010.

http://motorsport.com/news/article.asp?ID=236429&FS=F1