The
Red Bull Racing team has decided to try and break the run of poor performances dogging its #84 Toyota Camry by replacing the inexperienced AJ Allmendinger with NASCAR veteran Mike Skinner.
The team stresses that the substitution is a temporary one, with Champ Car convert Allmendinger still its long-term programme, but Skinner will take over behind the wheel from this weekend's event at Atlanta Motor Speedway. The Craftsman Truck regular has become something of a 'supersub' in recent weeks, having been listed, along with Johnny Benson, as one of the replacements for Jacques Villeneuve at Bill Davis Racing. His secondment to the Red Bull should mean that Benson takes over the #27 which Skinner qualified fifth in Las Vegas last weekend for round four of the Sprint Cup season.
"We're 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, AJ'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.
Skinner's history with Red Bull Racing dates back to 2006, when he served as a test driver for the team, while he also has close ties to the man he is replacing, having mentored Allmendinger during the rookie's part-time ride with Bill Davis Racing's NCTS team.
The first time I ever met AJ, I took an immediate liking to him," the veteran said, clearly regretting the circumstances surrounding his appointment to the race team, "He's 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 I'm glad I can be the one to help him and his team figure out where the glitches are in their programme. 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.
![Mike Skinner - MB2 Motorsports [pic credit: CIA Stock Photo, Inc]](http://pix.crash.net/thumbs/64907.jpg )
