A.J. Almendinger / NCTS. 1st Start l

[Tyyrus]

Just a quick comment as to A.J.'s race effort tonight , quite a showing for this youngster ! Last Place to 13th . I remember seeing him in the "Atlantic Series"  with Andrew Ranger & Graham Rahal , but never imagined him fast-pathing to the Nascar Circuit. Good to see Young North American Driver's  progress outside their intial disiipline of Open Wheel to the rigors of the Stock Car Ranks.  I hope he sticks with it  , progressing on to Busch & Cup Rides eventually !  Look out... Nascar you have another Young Gun on the Horrizon......Ty !

[KurtBuschFan]

Sorry this is a few weeks late, but I didn't notice your post until now.  I was very impressed with A.J.'s efforts....he did incredible.  I'm looking forward to big things from him!

[Tyyrus]

   HEY A.J. DID IT AGAIN ! 5TH PLACE @ THE '' BIG T '' MAN !!!  PRETTY IMPRESSIVE...EH !!!

[KurtBuschFan]

That was something else....he did really well...and at Talladega even.  I expected him to struggle there.

[sweetwahine]

Keep it up AJ

[flamehothead]

I really think that AJ will do really well. He seem's to have a good head on his shoulder's. I don't think it will be a crash fest that other open wheeler's may cause.

[Tyyrus]

I totally agree FHH really great personality , very technical driver & very much  levelheaded..Baby !!

                                         

[Chris]

Well,.. we'll see how he does in his first CUP attempt next week in Atlanta...
Curious that a "start up" team that is having 'growing pains', is just learning the ropes, etc would put in a guys who knows nothing about racing a CUP car.

Looks like a sure way to post a DNQ to me,....  hhuummm
Red Bull only trying three races this fall,.. and a shame to miss them and learn NOTHING for next season.
Bill missed last week,.. by 1/100 of a second.  Too bad; would of been good for the team to get some experience.  Seems like they would of Stayed with Elliott at one of his Favorite tracks,.. instead of making a step or two backwards.
Confusing.

[Tyyrus]

Awe Come on now Chris ! Whats your Point...Man ! Like what Did Denny Hamlin Know about Cup until this Year?? Or David Reuitiman or Yada..Yada..Yada. The Kid has Talent ! Shown it in numerous Racing Series
and will get his feet wet in Nascar's Elite Division ! If he falls on his face...fine ! I,am betting he will pick himself up , dust himself off  like the determined young gentleman he has demonstrated he is to date. Kinda sounds like your showin a little "Sour Grapes" for fellow Georgian "Dawsonville Bill"...Baby !  Red Bull is looking long Term for Devolpment Drivers and apparently Almindinger...is a candidate with potential for the future...Ty  !

[Chris]

No Ty.. Dude... You totally missed the point.
What I was trying to say was you don't just hop out of an IRL or Champ car into a CUP car and run well.
They are two ENTIRELY different beast.
Sure AJ has done good in his Champ car,.. but then all his wins have come on ROAD courses, (with only 16-18 competitors) and like I said a Champ car nothing like a CUP car.
I'd be REAL surprised if he even MAKES the field at Atlanta.
I'd say Bill will qualify better in the #37 car then AJ will in the #83 car... anyone want to disagree... and the #37 has missed a BUNCH of races this season.

My point was they had a driver with a inexperienced team - no high talented crew members, to my recollection a crew chief that had little (if any) experience and when Elliott drove for them at Lowes they had problems because the car and team needed some help learning the ropes.

NOW they got a new kid,.. NEVER sat in a CUP car before,.. and a new team too boot...
I'd still say he'll be lucky to make the field.
If he does,... eh, good on ya

When you got a new team with no experience,.. you need a driver to "carry" the team,.. thats WHY they asked Elliott to help them out for 3 races to start with.  He did a pretty good job.  Looked like to me maybe the crew let him down.
If the driver don't have any experience,.. can't tell the crief chief what the car needs in the way of adjustments, etc... IMO the car/team will have no chance.

[Tyyrus]

I,am afraid , I must beg to differ Christopher ! The Jest of this Original Post was too "Point Out" the Progress of a very Promising Talent. Yes , Open Wheel & Stock Cars are two very different forms of Racing. But having Semi-Professionally Raced Moto-Cross & Enduro in Two Wheeled Discipline and also Professionally Raced Snowmobiles througout North America back in the Day , I think I can reason out the rather suttle Differences.  Not much unlike Professional  Billiards & Snooker...Man !  Oh by the way Chris CTS. sucess not  withstanding , I know A.J. has done substantial Testing previously in both Busch & Cup Cars. So to sum up my
points , yes he does have Marginal experience in Nascar , but as I have stated , I really don,t feel "Red-Bull" is worried about Atlanta or 2006 for that matter! There loooking forward to 2007 , and wish to gauge A.J's tallent level in the Elite Nascar Level. As far as Bill Elliott , yes any New Team can benefit from the vast knowledge and experience of such a Veteran (on & off) the Track..but times runnin out , so they are going with the Younster for at least this race. Oh , and for Charlotte , yes I agree 100% that the Team and not Mr. Elliott prevented the Team from Qualifying . I would hope Bill would actively remain in 2007 as Mark has done previously with Roush , as a mentor for the Young Driver's of Red-Bull .

P.S. Chris other than the above two wheeled and snowmobile series , I have in my youth also competed in the normal local short track series of Stock / Super Stock / Open-Wheeled Modified Divisions. Unfortunately my dedication to my 1st love of "Hockey" Precluded my attention to any long term committment to any form of Racing Hands On , but has not altered my Interest or Knowledge of these Sports..Baby !.  So to reiterate , I don,t normally miss the Point very Often due to attention or experience...My Cordial Regards..Ty !!

[Chris]

thats cool...
love someone thats been active in racing.

We'll see how AJ does.  I wish him well.  He my raise a few eyebrowes.
You make some good points, and all are correct.

How much difficulty AJ has in making the field this weekend just MAY be a matter of how MANY entries there are and WHO is in those cars.  There's been 50+ cars the last few weeks, and thats kinda normal for this time of the year.
I know T Labonte is supposed to run, so that automatically takes one spot away,.. and that only leaves 7 spots for everyone else.  Elliott is running, as is Todd Bodine.  Don't know what all "extra" go or go home cars will be on hand.
Just the normal guys I can think of will be:
Waltrip, Petty, Kvapil, K Wallace, Bliss....
just "guessing" there will also be Lepage, Skinner, Ragan, and maybe Menard.
Thats 11 pretty good cars/driver combos.  Labonte is automatically "in" already,.. so just the folks I listed,... you got 10 "good" semi regulars going for 7 spots.
AJ may run well and make it.  I just think he's got a tough row to hoe.

[Tyyrus]

Hey Chris nothins ever guaranteed .. Man ! Lookit what happened to "Awesome Bill From Dawsonville" & that Cat can Flatout Drive the Wheels off any Car ! I just think the Kid deserves a look see. Thanks for your
 Secondary Objectivity.. Bro ! It has not been Lost on  Irish    Ty !     

[Chris]

oh no,.. I agree...
Kids gotta be able to drive.  Don't win 5 times in any top series in a year (even indy cars) if you can't wheel a car.
I'd love to see him get a ride... always room for everyone.
Red Bull is still looking for a full time driver for it's 2nd car... you never know he may fill the seat.
I'm sure thats why they are giving him a look this weekend.

Montoya coming in,... Paul Tracy is looking at a part time ride,... Sam Hornish has been testing a Penske car and he plans to run some BGN and ARCA races next season... Roush is working on finalizing plans to put former Indy 500 champion and F-1 star Jacques Villeneuve in a Ford for several Busch Series races next year...
I can see AJ getting a ride if he performs with all these other guys being looked at also.
Gee,.. it's getting crowded over in the CUP series....

[Chris]

hhuumm I see only 48 entries this week...
Also see T Labonte is NOT entered... They had said at Lowes that he WAS running Lowes, Atlanta, and Texas,... Maybe he opted out of Atlanta since Atl, and Tex is back to back...
I guess Bill will get the past Champ provisional since he is the only past Champ entered,...

No Menard entered either....
49 total entries (Ragan not on the list yet,.. but I am sure he should be added late)

If AJ does ANYTHING he should be able to outrun,... Cope, Shelmerdine, and Chaffin.
He still needs to outrun three of:
Waltrip, Petty, Kvapil, K Wallace, Bliss, Lepage, Skinner, Ragan, Bodine.

Sounds like a case like at Lowes.  Unless the crew learned a WHOLE lot,.. the driver may have to carry the car,.. and since the other guys race every week and know how to adjust these cars, it could be an uphill struggle for Red Bull.
I'm not knocking the guy,.. just pointing out what a struggle it's gonna be for the team... and if he DOES make the field,.. how much an accomplishment he HAS made.  Folks that ain't done it,.. they just don't have a clue how tough it is to get IN the race,.. let alone finish a race, and then to even be competative, or try and finish on the lead lap.  Thats why I think this Ragan kid is doing so well.  Yeah some folks gave him hell yesterday,.. but he hung in there, despite everything, brought the car home in one piece and on the lead lap, in ONLY his 2nd cup start,.. and at a place like Martinsville.

ONE POSITIVE NOTE,.. at least Lowes is very similar to Atlanta,.. so that will help in the set up and adjustments of AJ's race car.