“The Team Red Bull Wants To Forget About”: Despite Max Verstappen’s Insane Success, NASCAR Fans Bring Back Sour 15-Year-Old Memory of the Energy Drink Giant’s Tragic Stock Car Entry
Follow Us
When one thinks of dominance in Formula 1, the name that comes to mind is Red Bull. All the drivers and race engineers on the grid have poured in their hearts and souls just to surpass that dominant RB19, driven by the reigning world champion, Max Verstappen, but to no avail. However, despite a dominant streak in F1 and defeating the legend Jimmie Johnson in 2009 in front of 110,000 people, the Austrian energy drink giant’s venture into NASCAR was set to be doomed by the end of 2011 as many things didn’t go the Red Bull’s way.
Red Bull’s tragic entry into the realm of stock car racing
Known for propelling motorsports to extreme levels, the energy drink manufacturer ventured into NASCAR more than a decade ago, in 2007, with Brian Vickers and AJ Allmendinger at the wheel. However, shortly into the season, the team that Red Bull sponsored experienced major setbacks as Vickers qualified in only 13 races out of 36 and AJ in only 17 races. But Red Bull didn’t stop there and hoped for a better 2008, following which they brought in Scott Speed from their F1 team to replace Allmendinger.
ADVERTISEMENT
Article continues below this ad
Despite bringing in Scott, the results didn’t portray a promising fate for the Austrian company, and they settled with only one race win in the entire 2009 season and eventually pulled out of the league by the end of 2011, a pretty dismaying fate for someone who has unparalleled dominance in other arenas.
While the exact reason behind Red Bull’s tragic exit from the stock car remains unknown, the fans took the charge to put forth theories and seldom take a jibe at the energy drink magnate for trying to be a jack of all trades.
Fans unveil their theories behind Red Bull’s short-lived NASCAR dream
ADVERTISEMENT
Article continues below this ad
Trending
Joe Gibbs Racing Warn Rick Hendrick Camp Against Underestimating Desperate Underdogs
April 30, 2024 10:48 PM EDT
“That’s What Dale Earnhardt Did”—NASCAR Veteran Dissects Rick Hendrick’s Call to Commit Financially Behind HMS Star
May 01, 2024 04:48 AM EDT
Denny Hamlin Reveals the Harsh Reality That Awaits NASCAR At the End of 2024 – “We Just Wouldn’t Show up”
May 02, 2024 06:55 AM EDT
Kevin Harvick Rejects Kyle Larson’s Ineffective Solution, Condemning Over-Hyped NASCAR Controversy
May 01, 2024 06:07 PM EDT
Next-Gen Stats Sell Out Richard Childress’ Disgruntled Grandson as Riled Up Fans Beg to Preserve Dale Earnhardt’s Legacy
April 30, 2024 07:55 AM EDT
Get instantly notified of the hottest NASCAR stories via Google! Click on Follow Us and Tap the Blue Star.
Follow Us
As fans dug through the press releases and several tweets that could lead them in a conclusive direction, they came up with theories of their own. However, few of the fans grabbed the opportunity to take a jibe at the team for their catastrophic NASCAR feat.
One fan believed that the billion-dollar energy drink maker tried to buy their way into NASCAR but failed miserably and commented, “They thought they could buy wins. Had hired some of the best but wanted to use young inexperienced drivers for their brand image and just didn’t work out. Lot more to it but that’s the one sentence summary.”
Another fan expressed what the Austrian company would be thinking about their 15-year-old decision and wrote, “The team Red Bull wants to forget about.“
ADVERTISEMENT
Article continues below this ad
Watch This Story: Jimmie Johnson’s Humble Tribute to Racing Legends
However, one fan portrayed optimism about the future of Red Bull in NASCAR and wrote, “Red Bull would probably end up starting a team again.” Red Bull’s 2007 decision to ace stock car racing failed miserably. But a lot of time has passed since then, and the Austrian team has a wider array of resources for motorsports than it ever had. Do you think Red Bull has another shot at NASCAR, or would they prioritize F1?
Edited by:
Shivali Nathta