The return of Red Bull and the brand's tumultuous NASCAR journey

Red Bull, in today’s age, is more than just an energy drink company — it’s established a global motorsport monarchy. While likely best known for its accomplishments in Formula 1, the brand has made a domineering appearance on a number of racing kits and liveries from the paved racing of MotoGP, DTM and Australian Supercars, to the dirt circuits of Motocross. But the company also had a short, and important history in the world of stock car racing. Unfortunately for Red Bull, this specific chapter in its relationship with NASCAR is one defined by heartbreak and unfulfilled potential. 

Near wins and a lot of misses

Red Bull started dipping its toes into NASCAR in 2005, sponsoring Robby Gordon in two Xfinity races (Mexico City and Watkins Glen). Gordon nearly won with his Red Bull-sponsored car at The Glen too, finishing second. Yet, the brand’s vision went far beyond the role of being just a sponsor. In 2006, one year after launching their F1 team, Red Bull officially established its NASCAR organization.

The first attempt of Red Bull co-founder Dietrich Mateschitz to enter a Cup race proved unsuccessful, despite having former Cup Series champion Bill Elliott behind the wheel. Elliott failed to qualify his Red Bull Dodge for the fall race at Charlotte Motor Speedway. While unfortunate, the outfit’s plans for a full season of competition with a two-car team remained “on track.” They brought in Brian Vickers from Hendrick Motorsports and A.J. Allmendinger, who was leaving his promising career in the Champ Car (eventually IndyCar) series. Several notable names were signed on the executive side too, including Guenther Steiner as the team’s technical director.

Red Bull Toyota garage area

Photo by: Eric Gilbert

Ahead of the 2007 season, Red Bull partnered with Toyota — a manufacturer that was also making its debut in the Cup Series at the time. Yet the setbacks had yet to slow up. Both drivers failed to qualify for the Daytona 500 that season Red Bull finally got its first official start as a Cup Series team the following week at Auto Club Speedway. With it came a glimmer of promise as Vickers wheeled his Red Bull machine to a top-ten finish in its debut race. The rest of the season toed that line of promise and disappointment, with Vickers failing to make the show in 13 races, while Allmendinger missed 19 races (over half the season). In the races they did make, Vickers sometimes showed flashes of speed, placing as high as fifth in the Coca-Cola 600 on a fuel-mileage gamble.

Red Bull finally gets its wings

Hope was on the horizon for Red Bull with the introduction of a new chassis to NASCAR, it’s “Car of Tomorrow.” The team hoped the fifth-generation stock car would help level the playing field as old notebooks were thrown out completely. The car did bring slight improvement to Red Bull’s competitiveness, and Vickers ended up running all 36 races — nearly winning at Pocono. He was also a dominant force early in the Coca-Cola 600, leading 61 of the first 184 laps before a wheel spectacularly flew off and found its way to the roof of an infield camper.

But while Vickers surged, Allmendinger continued to lag behind, causing the team to put in veteran Mike Skinner for a few races in an effort to improve the program. Red Bull’s brightest moment of that year, however, came in an event that didn’t even count towards the championship. Allmendinger won his way into the All-Star Race via the Sprint Showdown, and Vickers’ pit crew won the Pit Crew Competition that same weekend.

The NASCAR Sprint Pit Crew Challenge at the Time Warner Cable Arena in Charlotte: the Red Bull Crew

Photo by: Motorsport.com / ASP Inc.

Allmendinger parted ways with the team at the end of that season, with Red Bull putting ex-F1 driver Scott Speed, who had won four races and nearly took the title home for the 2008 ARCA season in a Red Bull-backed car, in his empty seat. 2009 ended up being a huge year for the energy drink brand across the racing world. Sebastian Vettel would earn the company its first victory as a Formula 1 constructor in the Chinese Grand Prix, and four months later, it earned its first victory as a NASCAR Cup Series team at Michigan International Speedway. Vickers won the event from pole position, passing Jimmie Johnson as he ran out of fuel with just three laps to go. He then went on to take part in the playoffs, placing 12th. But the second entry, despite a new driver behind the wheel, still couldn’t find its way.

Victory lane: race winner Brian Vickers celebrates

Photo by: Motorsport.com / ASP Inc.

A shocking turn

Vickers continued to show steady overall improvement each year, and came into the 2010 season with high expectations for his No. 83 team as he essentially carried the organization on his back. He scored three top-tens in the first 11 races, but fate’s cruel hand denied both him and Red Bull from reaching greater heights. He abruptly withdrew from the 12th race of the year in what was later revealed to be a life-threatening situation involving multiple blood clots throughout his body, including around his heart and lungs.

Without its flagship driver, Red Bull stumbled forward with little to show for their efforts that season in NASCAR. Meanwhile, across the ocean, the brand was on its way to becoming first-time F1 world champions.

Enter Kasey Kahne. The capable racer had signed a unique deal for 2011, competing as a Red Bull driver for one year as a stopgap on his way to Hendrick Motorsports in 2012. Vickers also returned, hoping his medical issues were now behind them.

Brian Vickers, Red Bull Racing Team Toyota

Photo by: Motorsport.com / ASP Inc.

A final glimpse of what could have been

With two proven winners behind the wheel, Red Bull was set for their best season yet. Kahne recorded eight top-fives and 15 top-tens despite not making the playoffs — even snagging two poles. Vickers had his own moments as well, but seemed to be getting into on-track scuffles more often than competing for race wins. In June of that year, the news arrived — Red Bull would shut down its NASCAR operation at the conclusion of the 2011 season, citing underperformance and lackluster brand activation as the primary reasons. 

But in one final moment of glory, Kahne and those behind the scenes showcased the team’s true potential before its NASCAR story ended. In the penultimate race of the 2011 playoffs, he played spoiler and took the fight to the title contenders in his No. 4 Red Bull Racing Toyota. Holding off giants of the sport, he won at Phoenix.

One week later, Red Bull made its final Cup start with a three-car effort at Homestead. Kahne finished seventh, Vickers in 17th, and Cole Whitt crashed. That was the last time a car carried Red Bull colors as its primary scheme in a Cup Series race … until now.

Race winner Kasey Kahne, Red Bull Racing Red Bull Toyota celebrates

Photo by: Action Sports Photography

A team fit for another time

12 years later, the global brand has returned to stock car racing, this time as a sponsor instead of team owner. Now the kings of Formula 1, with eight drivers’ titles since 2010, are looking for a bit of redemption in the NASCAR world. They formed an official partnership with Trackhouse Racing Team, supporting Red Bull athletes (and drivers) Shane van Gisbergen and Connor Zilisch.

This weekend, for the first time since the 2012 NASCAR Cup finale, a car will carry Red Bull colors as a primary sponsor. Zilisch, one of the top prospects in NASCAR at just 18 years old, will make his Cup debut at the Circuit of the Americas in the No. 87 Trackhouse Racing Red Bull Chevrolet.

Trackhouse Racing Red Bull livery

Photo by: Trackhouse Racing Team

And thinking about it, Trackhouse is symbolic of what Red Bull Racing could have been in a different era. They are a new, exciting team with international stars and a global perspective aimed at a new and younger NASCAR audience. Many will agree that Red Bull simply joined at the wrong time in that first run. Instead of entering in the middle of a financial crisis, imagine a Red Bull NASCAR team being established in the current Gen-7 car era and in the midst of the F1-US boom. The hype would have been extraordinary, the results would have been better and, I’m sure for Red Bull’s sake, the return on investment would have been much higher as well.