Step by Step

The 2007 NASCAR season has kicked off with Speedweek in Daytona. In the following interview, AJ Allmendiger’s Crew Chief Rick Viers talks about his drivers, the challenges he and his team are facing, and the search for a shared language ...

New car, new team, new drivers: which challenge are you most looking forward to, and which might you perhaps be a little uncertain about?

It’s all a challenge, but that’s what makes it exciting. Working with AJ is probably the biggest challenge just because we haven’t worked together before. AJ comes from Champ Car and is familiar with a completely different kind of racing. The biggest challenge early in the season will be learning his terminology when he refers to the car and what he is feeling. For example when he describes the car as tight, that may mean something different to him than it does to me. I have no doubt he will catch on to NASCAR quickly.

Why is AJ Allmendinger the right driver for Team Red Bull? What attributes does he have that will make him a future “NASCAR Champion”?

AJ has a great personality that really fits Red Bull’s image. As a driver, he is highly motivated and driven. I try to keep his focus away from the bad days and keep it on the improvements he is making. He is very competitive and will be successful in this sport, of that I have no doubt.

What impression do you have of the team-mate of your protégé, Brian Vickers?

Brian is a great leader. He has already proved his NASCAR success by winning the Busch Series championship in 2003 and winning a Cup race in 2006. He believes strongly in communication between crew chiefs and drivers. You must have teamwork to be successful. Brian has been able to give AJ advice on car handling, different racetracks, and basically just what life is going to be like in NASCAR in general.

What will have to happen this season in order for you to be able to say you're satisfied at the end of the year?

Our goals for this season will be ongoing and will change based on our performance. To bite it all off at once would be too big of a step. Since AJ is a rookie, we will set our goals one at a time, and progress throughout the season. At the beginning of the year, our #1 goal will be to participate in races. We will be focusing on our qualifying efforts and trying to work our way into the top 35 in points. Once we are locked into the top 35, we can change our focus to being competitive every week and figuring out how to be more consistent on the track. Then as everything falls into place, hopefully AJ will be in a position where he can win Rookie of the Year.