SECAUCUS, N.J. - Heading into this weekend's Dickies 500 NASCAR NEXTEL Cup race at Texas Motor Speedway, Team Red Bull is partnering with the New York Red Bulls Major League Soccer team to roll out a soccer-themed paint scheme for the No. 84 race car. New York Red Bulls goalkeeper and avid NASCAR fan Jon Conway will indulge in tin-top racing from his perch on top of the Team Red Bull pit box.
"I'm excited to join Team Red Bull this weekend and support AJ Allmendinger and the New York Red Bulls No. 84 car," said Conway, who led all MLS goalkeepers in Goals Against Average this past season and posted a 7-2-3 record. "I've seen the positive impact Red Bull has had on our soccer club and am looking forward to seeing what they have in store for NASCAR. I've been a NASCAR fan for a long time and it is an honor for me to represent our team at this race."
Driven by now-former, American open-wheel sensation AJ Allmendinger, the blue No. 84 Dodge features the New York Red Bulls logo on the hood and side panels and the dynamic bull and soccer ball on the rear quarter panel. The car also features a logo decal of the MLS Cup 2006, which is the league's championship finale slated for the following Sunday, November 12 at nearby Pizza Hut Park in Frisco, Texas. The match will be televised live on ABC at 3:30 p.m. ET.
Then on Saturday and Sunday, the Red Bull Air Force skydiving team joins the party as they drop in from the skies above Texas Motor Speedway prior to the start of the Busch Series and NEXTEL Cup Series races. Under the guidance of OJ Lawrence, the Red Bull Air Force team of national champion skydivers John DeVore, Charles Bryan, Andy Farrington, and Francisco Neri perform fast-action skydiving maneuvers, including their signature "swooping" landing maneuver that brings them in hot, skimming the ground at over 70 mph.
Can't be there in person to see for yourself, set your recorders or tune in live to the Dickies 500 at 2:30 p.m. ET on NBC.
About the New York Red Bulls: Under the direction of Head Coach and former U.S. National Team manager Bruce Arena, the New York Red Bulls made a successful run to the Major League Soccer playoffs in 2006. Once in the postseason, New York dropped a close 2-1 aggregate goal decision in its Eastern Conference Semifinal Series against D.C. United. Off the field, the club recently broke ground on their own 25,000 seat soccer stadium- Red Bull Park- in Harrison, NJ. Red Bull Park is expected to open in the summer of 2008.
About Team Red Bull: Team Red Bull recently announced a multi-year agreement with 24-year-old AJ Allmendinger to race the No. 84 Red Bull Toyota Camry for the 2007 NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Season. Allmendinger completes the 2007 driver lineup that already includes 23-year-old Brian Vickers, a former Busch Series champion who'll pilot the No. 83 Red Bull Camry.
