RICK VIERS
CREW CHIEF - NO. 84
TEAM RED BULL
Birthdate: 11/22/63
Birthplace: Darlington, MD
Resides: Thomasville, NC
Background: NASCAR Cup Series crew chief, car chief, pit stop coordinator, tire changer and mechanic; NASCAR Busch Series crew chief; NASCAR Truck Series crew chief; limited stock and late model racer.
WORKING THE RANKS
Your average 21-year-old is still living on his parents' dime and shirking away from responsibility, but that wasn't the case with Rick Viers at that age - he was too busy raising the bar on ordinary. He wore his first of many racing hats to come as a team owner and driver in the 1984 NASCAR Mid Atlantic Region Series. Competition Director Elton Sawyer also sang Viers praises from past experience working together as driver and crew chief. "I knew Ricky back when he had black hair - I gave him the gray ones." On a serious note Sawyer said, "I know Ricky is 100 percent dedicated to getting the car better for the driver. I never once felt like he was questioning my ability as a driver, and that's an important understanding to have, especially with a rookie in the car."
TAKING A YOUNG GUN UNDER HIS WING
Viers doesn't balk at the challenge to help a former open-wheel superstar integrate into stock car racing - he takes it head on. "There's no doubt in my mind that AJ will one day be a Cup Series champion."
Viers is confident in the dynamics of the driver lineup saying, "Having a veteran teammate like Brian Vickers is a great match for AJ. Brian will be an instrumental player in helping AJ grow in the sport, just as he himself has grown in the Cup series over the past three years."After three years perfecting his on-track performance, Viers went on to win four races and the crown of Old Dominion Speedway Track Champion.
Viers had been bit by the racing bug. He jumped ship to the NASCAR Cup Series in 1988, following his heart to a tin-top racing career that's spanned almost two decades. His move to NASCARolina fueled stints with seven top Cup and Busch teams and led to work alongside two of the sports greatest racers - Dale Earnhardt and Jeff Gordon.
KNOCK KNOCK
In 2006, while working for Bill Davis Racing, Viers got the opportunity to crew chief for an open-wheel transfer - AJ Allmendinger - in his NASCAR Truck Series debut. The duo sparked instant chemistry and impressive on-track results. A strong thumbs up from the rookie and a racing history with two of Team Red Bull's big wigs led to an opportunity too good to refuse.
"The team had a well laid out plan for how they wanted to structure their organization - engineering driven and team-oriented," Rick says in describing why Team Red Bull's call was loud and clear enough to convince him to leave his current Cup position and move to a fledgling Cup team. "AJ and I had instant chemistry working together and I knew this kid was the real deal. I wasn't going to let this opportunity slip away."
Competition Director Elton Sawyer also sang Viers praises from past experience working together as driver and crew chief. "I knew Ricky back when he had black hair - I gave him the gray ones." On a serious note Sawyer said, "I know Ricky is 100 percent dedicated to getting the car better for the driver. I never once felt like he was questioning my ability as a driver, and that's an important understanding to have, especially with a rookie in the car."
TAKING A YOUNG GUN UNDER HIS WING
Viers doesn't balk at the challenge to help a former open-wheel superstar integrate into stock car racing - he takes it head on. "There's no doubt in my mind that AJ will one day be a Cup Series champion."
Viers is confident in the dynamics of the driver lineup saying, "Having a veteran teammate like Brian Vickers is a great match for AJ. Brian will be an instrumental player in helping AJ grow in the sport, just as he himself has grown in the Cup series over the past three years."