Red Bull makes personnel shift, close on Kenny Francis deal
Red Bull Racing is restructuring its management team, though
general manager Jay Frye will not be impacted by the changes to the
NASCAR Sprint Cup organization.
Frye will retain his current role, but technical director
John Probst will have a larger role in the day-to-day operation of
the teams, sources told FOXSports.com. Probst will take on greater
responsibility and oversee the manufacturing of the race cars and
the fabrication and body shops. His move is an effort to streamline
the organization that has struggled with its two-car Cup effort
this season.
Frye will continue to be active in the daily operation and
administration of the team, with Probst concentrating on the
competition side. Probst, 39, has been in his role with the team
since 2007. He previously worked as a vehicle dynamics supervisor
at Ford Racing Technology, as a Champ Car program manager at Ford
and as a Formula One engineer for Ford. Raised in Pennsylvania, he
has degrees in physics and mechanical engineering.
Red Bull fields two Cup cars. Brian Vickers started the
season in the No. 83 Toyota a year after making the field for the
Chase for the Sprint Cup, but was sidelined with medical issues.
Since then, a series of drivers — including Casey Mears,
Mattias Ekstrom, Reed Sorenson and Boris Said — have piloted
the car, which is 27th in the owner standings. Scott Speed drives
the No. 82 Toyota and is currently 27th in the driver standings and
28th in the owner standings.
In related news, Kasey Kahne’s Richard Petty
Motorsports’ crew chief Kenny Francis is close to signing a
deal to join Kahne with the team for the 2011 season.
Kahne has already announced plans to drive for the team next season, though his car number and whether the team will field two or three entries has not been confirmed. Francis is in his fifth season with Kahne. The pair have 10 career wins together.
