REAL and Red Bull have been partnering on kiteboarding projects, events and DVDs for the past 5 years. During that time, Red Bull has also been developing a Nascar Driving Team. 2007 marks the first year of the Red Bull Nascar Team with cars #83 Brian Vickers and #84 AJ Allmendinger.
You can check out the entire Red Bull Nascar race program at www.teamredbull.com.
Check out REAL Red Bull Weekend Action Video
As you know with Red Bull, they never let things get boring, so they’ve taken their party approach to the Nascar scene, with their own private, two story, “Red Bull Energy Center”. Located between turns 2 and 3 at the Lowes Motor Speedway, The Red Bull Energy Center provided a completely pimped out sanctuary for Red Bull VIP Guests to party and watch the race in style. The Red Bull Energy Center featured a futuristic brushed aluminum finish, open bars upstairs and down, catered food, sod lawns with outdoor couches and heaters (it was chilly at night), a DJ and dancefloor, the list of amenities goes on and on ! Leave it to Red Bull to bring their own party to America’s Biggest Party…. We have to say, it was over the top!
How does this tie into REAL Kiteboarding?! Well, Red Bull sent us 4 VIP passes to be their guests at the Red Bull Energy Center during the Charlotte Nascar Races October 12th and 13th. REAL’s Trip and Brittainy Forman, as well as Joe Wharton and Zack Johnson were the lucky ones to snatch up the tickets and drive to Charlotte (6.5 hrs from Cape Hatteras) for the weekend. Our schedule looked like this :
Nascar Busch Series : Friday, October 12th PM
Nascar Pit and Garage Tours : Saturday October 13th Mid-Day
Nascar Bank of America 500 Race : Saturday October 13th PM
Throughout this schedule, the Red Bull Energy Center was open and PUMPING Red Bull drinks, cocktails, food and tunes. Plasma flat screens showed you every angle of the race, or you could take your drink out on the 2 level deck overlooking the racetrack. Radio scanners allowed you to tune into your favorite driver and follow their strategy and progress.
If you’ve never been to a Nascar race to witness it for yourself, let us tell you, the adrenaline and excitement are incredibly addicting. The speed and sound of the cars up close is unbelievable! And as always, the anticipated crashes are thrillers. We were lucky enough to witness both of Jimmie Johnson’s crashes right in front of the Red Bull Energy Center. During one of them, we were hanging out on an outside couch, under a propane heat lamp, drinking Red Bull and Jack Daniels and eating Fillet mignon, all with the crash right in front of our outstretched feet!!! How does that sound for pimping??
Special thanks to Red Bull for having us as their guests. It was truly an insane weekend and a great time was had by all!
Here’s what the REAL crew had to say about their Nascar experience:
“What can I say….It was a insane weekend!!! Red Bull really knows how to do it right! Their “3 day setup portable night club” set up was INSANE!!! 2 bars, a DJ and too many plasma TVs to count. We had al the Red Bull drinks that we could handle and the food was off the hook. A NASCAR race will never be
the same……” – Joe Wharton
“The NASCAR experience is something you can’t describe to someone and do it justice. It is an experience absolutely everyone should have!! We were so stoked to receive the VIP treatment from Red Bull, it topped off any expectation you could ever dream up. The stoke of NASCAR is all time. People were walking to the track, miles and miles away. All smiling, talking to each other and carrying 12 packs of beer. The entrance gates were like nothing I had ever experienced. The gate attendants were nice, friendly and welcoming. They allowed you to bring whatever you wanted into the track and encouraged coolers, cameras and smiles. It was like no other event I have attended in America. The power of the race cars at the start and after a caution, stir an adrenalin hit like no other. If you have no idea who is who, what car is winning or how fast they are going, you will still be on your feet, screaming and cheering at the top of your lungs. It’s pure maelstrom! I can’t thank Red Bull enough for inviting us to the Energy Station with every detail dialed. The Red Bull Team is one to admire and is very appreciated!” – Brittainy Forman
“NASCAR RULES! RED BULL RULES! The Nascar trip was awesome. The cars were loud, fast, and crashed alot. The crowd was super into the races and went crazy when their favorite driver went by. What really put it over the top was the Red Bull Energy Station. You could watch the race from right behind the fence or go inside and sit on the plush couches and eat free food. Red Bull also hooked us up with a sweet hotel and transportation. I think this was by far the best way to experience Nascar! I want to go again this weekend!” – Zack Johnson
“We got to see it all and live like kings! It was cool to meet all the other players that partner with Red Bull that were invited to the race just like REAL. The wind up and acceleration as the cars start the race is a sound that I will remember forever! They go by you so fast that they’ll knock you off your feet if you don’t brace yourself. Two things you don’t experience on TV is the speed (way faster in person) and the sound. Imagine 10’s of thousands of pairs of earplugs! One thing you’ll really appreciate after going to the race is how well the tv stations video the race, tons of angles and you never lose track of what’s going on. The radio scanners really helped tune into the behind the scenes action and follow the race accurately. Combine that with the Red Bull Energy Center and 8 flat screen TVs all showing the other angles of the race track and you have a show that you can’t top. Thanks Red Bull!” – Trip Forman