Ekstrom to Test Red Bull Racing No. 83

Days after managing to win the Valencia DTM race, Audi driver Mattias Ekstrom will be testing today, in his first NASCAR race car presence, the No. 83 Toyota of his nine years sponsor, Red Bull Racing. Ekstrom will provide support to the team prior to the road race in Sonoma, California.

The test drive will take place at the Virginia International Raceway, where Ekstrom will get behind the wheel of the car regularly driven by the now medically impaired Brian Vickers. He will be conducting the test alongside Red Bull's other driver, Scott Speed.

"It's no secret that the NASCAR series fascinates me," Ekstrom said in a statement. "It's been a long-harbored dream of mine to drive such a car."

"With Brian Vickers sidelined for the rest of the season, we needed a road-racing expert to help prepare the No. 83 for Sonoma," said Jay Frye, RBRT vice president and general manager. "We appreciate Mattias' willingness to help out and we look forward to his insight."

As for Vickers, the 26-year old has been sidelined for the season, due to his medical condition. Casey Mears, the man which replaced him at Dover and during the All Star race, will stand in for Vickers for a few more weeks, with RBR still undecided if to keep him for the remainder of the season. A sign that he will not be kept is Ekstrom's presence at Virginia.