That's right, it's no bull, A.J. Allmendinger has driven his No. 84 Red Bull Racing Team Toyota Camry into the top-35 in owner points. Currently in the 35th-spot, Allmendinger has positioned the No. 84 eight points ahead of Michael Waltrip Racing's No. 00 and thirty-one points ahead of Joe Custer and Tony Stewart's No. 66.  Only five points behind Penske Racing's No. 77 entry driven by Sam Hornish Jr.

After failing to qualify for the first three races of the year, team officials decided to take Allmendinger out of the car and let Craftsman Truck Series driver Mike Skinner teach the kid a thing or two.

"We're at a crossroads where we need to make a change that will elevate the No. 84 team to success," Red Bull Racing Team VP and General Manager Jay Frye explained prior to the March race in Atlanta. "AJ's our guy and he's a talented driver, but there's a lot being asked of him. In order for him to be successful, we have to get this team pointed in the right direction. We hope we can do that with the help of a veteran driver."

Whatever Skinner did, it worked. Since climbing back behind the wheel of the No. 84, Allmendinger has slowly but surely showed his time off was well spent and worth the wait. In the last four races, Allmendinger has proved he can run up front with one top-10 and three top-20 finishes (13th at Chicago, 10th at Indianapolis, 19th at Pocono and 11th last week at Watkins Glen).

"It's a big deal for at least one week," Allmendinger explained of finally making the top-35. "But we're only in (the top 35) by eight points, and I don't want to say we're good. All it takes is one little mistake, mechanical or driver error, and we're right back out. Friday will definitely be a much better day this week, but we want to keep building on the momentum. I don't want to just be in the top 35. I want to keep looking forward."

Taking a page from the Red Bull Racing Team's notebook, Michael Waltrip Racing has decided to replace Michael McDowell with - you guessed it - Mike Skinner for the next three races. Much like his earlier deal with Allmendinger, Skinner has made it clear he's not looking for a ride, just offering a helping hand.

"Michael (Waltrip) asked me to come and run three races to evaluate the team, and give them some input," Skinner explained. "Earlier in the year, we were fortunate enough to help AJ get his season turned around and build his credibility back up to be the driver we all knew he was to begin with. Hopefully the same results happen. The cool thing about having me run these cars is I"m not trying to steal anybody"s job. I"m just going in there and trying to help the team. Michael (Waltrip) and I have been friends for a long time."

Besides his spectacular crash in qualifying at the Texas Motor Speedway, McDowell has done little to attract attention since taking over the No. 00 at Bristol. The rookie driver's best finish of the year came on the road course at Infineon where he scored a 21st-place finish.

"I support doing whatever it takes to improve the performance of our team," said McDowell pointed out. "No driver wants to get out of the car, but I understand that every part of our program needs to be evaluated, and that certainly includes me. I plan to support Mike Skinner and our team any way I can, and hopefully learn some things that will help when I get back in the car."

McDowell's owner, Michael Waltrip, is barely keeping his own head above water. Only thirteen points ahead of Allmendinger, Waltrip has struggled greatly over the last few weeks. After scoring an impressive - or lucky - second-place finish in New Hampshire, Waltrip has come home last twice and has failed to finish higher than 27th (at Daytona in July). If Waltrip does not want to join his other car outside the top-35, he will have to improve as the season winds down.

The race to make the top-35 at the end of the year will continue to tighten up as the season enters its final stages. While the majority of attention will be focused on who will make the Chase and then win the championship, the teams fighting for the top-35 will be concentrated on one thing and one thing alone - securing a starting spot for next year's Daytona 500.