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It's been the question that has been hovering all season in the Sprint Cup Series garage.
Would A.J. Allmendinger be with Red Bull Racing's Sprint Cup team when they take to the track in 2009.
That question was answered Tuesday morning when it was announced that Allmendinger won't return to the team next year.
It is unclear if Allmendinger will even finish the year with the team.
Red Bull Racing announced Tuesday that they will part ways with Allmendinger, who currently sits 37th in the Sprint Cup Series standings in his second season in the division.
"AJ is a talented driver and we really enjoyed working with him," Red Bull Racing vice president and general manager Jay Frye. "He's come a long way in just two years and we wish him nothing but the best."
Allmendinger is reportedly close to signing with Chip Ganassi Racing.
It's expected that former Formula One driver Scott Speed is in line to take over the ride full-time by the start of the 2009 season.
After winning five Champ Car World Series events in 2006, Allmendinger strayed from the open wheel set to be part of Red Bull's first foray into Sprint Cup Series racing. As a rookie in 2007 with the first Red Bull outfit, Allmendinger made 17 of 36 events with a best finish of 15th. He ended up 43rd in the standings.
Allmendinger has made 20 of 28 events this season with one top-10 finish with a career best 10th place finish at the Allstate 400 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway in July.
Mike Skinner, who has worked with Red Bull the last two seasons, will take over the No. 84 car for testing today and Wednesday at Lowe's Motor Speedway. Skinner ran 5-race segment earlier this season in place of Allmendinger in the No. 84 car.
Skinner will join Red Bull Racing regular Brian Vickers at the Lowe's test along with Speed, who will be testing a Sprint Cup Series car for the first time.
Speed, who spent 2006 and part of 2007 in Formula One with Red Bull's second team Scuderia Toro Rosso, has spent this season getting his feet wet in stock car racing.
He has four victories and 16 top-10's in 18 starts in the ARCA RE/MAX Series, where he leads the standings. He also had made 10 starts in the Craftsman Truck Series, where he got his first victory in May at Dover International Speedway.
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