Rain or shine, Red Bull Racing Team’s No. 83 is locked into the Goody’s 500. Brian Vickers sits 17th in the owner standings — well ahead of the go-or-go-home line that’s drawn at 35. For the first time, well, ever, the No. 83 bunch has the luxury of throwing a few race runs into Friday’s opening practice.

The No. 84, with Mike Skinner at the wheel, has a steep climb ahead. It sits 43rd in owner points — but only 138 points from spot No. 35.

As for the last Sprint Cup race at Bristol, it wasn’t a productive day for Red Bull Racing Team. Vickers smacked the wall in the closing laps and finished 39th. The No. 84’s rear end caught fire and ended up 40th.

Skinner, the inaugural series champion in 1995 who sits seventh in points, swept both truck races last season at the .526-mile southern Virginia short track, and he’s the series’ only three-time winner at Martinsville. His first victory came in the fall 1996.

Driving Morgan Dollar Motorsports’ No. 46, Speed will make his second Craftsman Truck start in Saturday’s Kroger 250. It’s an ideal situation for Speed — racing at a track where tight turns are separated by long straightaways. At Martinsville, it’s all about entry and exit.

Speed, who finished 27th in truck start No. 1 at Atlanta, tested at Martinsville not long ago.

“Actually used the brakes quite a lot. It’s been a while since I used those,” Speed said. “For an oval, (Martinsville) felt the most natural. The corners are pretty low banked. Driving those corners felt like driving on corners I have my whole life.”

It was his second trip to the high-banked, nasty track that’s known for munching rubber at an alarming rate. But it sounds as if Speed already has a handle on priority No. 1 — tire management.

“The tires go away in a hurry,” Speed said. “They lose grip right away, so the drivers that manage their tires the most effectively will be the guys you’ll see up front. You’ve got to slow yourself down as the tires lose grip.”

The Carolina 500 goes green May 4.