AJ Allmendinger said no race car driver ever wants to be taken out of the car, and he might hate it even more than most.

But Red Bull Racing's decision to temporarily remove him in favor of veteran Mike Skinner is something Allmendinger understands, he said Friday at Atlanta Motor Speedway.

Allmendinger has never been inside the top 35 in owner points - and thus guaranteed a starting spot in the Sprint Cup field - during his short two-year Cup career.

"It was difficult and it's been rough, but you can't look back and change anything," said Allmendinger, in his second season after coming over from the Champ Car ranks. "You have to move ahead and that's something we're doing right now. For me, I've just got to keep the confidence in myself that I can do this."

Skinner, the former Craftsman Truck Series champion, has run 246 career Cup races and earned a reputation as a solid qualifier. Red Bull general manager Jay Frye chose Skinner to not only get the car into races (the initial plan is a four-event stint) but diagnose the team's problems.

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