The rollercoaster ride Brian Vickers has been on over the past few seasons in NASCAR is quite incredible. Vickers has experienced remarkable lows over the past few years including getting ousted out of his Red Bull Racing ride after the team closed their operations as well as getting sidelined due to a medical problem in 2010. Highs for Vickers include having a tremendous amount of success in the few Cup races he has been in over the past few years along with getting a full-time Nationwide Series ride with Joe Gibbs Racing for 2013. Vickers had to prove his talent to the NASCAR world again after losing his Cup ride and he has done that over the past few seasons. That is why Vickers will be aiming to return to the Cup Series in 2014.
A dismal 2010 and 2011 for Vickers left him questioning his time in NASCAR and if he should really be here but, a turn-around last season made him realize that NASCAR is where he needs to be. 2012 started out hopeless for Vickers since he had no races planned for the season but, a call-up from Michael Waltrip Racing gave him a chance at racing in 2012. He competed in a handful of races last season, all which had decent results. In the select events he ran, he was running up front and leading laps. That was what he needed to do and that began his path back to a possible full-time ride in the Cup Series.
Vickers took the opportunity to add to his number of races for MWR in the Cup Series this season in hope that it will be easier to find a full-time ride in the future. With Mark Martin likely not returning to do his part of the schedule in the No.55 car next season, Vickers has the opportunity to potentially take that ride over full-time and compete for the championship. The rollercoaster ride he went on over the past few seasons may have been worth it if in fact, he is rewarded that ride next season.
With a solid performance in his select Cup races this season along with contending for the championship in the Nationwide Series, Vickers could easily find himself as a man with many opportunities as how to go about his next few seasons in NASCAR. MWR may not be the only option for him due to the fact that many teams could have open rides during the upcoming silly season since a large free-agent class will be in place. This all may seem like a huge opportunity for Vickers but, Vickers and his fans will view it as an option that has been long in the making.
Talent is the one thing that can take you far in any sport but, especially in NASCAR. The drivers talents have brought them to where they are now in NASCAR and the same talents will give each competitor a long racing career. Brian Vickers has had the talent for over a decade but, failed opportunities have left Vickers and his talents searching for the ultimate racing goal of a full-time Cup ride again. Vickers has achieved that before but, past issues have left Vickers without it. Vickers has proven that those issues are in his past and that he is ready to move on. 2014 could be the year where Vickers finds himself back to full-time racing in the Cup Series and that’s been where his sights have been set all along. A new chapter in Vickers’ career could start to be written next season with a new beginning in the Cup Series.
