CORNELIUS, N.C. — The April 12 race at Darlington Raceway marked No. 55 Aaron’s Dream Machine driver Brian Vickers’ 175th start in a Toyota.
He led 30 laps at Darlington and looked to be ready to battle for victory, but a cut tire coming to pit lane with 50 laps remaining ruined those chances.
Vickers gets a second chance Saturday night to perform well on a special night as he and his Michael Waltrip Racing team compete in the Toyota Owners 400 at Richmond International Raceway.
Vickers arrives at Richmond after scoring top-10 finishes in three of the last five races and scoring the 13th most points of any driver in 2014.
BRIAN VICKERS ON RACING AT RICHMOND INTERNATIONAL RACEWAY: “I like Richmond, I think it is a great track for racing and for the fans in general. It’s kind of an in-between track. Fans get to experience the thrill of speed while also getting the feel of side-by-side racing. Unlike most short tracks you get a lot of side-by-side racing in the corners at Richmond. You also get two-three wide racing with guys trying different lines. That makes the track great and challenging. You have to get through the center of the corner and keep the car turning without getting loose in— that’s difficult.”
VICKERS ON TOYOTA OWNERS 400: “I love the fact it is the Toyota Owners 400 now and not the other thing. It would mean a lot to win there. It would be very special especially being with Toyota as long as I have and seeing their growth in the sport. Any victory in the Sprint Cup series is awesome but winning with a manufacturer that has supported me for so long would be extra cool.”
NOTES:
· FSU COACH JIMBO FISHER: The No. 55 Aaron’s Toyota will carry a special paint scheme honoring Florida State University’s 2013 BCS National Championship football team when the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series races at Daytona International Speedway on July 5. Aaron’s unveiled the car at the FSU Spring game on April 12 and Coach Jimbo Fisher signed the hood.
· AARON’S: Aaron’s joined MWR in 2000 serving as a primary sponsor in Sprint Cup and Nationwide races. The Atlanta-based company has grown from 500 to 2,100 stores in that time. Aaron’s carries only the best brand names in furniture, electronics, appliances and computers and offers a variety of flexible payment options. It’s really easy to get started owning at Aaron’s – you are pre-approved for up to $2,500 in merchandise without needing credit. Visit Aarons.com for more information.
· MWR SPEED ROUND: Watch Vickers and crew chief Billy Scott answer some off-beat questions during MWR’s video Speed Round at www.michaelwaltripracing.com
· #ASKMWR: Throughout race weekends in 2014 MWR will collect questions hash-tagged #AskMWR on its @MWRteam Twitter handle. No. 55 Aaron’s Dream Machine Jackman Wes Evans will host a 3-minute video each Wednesday on www.michaelwaltripracing.com featuring MWR experts answering the best fan questions from the weekend.
· No. 55 CREW:
Billy Scott Crew Chief
Ryan Langley Front Tire Changer
Chris Hall Front Tire Carrier
Shannon Myers Rear Tire Changer
Blake Haugland Rear Tire Carrier
Wes Evans Jack Man
Jeff Kerr Gas Man
Steve Channing Car Chief
David Cropps Interior Mechanic
Roman Pemberton Spotter
Brandon Pope Race Engineer
Joe Bisson 2nd Engineer
Jeremy Sharpley Shock Specialist
Jacen Johns Front Mechanic
Joe Zanolini Rear Mechanic
Kevin White Tire Specialist
Denny Chandler Engine Tuner
Tim Bruce Engine Engineer
Glenn Shano Truck Driver
Al Nelson 2nd Truck Driver
· FANTERN: MWR is offering fans a chance to become an official MWR Fantern. This person will get the opportunity to be an “intern” on race day with MWR; duties including helping the pit crews with set-up activities, attending driver appearances and getting full access to the pit and garage areas. Fans can write in a submission to webmaster@michaelwaltrip.com or share a video on our social channels explaining why they should be the Fantern at the race of their choosing during the 2014 season.
· FOLLOW US ON TWITTER:
@brianlvickers
@mw55
@mwrteam
@aaronssports
@aaronsinc
@toyotaracing
