CORNELIUS, N.C. — No. 55 Aaron’s Dream Machine Driver Brian Vickers learned a lesson or two about drafting where many NASCAR fans consider a most unlikely place —on his bicycle. The avid cyclist said it was on a bicycle where the workings of aerodynamics were made clear. He will apply those lessons Saturday night when the NASCAR Sprint Cup series races under the lights at Daytona International Speedway where drafting and aerodynamics are critical to success.
VICKERS ON LEARNING ABOUT AERODYNAMICS THROUGH CYCLING: “There are definitely things I have learned in cycling and sport bikes that apply to all the race tracks we go to, particularly Daytona and drafting. It’s amazing how much a difference being in a draft makes. When you are in a car you don’t realize it as much because you just go a little faster and a little slower in the right spot. When you are on a bicycle and you are the engine you really, really notice the effort. When you are cycling and you are 2, 3 or 4 guys back in a pack the amount of effort you expend to peddle is so much less. If you watch a cycling race you will see the guys in the middle of the big pack that aren’t even peddling. It’s pretty amazing. All that kind of just gave me a greater understanding of drafting and how aerodynamics work.”
FSU PAINT SCHEME IN DAYTONA:
Vickers’ No. 55 Toyota will carry a special paint scheme Saturday night honoring Florida State University’s 2013 BCS National Championship football team. The garnet and gold paint scheme on the Michael Waltrip Racing Toyota will include the FSU BCS National Championship logo on the hood. Vickers will also wear a special FSU driver uniform for the race.
Fans at FSU’s April 12 Spring Game saw the car unveiling and watched a special message from Vickers on the video board. Vickers drove a special paint scheme honoring the University of Louisville’s national championship basketball team at Kentucky Speedway last year. Aaron’s and MWR have honored Alabama and Auburn national football championships at Talladega Superspeedway four times since 2009.
VICKERS ON FSU PAINT SCHEME: “It’s cool. I don’t really follow enough other sports to be fanatical about any team, but I understand how big a deal this is for the school and for us to have the national champions on the car. Florida is my home state now and to be at Daytona with FSU is really a good thing. This was a great idea by Aaron’s, I hope this gets us a few extra cheers at driver introductions.”
NOTES:
· CLICK HERE TO WATCH AN MWR VIDEO FEATURING A MOTIVATIONAL SPEECH FROM FSU FOOTBALL COACH JIMBO FISHER.
· MEDIA ALERT: Brian Vickers will visit the Daytona media center at 2:30 p.m. ET Thursday then hold a photo opportunity next to the No. 55 Aaron’s Dream Machine Toyota sporting the Florida State University paint scheme.
· CHASSIS: Primary: 810 finished fourth at Talladega. Backup: 753 finished 30th in the Daytona 500
· NHMS TESTING: The No. 55 team will test at New Hampshire Motor Speedway on Tuesday and Wednesday before flying to Daytona for Thursday practice.
· FANTERN: Each week MWR offers fans a chance to become an official MWR Fantern. This person will get the opportunity to be an “intern” on race day 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.
· AARON’S: Aaron’s joined MWR in 2000 serving as a primary sponsor in Sprint Cup and Nationwide races. The Atlanta-based company, with more than 2,130 stores across the country, helps customers own the life they want. Aaron’s carries only the best brand names in furniture, electronics, and appliances with a variety of flexible payment options. It’s really easy to “Own it” at Aaron’s with customers who are now pre-approved for up to $2,500 in merchandise without needing credit. Visit Aarons.com to find a store near you.
· #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.
· CREW CHIEF BILLY SCOTT: The 2014 Daytona 500 marked the first race for No. 55 Aaron’s Dream Machine Crew Chief Billy Scott. The 36-year-old began racing motorcycles as a 5-year-old and stock cars when he turned 15. He worked in the truck series as a mechanic before he returned to college to obtain an engineering degree. After graduating in 2005 Scott worked at Robert Yates Racing and began as an engineer at MWR in 2008. He served exclusively as the No. 55 team’s lead engineer the last two seasons.
· 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
· FOLLOW US ON TWITTER:
@brianlvickers
@mw55
@mwrteam
@aaronssports
@aaronsinc
@toyotaracing
