Vickers finds blessings in life and upcoming racing opportunities
If life is a game of inches, as Al Pacino’s character once said in the 1999 movie Any Given Sunday, then Brian Vickers has yet to run out of inches. For his margin of error, his movements fast and slow and decisions right or wrong, have yet to permanently derail him.
Vickers has stared down every obstacle thrown his way the last few years. Some, both personally and professionally, than many other NASCAR drivers will encounter in their careers. Whether it was daring to leave Hendrick Motorsports, eyebrow raising enough to join Red Bull Racing to strong enough to race again following life and career threatening blood clots and heart surgery.
“The silver line is I’m alive. That’s always a plus. That all those events led me to where I’m at right now,” said Vickers on Tuesday during the media tour at Michael Waltrip Racing.
“Quite honestly, I’m very happy where I’m at right now. Very happy where I’m at with my life personally, professionally – being at MWR, I feel like I’ve really found a home here. I feel like I’m splitting my time between two families now, I found a great home at JGR [Joe Gibbs Racing] as well.”
Let’s start with the current: the 2013 season will be Vickers 11th year in the NSCS. He has a part-time ride with MWR and full-time deal in the Nationwide Series with Gibbs, in which he’ll race for the championship. One he won back in 2003. Perhaps he never thought he’d get the chance again, he was after all, on the rise to stardom in Cup before his life changed forever.
That would be where the past comes in – it was May of 2010 while enjoying time in Washington, D.C. that Vickers started to feel unlike himself, suffering chest pains. Wisely deciding to head to a hospital blood clots in his lungs, legs and finger were discovered. While he took the necessary precautions in treating those, he would have heart surgery after doctors found a hole between the left and right atrium in his heart and was informed he had May-Thurner Syndrone – a condition that puts an individual at risk for more blood clots and possible strokes – and was done driving halfway through the season.
Incredibly he was back by the start of the 2011 season. Except his career hasn’t been the same. Even though Vickers helped put Red Bull Racing on the map, in Victory Lane and the Chase, they shut down. Since then, he’s been working his way back towards the top.
“I’ve grown and changed a lot as a person and I think everybody does as they age, but especially when you go through traumatic events in your life,” Vickers noted. “Your perspective on life changes. When I’m at the racetrack, I’m probably as engaged or more engaged than I’ve ever been in my whole entire life. At the same time, when I’m not at the racetrack I’m probably more disengaged than I’ve ever been and I think it allows me to balance my life in a way that I’ve never had.
“I think it keeps me from being burned out. It keeps me from falling into a lot of pitfalls that I think it’s easy to fall into in our sport. Our season is so long and so in depth that you kind of get sucked into it. You do that for so many years and you see a lot of guys just get burned out. The experiences that I’ve gone through created balance in my life that is a very healthy balance and when I show up at the racetrack I’m happier than I’ve ever been.
“I enjoy the team I’m with. I enjoy the people I’m around. I just enjoy racing and I think I appreciate it more than I ever have.”
When Vickers will return to NSCS on a full-time basis is yet to be determined. He isn’t even sure, but he’s not rushing it. If the last few years have taught him anything, it’s to enjoy life to the fullest and Vickers certainly has. From skydiving, to racing in different series around the world, to enjoying simple things like getting to attend other sporting events. Racing has never been far from his mind, but it just hasn’t been the only thing on his mind.
Until now, that is. Now the time is right again. But don’t read wrong, Vickers loves NASCAR and this is where he belongs, but getting to partake in the events he did were perhaps a once in a lifetime experience.
For 2013, splitting time in two different series will provide Vickers with full hands, although don’t expect to find him complaining about it.
“It’s going to be a different year. It’s going to be just like it used to be. It’s actually going to be like going back 10 years,” Vickers said about his upcoming season. “It’s going way back. Compared to last year it’s going to be very different.
“Last year was an amazing year and wouldn’t trade it for anything in the world. I got to race a great car for eight races with Mark [Martin] and Michael [Waltrip] and everyone at MWR and Toyota. Then I got to travel all through Europe and around the world racing sports cars and I loved it.
“This year, it’s back to NASCAR and back to full-time again and I’m looking forward to it.”
And looking forward to the unfinished business he left behind.
Sprint Media Tour – Day Two – Michael Waltrip Racing
On Day Two of the Sprint Media Tour, Michael Waltrip Racing was featured. Waltrip’s team was considered the most improved in 2012, having two of his three teams make the Chase and the third very close. This year, there are few changes at MWR.
“If you’re looking for change, there isn’t any,” Waltrip said. “We’re going to try to build on last year.” Clint Bowyer was cautiously optimistic. “I don’t think we overachieved, because I think when you say overachieved it means you did more than you’re capable of, Bowyer said. “I just think we were beyond expectations and what people expected of us. I’m very proud of what we accomplished last year.
I’ve looked forward to this year and what we have in front of us and the opportunities ahead with this new car and continue to build on what we had last year. That’s more important to me right now, is making sure we get the year started off right and the only way I know to do that is to win the Daytona 500.”
Bowyer was asked what it was like being around someone like Mark Martin.
“You know, Mark Martin first of all is a class act. He’s a racer, he’s driven beyond belief. His focus and determination is incredible and is just a great asset for our program and to be around as an individual. I’m very, very happy that he’s my teammate. I’m very appreciative of the fact that he’s my teammate and hopefully he’s in the sport for many years to come,” Bowyer said.
Mark Martin was asked how he felt about the new Gen 6 Toyota.
“This is not a dramatic change from what we had. In most ways, it’s subtle improvements all around until it gets to the aesthetics, and then that is — I would say — a huge improvement, Martin said. “Aesthetically, it’s a big change. Mechanically, it’s a nice improvement, a nice evolution of what we were doing, so operationally it’s not that huge. We went to the race track and we picked up where we left off at the end of last year and I saw most, pretty much everyone do that.”
Martin Truex, Jr. came close to winning races last year, but the improvement was possibly more dramatic with his Toyota.
“Really, it was the end of 2011 that got it started. We built new cars, we did a lot of things differently, had momentum going into the off-season, felt good and had a good direction going into 2012. I told a lot of people last year — or last winter – that we were going to be somebody that could go out and run strong each and every week and I felt like we could go out and make the Chase, and we were able to do that. It started in 2011 for sure, but it was mostly a direction of the team. The direction that the team was going in because of our leadership, because of Michael (Waltrip, co-owner) and Rob’s (Kauffman, co-owner) commitment to put our team where it was last year. And, that commitment obviously is to keep going in that directly and hopefully we’ll be able to do it this year.”
Truex also mentioned that the reason sponsorship was so stable at MWR was that the organization was “all in” in sponsors. “Here’s what we’re going to do for you and here’s what it costs,” Truex said. Sponsors like that.”
Co-owner Waltrip was very enthusiastic about the new season, but at the same time amazed at how good the formula worked.
“I was just amazed at Brian Pattie’s (No. 15 crew chief) ability to run a race,” Waltrip said. “To help Clint Bowyer go win races — he really was a master strategist. He understood when to get gas and when to get two tires and so you put a guy behind the wheel like Clint Bowyer, who showed up in NASCAR and you could tell that he could drive a car better than most and then you give him a guy that’s a bit of a risk taker and a call maker and put him on the pit box like Brian Pattie and you couple all that with the support that Scott Miller (competition director) and the boys that build the cars and do the engineering at MWR — they were a really fun combination to watch. I’m just looking forward to watching them go again in 2013.”
MWR will make no changes, as the co-owner said, from the formula that worked so well in 2012. Bowyer and Truex will have full time rides with Martin and Brian Vickers sharing the third car.
Notes and Quotes #2: NASCAR Sprint Media Tour Hosted By Charlotte Motor Speedway
Sprint Media Tour – Day Two – Furniture Row and NASCAR Announcements
Day Two of the Sprint Media Tour began with a breakfast presentation by Furniture Row Motorsports and the driver of the No. 78 Chevrolet, Kurt Busch. Busch commented that he was very happy with the testing of the new Chevrolet SS car.
“It’s something that fans and drivers can appreciate,” Busch said. “It’s race on Sunday and sell on Monday all the way.”
Busch commented that there were plenty of things to discover about the new car and that was a challenge, but it was new for everyone and that made the playing field level. It was announced that Furniture Row, although based in Colorado has a presence in North Carolina by virtue of their partnership with Richard Childress racing. They have offices at the RCR complex in Welcome, North Carolina.
Crew Chief Todd Barrier moved to Colorado to supervise the preparation of cars and has adjusted well, since his relocation. Even though parts have been a problem, it’s on NASCAR supplied parts, such as deck lids and only if they lose a car or a deck lid at Daytona does he see a problem.
Busch announced that he has only a few races planned with brother Kyle’s team if they come to pass. He is not looking for any more.
Next was a trip to the NASCAR Hall of Fame in Uptown Charlotte. Brian France called the new Generation 6 car and how it was a clean sheet of paper, the NASCAR Diversity Plan, and the Television package. They plan to have that finished soon.
Innovation was a key work there with a new track drying procedure that will drastically shorten track drying time using fresh air and heat instead of jet drivers. No details were given.
France reiterated his support for the Chase format and the Wild Card, which he said was an idea given to him by a competitor. He also mentioned that the new laser technology that shows whether or not a car was within specs was not to do away with templates, but to show teams that everyone is within the parameters established by NASCAR.
Tonight, we have the Chevrolet Dinner and the Nationwide hospitality event at the host hotel.
Media Tour Day One, Part Two – Richard Childress Racing and Earnhardt-Petty Announcement
Day One of the NASCAR Sprint Media Tour ended with two events that started out with well intentions, but included a twist of events. The usual 45-minute drive took over two hours due to a couple of accidents on I-85, and made our time at Richard Childress Racing somewhat short. Nevertheless, all the Childress drivers were there with their 2013 rides including lame duck driver Kevin Harvick, Jeff Burton, Austin and Ty Dillon, and Brendan Gaughan. Burton was candid in telling the assembled media that 2012 was not what the team wanted, but he looks for improvement in 2013, saying the trials of competition gets my trying as you age.
Kevin Harvick expressed confidence in what might happen in 2013 due to changes in management at RCR which Harvick described as the reason the team turned the corner in late 2012. Gaughan, who will be driving full time in the Camping World Truck Series, mentioned at age 37, it was time to win a championship. Austin Dillon brushed off any apprehension about running a Cup car in selected races.
By well after 9:30, the buses loaded and it was time to head back to the host hotel for an announcement from Dale Earnhardt, Jr. and Richard Petty. The news was that Earnhardt and Petty have joined forces to promote the Goody’s brand in 2013.
“The partnership is unprecedented,” said Joseph Juliano, Brand Director of Goody’s. “It is the first time that these two NASCAR legends have worked together. Each of them has a huge fan base , and they are both synonymous with the sport of auto racing. Goody’s is all about speed, and nobody personifies the idea of speed better than Richard Petty and Dale Earnhardt, Jr.”
Earnhardt gave Petty the proper praise.
“Richard Petty is a role model for me and every other driver in NASCAR, Earnhardt said. “I am honored to be working with him and thankful Goody’s brought us together. I signed on with Goody’s because of their long-term investment in NASCAR.”
“At every track I go to, people come up to me and tell me a story about using Goody’s,” Petty said. At the same time, Goody’s is something of a well-kept secret. Dale, Jr. and I are going to change that.”
2013 Sprint Cup Team Preview: Roush Fenway Racing
We’re down to our last four Sprint Cup teams to preview for 2013 and today we’ll focus on the Ford team of Roush Fenway Racing, which will field cars for Greg Biffle, Carl Edwards, and rookie Ricky Stenhouse Jr.
Greg Biffle
In 2012, Biffle led the Roush-Fenway camp with two wins and a fifth place finish in the final standings and was the only driver to make the Chase for the Sprint Cup out of the three Roush Fenway drivers that will be running the 2013 campaign. After an impressive 2012 run with first year crew chief Matt Puccia in which the team led the standings for a large part of the year, the duo will return to the #16 3M team and look to make a strong run at the 2013 title.
Carl Edwards
After a 2012 campaign in which Edwards failed to win a race and qualify for the Chase and what many would consider his worst season to date, the #99 team went through some shakeups over the offseason. Neither of Edwards two crew chiefs from the 2012 season, Bob Osbourne and Chad Norris, will return in 2013. Veteran crew chief Jimmy Fennig will team up with Edwards in 2013 and the hope is the veteran crew chief can resurrect this team from the ashes of the 2012 season. Under the tutelage of Fennig, look for Edwards to rebound in 2013 and make it back into the Chase for the Sprint Cup this year.
Ricky Stenhouse Jr
After Matt Kenseth left the #17 team to move over to Joe Gibbs Racing, the vacancy was filled by two-time Nationwide champion, Ricky Stenhouse Jr. Stenhouse will team up with first time crew chief and longtime team engineer, Scott Graves for his rookie campaign. After performing well in the few Sprint Cup races he has run so far, look for Stenhouse to turn some heads this season, especially in the Rookie of the Year battle that he will have with Danica Patrick this year.
