Brian Vickers Returns: ‘It Just Felt Like Being Back at Home’
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[/media-credit]Race car drivers often tell you there’s nothing worse than seeing someone else drive their car. Comparing it to seeing their wives or girlfriends date another man.
For Brian Vickers he knows all too well how that feels. But he didn’t just have to watch another man drive his car for one week; Vickers sat on the sideline for almost all of the 2010 season because of health problems.
Just 10 races into the season Vickers was diagnosed with blood clots and forced to sit out the remainder of the year. Casey Mears drove the No. 83 Red Bull machine as Vickers healed and readied himself for 2011.
But 2011 was nothing to write home about, he had just three top fives and finished 25th in points. In the process he found out he would again be out of a ride when Red Bull closed up shop at the end of the season.
Vickers, just 28, was suddenly in jeopardy of being out of the sport faster than it took to win his first race. Speedweeks in Daytona came and went, Vickers still at home. Then came Phoenix and Las Vegas, with no sign of the North Carolina native.
That’s when Michael Waltrip Racing entered the picture and handed Vickers the keys to the No. 55 Aarons Toyota starting at Bristol this weekend. Vickers is all too ready to see the green flag.
“I just want to go racing,” said Vickers on Friday. “Honestly, what’s the worst that can happen? I’m not going to have a job? For me, it’s just go out there and have fun and just enjoy the experience. I’ve been through this a couple times now where I don’t know if I’m going to race again.
“I think I’m going to. Through all these experiences I’ve always felt in my heart that I was going to race again, but the fact is you never now for sure, so I’m just grateful for this opportunity. I can’t thank Michael Waltrip and Rob Kauffman and everyone on this team, the 55.”
It’s a six-race deal with MWR but you won’t find Vickers complaining. His return comes with a competitive team and paired with a man he’s known for 20 years, crew chief Rodney Childers.
It leaves them with a simple goal: go out and win. Vickers isn’t viewing this as an audition or a time to prove himself, it’s just another chapter in book of life that he’s been writing.
“I’m sure that’s who some people are maybe viewing the situation,” Vickers said when asked if he had to prove himself all over again.
“For me, it’s just to go out there and have fun and try to win. Some people have called it my second chance, but it’s really my third or more. When I really think about it, with how I am with all the experiences that have happened in my life – racing with a couple good teams to Red Bull winning and being in the Chase and being in the hospital the next year and not knowing if I was ever going to race again.
“Then getting a second chance ride there and now getting really a third chance. Very grateful for all those chances and opportunities.”
Vickers also revealed that when the 2012 season started in Daytona he wasn’t surprised that he hadn’t landed a job. Didn’t make it any less emotional though, it was the first time in a long time that he wasn’t in Daytona for the season’s biggest race.
Except, Vickers had been presented opportunities to race. None of which he thought were right and he stayed committed to waiting until one came along. MWR is one he feels really good about and says he feels right at home.
While some might say that his reputation from the end of 2011 hurt him in his job search, Vickers says that’s not so. The feedback he received from the individuals he talked to told him the incidents he was involved in last year with drivers like Matt Kenseth, weren’t an issue.
If blame is to be placed, it should be placed on the economy. There were plenty of times Vickers had plans on paper with owners, everything was coming together, the excitement was there but when sponsorship didn’t appear they all fell through.
So, Vickers waited and weighed his options. He reflected and watched the season start without him. And tried not to get all too comfortable with being a couch driver.
“It was a different feeling,” said Vickers on watching the races on TV. “It was a mostly similar experience. To a small extent, different because one was completely out of my control [blood clots] and one was somewhat in my control. There was definitely some factors that were out of my control coming into this year and there were some choices that I made where I could have been here or chose not to , but it jut wasn’t the right feel.”
Now however, he has that good feeling again and he’s ready for whatever it throws his way.
Matty’s Picks 2012 – Vol. 5 Bristol Motor Speedway – Food City 500 – March 16, 2012
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[/media-credit]I’m starting my column this week as I sit aboard a 32 foot Columbus Motor Home that has been my chariot to Bristol Motor Speedway 12 times before. For this spring race, we’re traveling a bit lighter than normal, and I have the ability to pull my laptop out and actually get some work done on the 12 hour trip to the hills of Tennessee. Its time like these that help me to remember why I am a NASCAR fan.
Swapping stories about times at our local short track, the days of working on a Limited Modified at Oswego Speedway, to my first dirt race at Brewerton Speedway, to the first time I saw the big show at Watkins Glen International with The Intimidator leading the field to the stripe. Its a 12 hour trip that I normally would dread, but each year “Bristol Eve” takes me back to the snowy Christmas Eve’s as a young pup back in Upstate New York.
Bristol Motor Speedway needs no introduction. It’s The World’s Fastest Half-Mile, is the most covenanted ticket in all of NASCAR, and has been the site of countless historic races and driving moves throughout motorsports history. I made my first trip to BMS in 2002, still wet behind the ears in the NASCAR world, and it was a place I vowed to visit until the day I died. From the moment we made our way down Route 11 and I laid eyes on The Coliseum of NASCAR, to the moment the checkered flag flew on final lap of the 2002 Sharpie 500 , I was hooked.
This is the first time I’ll visit the high banks of BMS as a member of the media, and just like in 2002, I’m looking forward to sharing some special moments and great times with 165,000 of my closest friends.
Due to limited resources here at Bristol, I will not be recapping last week’s picks at Las Vegas:
Bristol Picks
Its going to be a short column this week because it’s St. Patty’s Day and I’m finishing my column from a picnic table at the Red Barn Campground off Turn 3 here at Bristol Motor Speedway…
Winner Pick
There’s no shock here as to who I will pick this week as the winner of the Food City 500…
Its a guy that has won 5 of the last 6 races here in Thunder Valley and has had a strong car all weekend. Kyle Busch is the man I’m putting my money on this week to make a stand for his championship run in 2012. He’s won a third of the Sprint Cup races he’s started at Bristol Motor Speedway (5 wins in 15 starts). He’s also got an additional 7 top-5 runs, and 10 top-10’s to add to his resume for my pick of the weeks. When he’s not winning, he’s finishing strong with an average finish of 9.1 in his 15 starts at the bull ring.
He was in the top-3 in both of the final two practice sessions this weekend and will pilot the No. 18 Wrigley Doublemint Toyota from the 13th spot tomorrow. I’m going with history and a dominant runs in each of the last two NASCAR Sprint Cup series practices this weekend at Bristol Motor Speedway.
Dark Horse Pick
Starting up front at Bristol can mean the difference between being collected in a mid-race bumper car fiasco, or keeping your nose clean and hanging with the leaders. Joey Logano has the starting spot towards the front that may keep him clear of any traffic in the middle of the Food City 500. Logano laid down a lap time of 15.392 seconds during Friday’s NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Qualifying, and was able to lead 119 laps during today’s Ford EcoBoost 300 Nationwide Series Race.
Logano’s practice speeds were less than impressive however, qualifying him as my Dark Horse of the week.
For the first time all weekend, the forecast is beautiful for the 52nd Annual Food City 500, and I will spend the day circling the .533-mile short track here in Thunder Valley. I would normally tell you to follow me on Twitter for mid-race cell phone shots and Tweets, but I’ve discovered the issues associated with 165,000 cell phones within a 1/4 mile area.
Until next time…You stay classy NASCAR NATION!
Austin Dillon: Gaining Experience, Going After Rookie of the Year
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[/media-credit]As Austin Dillon continues up the racing ladder, this year marked an important year as he made the move from the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series to the NASCAR Nationwide Series. So far this year, he sits fourth in points, 30 points behind teammate Elliott Sadler.
“I’m very happy to the start of the season,” he told me before Bristol. “We went to all three races running every lap and we just keep gaining on it each week. The experience level is lacking and once we get that figured out and how to adjust these cars, we’ll be fine.”
In the first four races of the season, the 21-year-old has finished fifth, fourth, seventh and 12th. The success he has had so far has impressed a lot of people, including Denny Hamlin.
“I feel like they’re both kind of living up to expectations,” Hamlin said of Dillon and Cole Whitt during his media availability at Bristol. “They’re doing kind of exactly what you would hope that they would do, not what you necessarily thought they would do. I think they’re doing a very, very good job. I’ve watched them a little bit and it just seemed like they’ve both got the talent to make it. You can see it right from the beginning. Some drivers have the speed and can go and not tear up equipment right from the beginning and it looks like those two especially have that and that’s what can make you successful not just at that level, but the following one.”
Coming into Bristol this weekend, Dillon knew it was going to be wild.
“We run pretty well once we get into the race,” he said. “We’ll work hard tomorrow. It’s going to be a pretty wild race.”
Dillon started the race in the ninth position and ran just outside the top 10 most of the time, picking up valuable experience.
In continuing to gain experience, Dillon expects to do well this year.
“We want to win rookie of the year, that’s our first goal,” he said. “If we have a shot at the championship at homestead, then we want to win it.” He added that the main goal is to keep themselves up there while winning some races.
Teammate Elliott Sadler has already won two races, including Bristol this weekend, which shows the strength of the organization.
“Our Nationwide program is very fast right now,” he said. “We’re being able to show speed each week. We’re still pushing hard where we want to be. Everybody wants to be better each and every week.”
He adds that the Cup side of RCR looks strong also with how Kevin Harvick, Jeff Burton and Paul Menard have been running.
Dillon says that having teammates with experience like Sadler and Harvick, he’s able to learn from them.
Dillon, grandson of car owner Richard Childress, has been around racing his entire life. The first time he got in the race car was in a bandolero on a quarter mile behind Charlotte Motor Speedway at the age of 15.
As the season goes, there are many tracks that the series will be going to, including two of Dillon’s favorites.
“I’ve won at Iowa and that’s one of my favorite places that I enjoy, and racing at Michigan,” he said. “We’ve been close there.
Last season, Dillon had a great season as he won the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Championship. Right now though, the focus is on the Nationwide Series.
“I’m sure there’ll be one day that we’ll be able to look back on our season and really cherish everything that we were able to accomplish last year,” he said.
Kaeding Brings Thunder to Thunderbowl
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[/media-credit]The Outlaws knew the rain was coming to the Thunderbowl Raceway at Tulare, California and they were determined to beat the storm. Hot laps began about 45 minutes early in an attempt to get the whole show in before mother nature dropped added moisture onto an already soupy track. Hot laps went off without a hitch and qualifying saw lap times of 13 seconds around the 1/3 mile track. Quick time was set by Kasey Kahne Racing’s Joey Saldana with a lap of 13.151 seconds. He was followed closely by Sammy Swindell, who entered the event as the series points leader, with a time of 13.641. Craig Dollansky, Tim Kaeding and Kraig Kinser rounded out the fast five all with laps in the 13 second bracket.
The heat races were for the most part hard charging but unremarkable with 20 time Outlaws Champion, Steve Kinser taking the first heat, 4 time series champion, Donny Shatz the second, and Jason Sides the third.
The Dash inversion was an 8. Which meant that Joey Saldana would start outside the 4th row. By virtue of his heat race win Steve Kinser would start on the pole flanked by Jason Sides for the 8 lap dash to determine the first 5 rows of the A main. Jason Sides would get an early jump on Kinser and take over the point and would hold it until the checkers to claim the pole for the A Main. Transferring in from the B Main were Cody Darrah, Tyler Wolf, Trey Starks, Cory Eliason, Chad Kemenah and Bill Rose. The field was set for what would be a fierce pack battle for the Thunderbowl night 1 trophy.
Steve Kinser would take the lead early in the Main but Tim Kaeding who started fourth would rocket by Kinser on the high side on lap 9. The pass would not be without it’s price as Kaeding while attempting to lap Bill Rose would have some contact and damage the nose wing of the car. The wing would collapse on the left side but Kaeding would continue to pull away from the 20 time champion. On lap 11 Kinser would got together with Rose and spun the car into the infield and continued on. The caution would fly and Kinser was placed by Outlaws rules where he would have blended into traffic leaving him to restart in the 12th position. This would bring Jason Sides to the second position. Sides would start side by side with Kaeding 6 times but was never able to capitalize on the restart.
On lap 26 the A main short circuited. The short began when Jonathan Allard stopped on the front stretch because he was out of helmet tear offs and could not see. It was followed by Kerry Madsen’s roll over in turn 2 and Bud Kaeding coming to a stop in turn 2. It was then that mother nature made her presence known. Scattered heavy showers limited visibility for the drivers and they voted that it was too wet to continue. The race was red flagged and the cars were sent to the work area in the pits where they could make whatever changes they wanted to their cars including changing tires.
Upon return to the track The final red flag would fly on the restart when Sammy Swindell and Lucas Wolfe would tangle and roll in turn 2. Both drivers would walk away uninjured but neither would return to the track. The final yellow would fly for Chad Kemenah’s spin in turn 2. Kaeding would jump out to a big lead once again when Jason Sides hesitated on the restart. The hesitation would cost Sides the second spot to Craig Dollansky. Kaeding would never look back and would win the Thunderbowl with ease. Kaeding who is the first 2nd time winner of the 2012 season stated, “My motto is live and die by the high side and I was livin’ it up tonight.” Finishing 2nd Craig Dollansky,3rd Jason Sides, 4th Terry McCarl, 5th Joey Saldana, 6th Donny Shatz, 7th Steve Kinser, 8th Austen Wheatly, 9th Bud Kaeding and rounding out the top ten was Kraig Kinser.
This race was a smorgasboard of action. The fierce competiton between Sammy Swindell and Joey Saldana. The incredible skill and determination of Steve Kinser to come back from 12th spot to finish in the top 10. A hail mary move by Donny Shatz to propel him into fifth spot which he eventually lost to Joey Saldana but would pick up 1st in the points with Sammy Swindell’s misfortune late in the race. Kraig Kinser extended his streak to 5 races in the top 10. Honestly, there was no where to look and not see hard core racing. The Outlaws came to dominate the night and to race on the very edge of the envelope and they did exactly that.
Kudos to Outlaw and track officials on waiting the shower out. With only 10 laps to go many series would have thrown the checkers and said lets go home boys. Instead they waited it out and kept trucks on the track to maintain the pack and went back to racing. Kudos to the drivers for braving a “snotty” (wet and slick) track to quote Johnny Gibson, the voice of the outlaws, to finish the show for the fans in the stands and for those who were listening and following at home.
Note: In a morning press release from The World of Outlaws Sprint Car Series the second night at Thunderbowl speedway has been rained out. But both the track and the series are working diligently to schedule a make up date. For updates on a rescheduled date, go to www.ThunderbowlRaceway.com or www.WorldofOutlaws.com.
Elliot Sadler Wins 30th Annual FORD EcoBoost 300
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[/media-credit]60% Chance of rain?…No way. On an absolutely beautiful March day here in Bristol, Tennessee, Elliot Sadler has claimed his second victory in the NASCAR Nationwide Series in Thunder Valley.
It looked like a Joe Gibbs Racing day early but a late-race call by Crew Chief Lucas Lambert that was the call of the day to score the win for the OneMain Financial team. After taking the pole earlier this morning in NASCAR Nationwide Series qualifying, Joey Logano flexed his muscles early in the 300-lap stanza, leading the first 66 laps. His No. 18 Game Stop/Turtle Beach Toyota was lightning fast early, but it was Owner/Driver Kyle Busch that was able to climb through the front-runners to knock off his Sprint Cup teammate for the point position.
Another 40 laps went by before Logano again set the pace for the Ford EcoBoost 300 when he again found the front for the second time of the day. It was all Logano for 119 laps today…the challengers, Roush Fenway’s Trevor Bayne and Ricky Stenhouse Jr. that would mix things up late in the race. Bayne found the front on lap 160 and participated in one of the best battles of the day with teammate Ricky Stenhouse Jr. The battle for the lead lasted around 20 laps between the two teammates with Stenhouse coming up victorious for the point position on lap 224.
It was a late-race caution that left Crew Chiefs with the biggest decisions of the day. It was Luke Lambert that made the right call to stay out with less than 30 laps to go in the Ford EcoBoost300. The majority of the leaders chose to come to Pit Road for fresh tires for the 27 lap dash to the checkered flag. His driver, Elliott Sadler was able to hold off the likes of Kasey Kahne and Brad Keselowski following the race’s final restart on lap 273 of 300 to earn his second victory here at the high-banks in Thunder Valley.
Sadler recalled his win here in 2001 by taking the same strategy today; ” He (Lambert) reminded me that I won a race here in 2001 by doing the same thing,” said Sadler. The driver of the No. 2 OneMain Financial Chevy was joined in victory lane by his parents whom had never been in attendance for one of his NASCAR victories. “Luke made a great call to stay out,” elaborated Sadler.
Lambert was in attendance here at Bristol for Sadler’s previous win at the .533 mile short track, although he was just a Senior in High School. “I was here, and i watched it, but i was definitely a spectator,” commented Lambert. ” I do study all the history of our driver and what track we’re going to and everything else — but I was here for that one. And I was pretty young.”
The win marks Sadler’s second of the season, and fourth straight top-10 finish this season.
Despite having a strong car all day, Kasey Kahne took the runner-up spot to Sadler. Veteran driver and former Bristol race-winner Brad Keselowski took the third spot. Pole-sitter and lap leader Joey Logano ended up fourth with Dale Earnhardt Jr, Ricky Stenhouse Jr., Justin Allgaier, Trevor Bayne, Kevin Harvick, and Ryan Truex rounding out the top 10.
Danica Patrick brought her No. 7 GoDaddy.com Chevy home two laps down to the leaders in 19th despite starting 27th here in Thunder Valley.
