Mr. Goodcents 300 - Brian Vickers Notes

VICKERS TO MAKE CUP DEBUT AT LMS: Brian Vickers will attempt to make his NASCAR Winston Cup Series debut at Lowe's Motor Speedway on Saturday, Oct. 11, driving the No. 60 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet. Lance McGrew, Vickers' NASCAR Busch Series crew chief, will call the race-day shots for the 19-year-old, who is also scheduled to compete in the final four races of the 2003 Winston Cup season driving the No. 01 entry.

GMAC RACING WINS THIRD: Vickers, driver of the No. 5 GMAC Financial Services Chevrolet, earned his third career Busch Series victory at Dover (Del.) International Speedway on Saturday, Sept. 20. The win marked GMAC Racing's second win in the last three events and their third since Indianapolis Raceway Park, six races ago. Each of the team's wins this season have come using different Hendrick Motorsports' chassis.

LEADER OF THE PACK: With seven races remaining, Vickers leads the Busch Series championship standings by 32 points over second-place Scott Riggs. The separation between Vickers and fifth-place Jason Keller is just 106 points, making the 2003 title chase the closest in Busch Series history at this stage of the season.

SWEET 16: GMAC Racing's performance at Dover marked the 16th victory for Hendrick Motorsports in the Busch Series. The team has picked up a full 42 positions since leaving the season-opener at Daytona (Fla.) International Speedway 42nd in the standings.

VICKERS TIED FOR MOST WINS: Vickers' win moved him into a tie with Winston Cup regulars Kevin Harvick and Joe Nemechek for the most Busch Series victories this season. Each driver has three, but only Vickers is a Busch Series regular. After 27 races, he also leads the circuit with 17 top-10 finishes, 10 of which are top-fives.

TESTING LMS: GMAC Racing will spend two days testing at Lowe's Motor Speedway this week in preparation for the Oct. 10 Little Trees 300. The team constructed a brand new car to test at the 1.5-mile oval after finishing 14th there in May.

BRIAN VICKERS, DRIVER OF THE NO. 5 GMAC FINANCIAL SERVICES CHEVROLET: (AFTER LEAVING DAYTONA 42ND IN POINTS, DID YOU EVER THINK YOU WOULD NOW BE THE CHAMPIONSHIP POINTS LEADER?) "Probably not. It was a bad start, but I think it says a lot about our team and the never-give-up attitude that we have. Even when things were bad, everyone on this team supported one another and now we've got things steered in the right direction. With this being my first full season, and the first season for all of us working together, it really says a lot about the organization and our desire to be successful."

VICKERS: (WHAT DOES IT FEEL LIKE TO BE THE POINTS LEADER NOW?) "It feels the same as when we were third in points. Now, come Miami, if we're still the leader, then it will feel pretty good. When the year's over and the checkered flag falls at Homestead, there's going to be a big difference in how I feel depending upon where we finish, but right now the fact we're in the top five (in points) feels good."

VICKERS: (THEY SAY YOUR FIRST WIN IS ALWAYS THE MOST DIFFICULT TO GET. DO YOU AGREE?) "Absolutely. In any series you compete in, the first win is the toughest. It's hard to explain why, but it is. It's not like they come easier, but after you win it seems like the pressure is relieved and there's a sense of confidence that comes along with winning."

VICKERS: (IF YOU DON'T WIN THE CHAMPIONSHIP, WILL THE SEASON BE A DISAPPOINTMENT?) "Not at all. We've already met and surpassed the goals we set before the season. Any time you can perform above expectations it's a plus. At the beginning of the year, no one expected us to compete for the championship, but we've already won three races and exceeded everyone else's expectations, and that's a pretty good feeling in itself."

VICKERS: (WHAT ARE YOUR THOUGHTS ABOUT TRYING TO QUALIFY FOR YOUR FIRST WINSTON CUP RACE?) "I can't wait. It's a great opportunity for me to gain more experience for next season at a track I'm familiar with. As great of an opportunity as this is, I need to be careful and not get wrapped up in it all because the main focus at this point is still winning the Busch Series championship."

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