Vickers Wins Busch Series Championship

Brian Vickers

SATURDAY, NOV. 15, 2003 - With an 11th-place finish at Homestead-Miami Speedway on Saturday, Brian Vickers clinched the 2003 NASCAR Busch Series driver championship in his first full season of competition on the circuit. The Thomasville, N.C., native was named driver of the No. 5 GMAC Financial Services Chevrolets in December 2002.

At 20 years old, Vickers is now the youngest champion in the modern-era history of NASCAR's top three divisions, supplanting Rob Moroso, who was 21 when he won the Busch Series title in 1989.

Ricky Hendrick, 23, became to the youngest car owner to field a championship-winning driver in one of NASCAR's top three divisions. Hendrick was introduced as owner of the GMAC Racing team following the 2002 season and handpicked Vickers to pilot the No. 5 Chevrolets.

Hendrick Motorsports has now won nine championships in NASCAR's top three divisions combined, including five in the Winston Cup Series (1995, 1996, 1997, 1998 and 2001) and three in the Craftsman Truck Series (1997, 1999 and 2001). The title is the first for Hendrick Motorsports in Busch Series competition after fielding full-time efforts for the first time in 2002.

In 34 Busch Series races this season, Vickers has posted three victories, 13 top-fives and 21 top-10 finishes. He also started in the top 10 on 23 occasions -- more than anyone else.

GMAC Racing finished 42nd at the season-opening race at Daytona (Fla.) International Speedway, which put Vickers second-to-last in the Busch Series standings. Since that time, he has held the point lead on three different occasions, taking it for the final time following the Nov. 8 event at North Carolina Speedway.

Vickers will drive the No. 25 Chevrolets in the NASCAR Nextel Cup Series in 2004 with sponsorship from GMAC Financial Services.