Daytona 500 - Brian Vickers Notes

HENDRICK CELEBRATES 20 YEARS: Entering its 20th anniversary season, Hendrick Motorsports has captured five NASCAR Winston Cup Series (now NEXTEL Cup) championships, three NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series titles, one NASCAR Busch Series crown, and more than 100 Cup Series victories. Since 1984, Chevrolet race cars entered by Hendrick Motorsports have won more than 150 NASCAR-sanctioned races, including four Daytona 500s and the inaugural Brickyard 400.

FIRST '500' FOR VICKERS: Raybestos Rookie of the Year contender Brian Vickers will attempt to qualify for his first-ever Daytona 500 during Speedweeks at Daytona (Fla.) International Speedway. Driving the No. 25 Chevrolets, the 20-year-old competed in the final four Cup Series races of 2003 and qualified fourth or better in each of those, including starts on the outside pole at Phoenix International Raceway and North Carolina Speedway.

TOP-10 FOR 20: Hendrick Motorsports has placed at least one team in the final top 10 in the Cup Series point standings for 20 consecutive years (1984-2003). Multiple Hendrick teams have finished in the top 10 in the same season on 13 different occasions.

BUSY JANUARY FOR '25' TEAM: In addition to three days of testing at Daytona in January, Vickers and the No. 25 GMAC Racing team also spent a day at North Carolina Speedway and two days testing at Las Vegas Motor Speedway.

DO THE MATH: Coming into the 2004 season, Hendrick Motorsports has earned 117 Cup Series victories in 625 events entered. That's one win for every 5.34 races.

THIRD DAYTONA START FOR VICKERS: Vickers, the 2003 Busch Series champion, has made two career starts at Daytona, both in Busch Series competition. He posted finishes of 42nd and seventh in last season's February and July races, respectively.

HMS STREAKS: As of 2003, Hendrick Motorsports has earned at least one Cup Series pole position in 20 consecutive years (1984-2003) and at least one Cup Series win in 18 straight (1986-2003).

THE YOUNGEST GUN: If Vickers qualifies for every event on the 2004 NEXTEL Cup schedule, he will become the youngest driver to do so in NASCAR's modern-era history. By winning the 2003 Busch Series driver's title at age 20, the Thomasville, N.C., native is already the youngest to win a NASCAR championship. He was born Oct. 24, 1983.

THREE FOR THREE & FOUR IN A ROW: Rick Hendrick is one of just three team owners to win championships in each of NASCAR's top three divisions -- Cup Series, Busch Series and Truck Series. He is the only team owner to win four consecutive Cup Series championships (1995, 1996, 1997 & 1998).

HENDRICK CHAMPIONS: Hendrick Motorsports has fielded championship-winning teams with four different drivers -- Jeff Gordon (Cup Series), Terry Labonte (Cup Series), Jack Sprague (Truck Series), and Brian Vickers (Busch Series).

ROLL CALL: Drivers that have driven for Hendrick Motorsports over the past 20 years include: Geoff Bodine, Kyle Busch, Ricky Craven, Wally Dallenbach, Jeff Gordon, David Green, Rick Hendrick, Ricky Hendrick, Jimmie Johnson, Terry Labonte, Jerry Nadeau, Joe Nemechek, Benny Parsons, Tim Richmond, Ricky Rudd, Ken Schrader, Jack Sprague, Brian Vickers, and Darrell Waltrip.

BRIAN VICKERS, DRIVER OF THE NO. 25 GMAC FINANCIAL SERVICES CHEVROLETS: (THIS WILL BE YOUR FIRST DAYTONA 500 QUALIFYING ATTEMPT. WHAT DO YOU THINK IT WILL BE LIKE?) "I can't wait. This is what I've dreamed about since I began racing -- to be able to run in the Daytona 500. I'm not sure I can accurately put into words how excited I am about getting to Daytona for Speedweeks. To finally get to this point in my career means everything."

VICKERS: (AS YOU APPROACH DAYTONA 500 QUALIFYING, IS IT MORE COMFORTABLE FOR YOU, KNOWING YOU WERE ABLE TO PUT TOGETHER SOME STRONG QUALIFYING EFFORTS AT THE END OF LAST SEASON?) "Our qualifying runs in 2003 don't do much for us at this point. It's a whole new season and, although we did have some success qualifying during those last four races in 2003, we have to focus on the present and what's ahead. Based upon qualifying in 2003, I know at least what we're capable of and that helps."

VICKERS: (HOW DID YOUR "PRESEASON THUNDER" TEST AT DAYTONA GO?) "The first day was the most exciting -- getting back into the swing of things -- but it was sort of boring after that. I realize it's kind of a necessary evil, but as a driver you want to be out there with more cars racing, not just making test runs. We had a successful three days and gained the information we needed. It especially helped to have my teammates (Terry Labonte, Jeff Gordon and Jimmie Johnson) testing at the same time so we could compare notes."