Brickyard 400 - Brian Vickers Notes

HMS CARRIES MOMENTUM TO INDY: Hendrick Motorsports has earned seven victories and seven pole positions in the last 13 NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series events dating back to the 500-lapper at Martinsville (Va.) Speedway on April 18. During that stretch, a Hendrick team has either finished first, earned the pole or won from the pole in 11 of those 13, with the only exceptions being Dover, Del., in June and Loudon, N.H., in July.

INDY DEBUT FOR VICKERS: Brian Vickers will be making his NEXTEL Cup debut at Indianapolis Motor Speedway this weekend. The 20-year-old rookie is one of eight drivers entered in this year's Brickyard 400 who have won a race at nearby Indianapolis Raceway Park. Vickers captured his first career NASCAR Busch Series victory at IRP in August 2003. The other seven drivers with victories at IRP are Greg Biffle, Dale Earnhardt Jr., Kevin Harvick, Bobby Labonte, Joe Nemechek, Morgan Shepherd and Michael Waltrip.

SUCCESSFUL INDY TEST FOR '25': During July testing at Indianapolis, Vickers and GMAC Racing posted the second-fastest lap of 38 teams to take part in preparations for the Brickyard 400. In 10 races run at the famed 2.5-mile oval, the No. 25 Hendrick Motorsports team has earned five top-10 starts and two top-10 finishes. The best result for the team came in 2000, when they finished fourth.

'25' BOUNCES BACK: After qualifying outside the top-10 at New Hampshire two weeks ago, the GMAC Racing team returned to form at Pocono, posting the sixth-best effort in time trials. The performance marked Vickers' eighth top-10 start in the last 11 races, giving him an average starting position of 9.54 during that stretch.

NEW CHASSIS FOR '25': For the first time in 2004, GMAC Racing will field Hendrick Motorsports Chassis No. 2552 at this weekend's 400-mile Indianapolis event. The same car was used to complete two days of testing at the venue last month.

HENDRICK AT INDY: Rick Hendrick leads all NEXTEL Cup car owners with three wins all-time at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. Jeff Gordon visited Victory Lane in 1994, 1998 and 2001. Richard Childress and Robert Yates are tied for second with two each.

BRIAN VICKERS, DRIVER OF THE NO. 25 GMAC FINANCIAL SERVICES CHEVROLETS: (WHAT WAS IT LIKE TO DRIVE AT INDIANAPOLIS DURING TESTING IN JULY?) "I've been fortunate to have driven at Indy twice in my career so far. The first was last year for the exhibition with Jeff (Gordon) and Juan Montoya when I helped to shake down Jeff's car on the road course, which was a lot of fun. My most recent experience was a few weeks ago in July when we spent two days testing our No. 25 Chevrolet during NASCAR testing. It's an amazing place. Words can't describe going down the frontstretch and seeing grandstands on either side."

VICKERS: (HOW WOULD YOU EVALUATE YOUR TEAM'S TEST AT THE BRICKYARD?) "Indianapolis is a tough track to get a handle on, particularly because of the speeds you carry into the flat corners. I believe we left in July after our test with a balanced race car. Having the right balance between the 'aero' package and chassis setup is crucial to getting the car to sit low on the race track and get through the flat turns."

VICKERS: (DO YOU HAVE ANY EXPECTATIONS FOR WHAT IT WILL FEEL LIKE TO ACTUALLY RACE AT IMS?) "Indy is a special place that gives off a lot of energy. I've spoken with Jeff (Gordon) and Jimmie (Johnson) about the race and they've told me being on the track for the first time is cool, but to just wait until the race when I go down the frontstretch with the stands full of people on both sides. I can't wait."