Banquet 400 presented by ConAgra Foods - Brian Vickers Notes

VICKERS MAKING 35TH CUP START: Brian Vickers, driver of the No. 25 GMAC Financial Services Chevrolets, may be making his 35th career NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series start on Sunday, but it will be his first on the circuit at Kansas Speedway. The 20-year-old rookie has made two NASCAR Busch Series starts at 1.5-mile tri-oval without yielding a finish better than 32nd.

1.5-MILE SUCCESS: Sunday's 267-lapper at Kansas will mark the sixth event of the NEXTEL Cup season at a 1.5-mile track. In the five previous races -- Las Vegas; Hampton, Ga.; Fort Worth, Texas; Concord, N.C.; and Joliet, Ill. -- the No. 25 team has recorded qualifying efforts of third, second, 13th, fifth and fourth, equating to an average starting position of 5.4. This season, the best finish for GMAC Racing at a 1.5-mile circuit came in April at Texas Motor Speedway, where Vickers placed 12th.

CHASSIS NO. 2552 FOR VICKERS: GMAC Racing will unload Hendrick Motorsports Chassis No. 2552 on Friday at Kansas. This season, the car has made appearances at Indianapolis and California (Sept. 5), qualifying sixth and first, respectively. After starting from the pole, Vickers went on to lead 44 laps before finishing 14th at California.

'25' LOOKS TO BACK UP QUALIFYING: Despite a 5.4 average starting position at 1.5-mile tracks, Vickers has yet to lead a lap on one this season. In an effort to change that statistic, GMAC Racing spent Wednesday testing at Kentucky Speedway in preparation for Sunday's Banquet 400.

BRIAN VICKERS, DRIVER OF THE NO. 25 GMAC FINANCIAL SERVICES CHEVROLETS: (WHAT'S BEEN THE KEY TO THE TEAM'S SUCCESS DURING QUALIFYING AT THE 1.5-MILE TRACKS?) "I enjoy qualifying anywhere, but I really look forward to qualifying at some of the bigger, faster tracks -- the speed and being on the edge. Our team has worked to develop a good intermediate-track program and that's been apparent on Fridays during time trials. The goal now is to follow up with some strong race finishes at the mile-and-a half-tracks. In addition to Kansas, we still have places like Charlotte, Atlanta and Homestead (Fla.) left to accomplish that."

VICKERS: (YOU'RE BRINGING THE SAME CAR TO KANSAS THAT WON THE POLE AND LED LAPS AT CALIFORNIA. HAVE YOU MADE ANY CHANGES TO THE CAR SINCE THEN?) "We spent Wednesday testing at Kentucky Speedway trying some different things that we hope to be able to apply this weekend and down the road at Charlotte and Atlanta. There's always room for improvement, no matter what the results were previously. You have to stay on top of things."