Chevy Rock and Roll 400 - Brian Vickers Notes

TWO AND COUNTING: Brian Vickers, driver of the No. 25 GMAC Financial Services Chevrolets, earned his first career NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series pole position at Richmond (Va.) International Raceway in May. Last weekend at California Speedway, GMAC Racing captured its second pole of 2004, marking the first time since 1993 the No. 25 team has earned multiple first-place starts in a single season. Ken Schrader won six poles while driving the No. 25 Chevrolets for Hendrick Motorsports in 1993.

VICKERS AT RICHMOND: Vickers has five NASCAR starts on Richmond's .750-mile oval, including his first career Busch Series top-10 finish (May 2002), his first career NEXTEL Cup pole (May 2004) and his first career Cup Series top-10 (May 2004).

'25' OUT FRONT: The 44 laps led by GMAC Racing at California were the most for the team this season and their first since Pocono Raceway in June. The team has led 85 laps in 2004, including 32 circuits at Richmond in May.

POLE-WINNING CAR RETURNS: As expected, the No. 25 team will call upon Hendrick Motorsports Chassis No. 2544 when the NEXTEL Cup Series returns to RIR this weekend. Chassis No. 2544 is the same car used to capture the pole and finish eighth during the May event. It was most recently fielded at New Hampshire International Speedway in July, qualifying 26th and finishing 34th. SECOND TIME AROUND: This weekend marks the sixth of 13 return trips to tracks that host two NEXTEL Cup races in 2004. In three of the five previous return visits, Labonte's finishing position was higher than his first race there. He placed 18th in this year's initial stop in Richmond on May 15.

FASULKA WELCOMED BACK: Pending a last-minute setback, GMAC Racing gasman Chris Fasulka, sidelined since early August with a back injury, will return to action this weekend for the Chevy Rock & Roll 400. Chris "Happy" Hamilton, the regular gasman for the No. 5 Chevrolets of Kyle Busch in the Busch Series, has been fueling the No. 25 Chevrolets in Fasulka's absence.

BRIAN VICKERS, DRIVER OF THE NO. 25 GMAC FINANCIAL SERVICES CHEVROLETS: (YOU'VE EXPERIENCED A LOT OF CAREER FIRSTS AT RICHMOND. CAN YOU EXPLAIN WHY?) "I enjoy the track now, but it didn't start out that way. When I first visited Richmond with my family's No. 40 Busch (Series) car, we went there to test and I crashed during my fourth lap on the track. I experienced a lot of problems there in the Busch Series -- even missed qualifying for the spring race in 2002 (in the No. 40). I've had struggles at RIR, but we've come back to have a lot of good times and now it's on my list of favorites. We're definitely looking forward to getting back and hopefully having a good, solid weekend like we did in May."

VICKERS: (CAN THE SAME KIND OF RESULTS ACHIEVED IN MAY BE REPLICATED AT RIR THIS WEEKEND?) "I feel good about getting back to Richmond. We obviously have a good baseline setup to begin with and, as much as I'd like to believe everything will be just like it was in May, I know better. You have variables like weather and the fact that the recently paved track has had another four or five months to age."