BRIAN VICKERS NOTES & QUOTES
VICKERS MAKING A ‘POINT’:
GMAC Racing finished ninth at Brooklyn, Mich., on Sunday, recording its third consecutive top-10 result. In the past six races, only Tony Stewart has outscored Brian Vickers in total points earned. During the stretch dating back to Chicagoland Speedway, Vickers has accumulated 866 points to Stewart’s 1,026. Jeremy Mayfield ranks third with 840.
SCOOBY RIDES WITH ‘25’:
Vickers’ GMAC/ditech.com Chevrolet will sport a different look for this weekend’s 500-lap NEXTEL Cup event at Bristol. As part of a summer-long promotion with Kellogg’s and the Cartoon Network, Scooby-Doo will adorn the No. 25 NEXTEL Cup entry.
HENDRICK AT BRISTOL:
Rick Hendrick has seven Cup Series victories at Bristol, tying him with Roger Penske for second on the list of active car owners. With eight wins, Richard Childress is the only active car owner with more.
NO TIME-TRIAL TRIBULATIONS FOR VICKERS:
The No. 25 GMAC Racing team has maintained an average starting position of 8.0 dating back to the NEXTEL Cup event at Chicagoland Speedway. The average includes a 22nd-place start Aug. 14 at Watkins Glen, N.Y., where the field was set by owner points. Only Ryan Newman has a better average starting position (4.66) during that stretch.
FIRST POLE CAME AT ‘BULLRING’:
Driving a No. 5 Chevrolet, Geoffrey Bodine earned Hendrick Motorsports’ first-ever Cup Series pole position in August 1984 at Bristol Motor Speedway. The team, then known as “All-Star Racing,” earned three poles and three wins that first season.
‘25’ TESTS BRISTOL, RICHMOND:
In the past two weeks, GMAC Racing has participated in NEXTEL Cup testing at Bristol Motor Speedway and Richmond (Va.) International Raceway in preparation for upcoming events.
BUSCH & VICKERS AT FAMILY RACE NIGHT:
Hendrick Motorsports teammates Kyle Busch and Brian Vickers will sign autographs at Food City Family Race Night on Thursday. Busch will appear beginning at 6:30 p.m. ET, with Vickers arriving 30 minutes prior. The event is held on State Street in Bristol, Tenn.
UP FRONT AT BRISTOL:
Of Hendrick Motorsports’ seven Cup Series pole positions at Bristol, four have come in the last 10 races held there -- all courtesy of Jeff Gordon. During that same stretch, Gordon has an average start of 3.5 and 1,264 laps led. His average starting position in 25 career races is an astounding 4.84.
BRIAN VICKERS, DRIVER OF THE NO. 25 GMAC/ditech.com CHEVROLETS:
(HAVE YOU COMPLETELY RULED OUT MAKING THE CHASE FOR THE CHAMPIONSHIP?) “I’ve tried to keep my focus on the next race and not look ahead. I think we’ve got a good thing going and I don’t want to do anything that will take away from how well we’ve been running. All we can do as a team is worry about what we can control, not about this scenario or that scenario.”
VICKERS: (WHY ALL OF THE RECENT TESTS?)
“We’re trying to keep the momentum going. We feel that Bristol and Richmond are two of the tracks where we could have performed better the first time around. Plus, we have the dates left to test.”
VICKERS: (HOW DOES IT FEEL TO BE ON THIS KIND OF ROLL?)
“It feels good to see everyone’s hard work rewarded with good finishes. Last season was a learning experience that I value and have tried to learn from. With the changes made in the off-season, I knew we could get the job done. And I know that we still have room to improve and that it’ll take more time to come together. I’m just proud of everyone for their hard work and devotion.”
