BRIAN VICKERS LMS NOTES & QUOTES
ALL-STAR CAR GETS CALL:
Brian Vickers, driver of the No. 25 GMAC/ditech.com Chevrolets, won Saturday night’s NEXTEL Open and finished third in the All-Star Challenge in only his second career start in the non-points event. The machine he drove, Hendrick Motorsports Chassis No. 334, will make another appearance Sunday at Lowe’s Motor Speedway. The 600-miler will mark the car’s fifth NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series race of 2005.
ON THIS DATE:
Darrell Waltrip took a No. 17 Chevrolet to Victory Lane at Lowe’s Motor Speedway on May 29, 1988, marking the first of Rick Hendrick’s record 11 car-owner wins at the track. Hendrick has seen five of his drivers score first-place finishes in points-paying Cup Series events at LMS: Waltrip (2), Ken Schrader (1), Jeff Gordon (4), Labonte (1) and Jimmie Johnson (3).
LMS MARKED FIRST FOR VICKERS:
At Lowe’s Motor Speedway in October 2003, a 19-year-old Vickers made his Cup-level debut, qualifying 20th and finishing 33rd in a Hendrick-owned Chevrolet. Last season, the Thomasville, N.C., native started fifth and finished 15th in his first Memorial Day weekend event in the NEXTEL Cup Series.
LOWE’S IS LUCKY FOR McGREW:
Crew chief Lance McGrew, 37, has enjoyed considerable success at Lowe’s Motor Speedway over the past two seasons. In four Busch Series races, the Baton Rouge, La., native guided two young talents -- Kyle Busch and Brian Vickers -- to a win, three top-fives and four top-10 finishes. He is now a rookie NEXTEL Cup crew chief, leading the No. 25 GMAC Racing team with Vickers behind the wheel.
VICKERS BACK TO BUSCH:
Driving a No. 57 Ore-Ida Chevy at LMS, Vickers will make the second of his six scheduled Busch Series starts this season. The 21-year-old qualified second and finished 43rd after contact sent him into the retaining wall May 6 at Darlington, S.C., marking his first NBS effort since capturing the circuit championship at Homestead, Fla., in November 2003. Vickers’ third Busch outing of 2005 is slated for July 1 at Daytona Beach, Fla.
DOUBLE-DUTY CREW:
Vickers won’t be the only one on the No. 57 Busch Series team pulling double duty this weekend. On Saturday, Vickers’ No. 57 Ore-Ida Chevrolet will receive service from his NEXTEL Cup over-the-wall pit crew.
VICKERS, LABONTE SIGNING SATURDAY:
Vickers and Labonte will be signing autographs Saturday at the GMAC Insurance RV located across from Lowe’s Motor Speedway, near the corner of Highway 29 and Morehead Road. Labonte will be there for one hour beginning at 11:30 a.m., while Vickers will arrive at 1 p.m. Those wishing to participate must pick up a ticket at the GMAC Insurance RV beginning at 10:30 a.m. on Saturday. A limit of 300 tickets will be distributed for each driver.
BRIAN VICKERS, DRIVER OF THE NO. 25 GMAC/ditech.com CHEVROLETS:
(WHAT’S THE KEY FOR SUNDAY’S 600-MILER?) “Track position will be key. The tire Goodyear has elected to use has been very balanced and doesn’t seem to fall off as drastically as we’ve seen at some other places this season. Admittedly, the all-star format doesn’t provide long green-flag runs like the ‘600’ can, but I think, in addition to keeping up with the changing race track, track position will play a bigger role.”
VICKERS:
(WHAT DO YOU EXPECT FROM THE TRACK ON SUNDAY THAT WE DIDN’T SEE DURING THE ALL-STAR RACE?) “I wouldn’t be surprised if another groove develops later in the race Sunday because of all the rubber buildup. Turns 3 and 4 are good now, so you can run side-by-side there. The bottom of Turn 1 is treacherous and that’s why you saw the outside line working so well on restarts (in the all-star race). Cars on the lead lap should have an easier time clearing traffic because of Turn 1.”
