BRIAN VICKERS NOTES & QUOTES
START ME UP FRONT:
Driving a No. 25 GMAC/ditech.com Chevrolet, Brian Vickers started first Sunday at New Hampshire International Speedway, giving him three career NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series pole positions. The performance marked the first time since 1992-93 the No. 25 Hendrick Motorsports team has posted poles in back-to-back seasons. Vickers captured two in his 2004 rookie year.
PERFECT 10 AT POCONO:
Rick Hendrick leads all car owners with 10 Cup Series wins at Pocono Raceway. Hendrick Motorsports has sent five different drivers to Victory Lane there: Tim Richmond (3), Jeff Gordon (3), Jimmie Johnson (2), Geoffrey Bodine (1) and Terry Labonte (1).
VICKERS SEEKING VICTORY AT POCONO:
During the June 12 event at Pocono’s 2.5-mile tri-oval, Vickers qualified third and finished second to race winner Carl Edwards. The runner-up result was a career best in Cup competition for Vickers, who led a race-high 121 of 200 laps with Hendrick Motorsports Chassis No. 294. The 21-year-old NNCS sophomore will race the same car this Sunday at Pocono.
‘25’ AVERAGING POCONO TOP-10 WITH VICKERS:
In three career starts at Pocono Raceway, Vickers has qualified no worse than sixth and owns an average finishing position of 9.3 since making his debut at the Long Pond, Pa., track last season.
BRICKYARD NEXT FOR LABONTE:
Driving a No. 44 ditech.com Chevy, two-time Cup champion Terry Labonte will next see action Aug. 7 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. His “Shifting Gears” tour also is scheduled for stops at Kansas Speedway and Texas Motor Speedway later in the year.
INDY TESTING JULY 18-19:
Hendrick Motorsports teammates Busch, Vickers and Labonte began two days of Indianapolis Motor Speedway testing on Monday.
BRIAN VICKERS, DRIVER OF THE NO. 25 GMAC/ditech.com CHEVROLETS:
(ON RETURNING TO POCONO.) “The GMAC Racing team has a great opportunity to run really well. I’ve always enjoyed the track and the No. 25 car has run well there in the past. The way we ran (at Pocono) in June was promising, but we can’t go in just expecting to win. We still have to work for it and earn it, but I feel like we’ve got a good shot.”
VICKERS:
(ON MOVING TOWARD HIS FIRST NEXTEL CUP WIN.) “I’ve raced in a lot of different series in the past 14 years and you feel like you always run into the same thing. The closer you get to the win, the harder it seems to get. But one guy told me one time -- a manufacturer I drove for -- said no matter what happens at the end of the race, if you run good, and they know you were there and you lead the most laps, you can’t walk away with your head down. I think that’s the mentality we’ve tried to take this year. Yeah, it can get frustrating. With some of the struggles we went through as a team last year, to be running this good week in and week out, no matter what happens, is good.”
VICKERS:
(ANY BIG PLANS FOR THE OFF-WEEKEND AFTER POCONO?) “I’m definitely planning to go away and spend some time with friends. I’d like to find somewhere with a beach so I can do some surfing.”
LANCE McGREW, CREW CHIEF OF THE NO. 25 GMAC/ditech.com CHEVROLETS:
(WHAT ARE YOUR EXPECTATIONS GOING INTO POCONO FOR THE SECOND TIME?) “You always have high expectations when you go back to a place where you’ve run well, but we realize the track isn’t going to be the same. I’ve only been there one time, but I understand Pocono loses a lot of grip for the July race. That in itself poses another set of challenges with regard to getting the car where it needs to be. You’re always looking to be as good or better, but it’s not a given without some adjustments.”
McGREW:
(ON THE TIRE ISSUES THIS SEASON.) “Goodyear has brought a softer tire this year to combat some of the aero changes in the cars. That has made it really difficult for us to get the balance perfect without blistering a rear tire or a front tire. For some reason, the tires just don’t wear very well. They keep a lot of heat in them, which is where you start getting the issues with blistering. It’s kind of weird because the tires are softer than they used to be, so you would expect them to wear. But they just don’t.”
