BRIAN VICKERS NOTES & QUOTES
THE NUMBERS DON’T LIE:
During the second half of the NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series season, Brian Vickers and GMAC Racing have averaged a finishing position of 14.1. That is an improvement of nearly nine spots per event over the first half of 2005, when the No. 25 Hendrick Motorsports team averaged a result of 22.7. Vickers has posted 12 top-15 performances in the 15 races since the midpoint.
NEXT WIN WILL BE 140TH FOR HENDRICK:
Jeff Gordon’s first-place finish Oct. 23 at Martinsville (Va.) Speedway gave Rick Hendrick his 139th Cup-level victory, tying him with legendary team owner Junior Johnson for second on NASCAR’s all-time list (1949-present). Hendrick, who leads all Cup owners in modern-era wins (1972-present), now trails only Petty Enterprises overall.
CHASSIS 353 FOR VICKERS:
GMAC Racing will call upon Hendrick Motorsports Chassis No. 353 for this weekend’s 500-miler at Texas Motor Speedway. The car has seen action in four NEXTEL Cup events this season, earning two top-five results and qualifying inside the top-10 in three of the four. It was most recently run Oct. 15 at Lowe’s Motor Speedway, where Vickers qualified 25th and finished 12th.
VICKERS AT ‘CHEVY STAMPEDE’:
Vickers will appear with other Chevrolet drivers on the main stage at the “Chevy Stampede” in downtown Dallas on Friday beginning at 7 p.m. local time. The free festival is highlighted by driver appearances, simulators, games and concerts.
VICKERS TESTS ‘CAR OF TOMORROW’:
Vickers was one of a handful of drivers to test the next-generation NEXTEL Cup Series car, commonly known as the “car of tomorrow,” at Atlanta Motor Speedway on Monday.
BRIAN VICKERS, DRIVER OF THE NO. 25 GMAC/ditech.com CHEVROLETS:
(WHAT ARE YOUR FIRST IMPRESSIONS OF THE NEXT-GENERATION CUP CAR?) “It looks more like a 1955 Chevy, or a New York taxicab from years ago. Not much to look at, but it’s still a race car.”
VICKERS:
(THE “CAR OF TOMORROW” WAS PRIMARILY DESIGNED WITH SAFETY IN MIND. DID YOU NOTICE THOSE FEATURES WHEN YOU WERE IN THE CAR?) “The seat has been moved closer to the center of the car, but only by a couple of inches. For me, when you go off into the corner at 200 mph, it’s the least of my concerns and you don’t even notice it. The most noticeable difference is how high the roof is and how tall the car looks in general. The front windshield isn’t laid back as far with the new car. You can see everything out of the front of the windshield. I felt like I could see the moon, the stars and the spotters on top of the spotters’ stand. That can easily be fixed by applying more black paint to the top of the windshield, which helps to keep the sun out of our eyes.”
VICKERS:
(HOW DID THE CAR DRIVE?) “Driving-wise, it’s not that far off from the Cup cars we have now. Once you get the balance right, it doesn’t matter what kind of car you’re in. It’s still a race car and you’re still searching for a balanced feel, a neutral feel, or whatever you prefer as a driver. You notice a lack of total downforce and loss of grip, but more aerodynamic drag down the straightaways.”
VICKERS:
(HOW DID THE CAR RESPOND IN TRAFFIC?) “In traffic, there was a big difference. The car was affected quite a bit with other cars around it. There’s some work to do there. I don’t think it’s exactly what everyone wanted. All in all, I think it was a great test. I applaud NASCAR for what they’re trying to do. They’re trying to create a safer, more economically friendly car and they’re also trying to create a better car from a competition standpoint. There’s still some work to do, but we can get there.”
