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2008 Review/ 2009 Preview: Brian Vickers
By admin | January 31, 2009
By Richard Allen
Over the next few days and weeks I will be presenting a review of 2008 and a preview of 2009 for each of the drivers and teams who appear to be set for a full time run in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series. For the most part these pieces will run in order by car number. If you should miss out on your favorite driver simply type his name into the search box at the upper right hand portion of the website.
#83- Brian Vickers
Brian Vickers is about to enter his third year of driving for Team Red Bull. After leaving Hendrick Motorsports, the North Carolina driver’s career has been in somewhat of a rebuilding phase, which has coincided with the initial building of Team Red Bull. That rebuilding, or building, appears to be nearing completion.
Over the first 2/3 of the season in 2008 the #83 team was the most improved team in the Sprint Cup division of NASCAR. For whatever reason, they faded in the last 1/3 of the year. Their last Top 10 finish was recorded in August at the Michigan International Speedway.
All totaled, Vickers ended 2008 with three Top 5s and six Top 10s. Those statistics do not tell the whole story. For example, he looked to be a solid contender for the win in the Coca-Cola 600 until tire problems sent him to the wall. There were other races, such as in Pocono, where he could have easily won had the breaks gone his way.
For 2009, crew chief Ryan Pemberton has come over from Michael Waltrip Racing to call the shots atop the #83 pit box. Obviously, the team is hoping to avoid a late season slide like that of last year and are placing their hopes in Pemberton to be the man to prevent such a fall.
In 2009, this team’s upward trend will get back on track. I believe Vickers will win in this coming year. Perhaps a track such as Atlanta or Michigan will provide a victory as his best results in 2008 were on such tracks. Once the first win occurs he could get on a roll and win others. There could still be some consistency issues, keeping in mind this team is still not quite up to the levels of Roush Fenway, Gibbs or Hendrick, but they are getting closer.
Vickers will be in contention to make the Chase for the Championship right down to the final cutoff race in Richmond.
Driver: Brian Vickers
Car: #83
Owner: Team Red Bull
Sponsor: Red Bull
Manufacturer: Toyota
Crew Chief: Ryan Pemberton
Scanner Frequencies(?): 451.6125
Chances of making the Chase for the Championship: He will be in the 10th- 14th range at cutoff time so it depends on which side of 12th place he is on.
Richard Allen is a member of the National Motorsports Press Association. His weekly column appears in The Mountain Press every Wednesday.
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