This weekend Brian Vickers returns to Bristol Motor Speedway where he made his NASCAR Sprint Cup debut for Michael Waltrip Racing on March 18.
Vickers led 125 laps and finished fifth on a day all three MWR cars posted top-five finishes. The Thomasville, N.C. native continued to impress in his next four races for MWR in 2012 including a fourth-place finish on the road course in Sonoma.
Vickers drives the No. 55 MyClassicGarage Toyota under the tutelage of crew chief Rodney Childers. The pair have known each other more than 20 years tracing their relationship back to the days of racing go karts as kids. The pair will contend with a reconfigured upper groove racing surface in Bristol that should make the racing more exciting for the fans.
After Bristol, Vickers will drive the No. 55 at New Hampshire on Sept. 23 and at Martinsville on Oct. 28.
VICKERS ON BRISTOL: “Last time we were in Bristol was the first time I was in the MWR Toyota. New team, new guys, new routine and it was awesome. Minus a win, I could have not asked for a better finish the first time out of the gate. We had a great car that ran very well on the bottom and led a lot of laps. It will be interesting to see though how the upper groove has changed and how it will effect the racing. They wanted it like the “old Bristol” so we’ll see. But again, we had the best car in the lower groove so hopefully it won’t effect us too much. “
ON RACING FOR MWR: “I was really happy when the phone rang from MWR . I didn’t have too much going and they had some open races. We as a group have made the most of it. We have run competitive. The cars that Scott Miller and his group build are fantastic and it’s shown on the track. Clint has a win. Martin has run well and is knocking on the door for a win and Mark has been awesome. We have two top fives. The whole MWR organization is about performance off the track with its sponsors and has become a top notch team on the track with its results. All in all this has been a great partnership and I am really thankful for the opportunity.
ON CREW CHIEF RODNEY CHILDERS: “He is one hell of a crew chief. He takes the feedback I give him and can translate that into the set-up of the race car. Rodney comprehends the feedback I am giving him and in return I understand and trust what he is trying to do to make me more comfortable in the seat. He is calling great races as well on top of the box. He is aware of the strategy and what it takes to win races. I’m really real happy with our relationship- one that started many years ago in go karts. Its been a privilege to work along side him and all the guys that he has on the crew. There are no egos.”
MWR
