July 17, 2009
By Nick Blake
There’s a lot going on around Brian Vickers right now, how he is staying focused in his ride is beyond me.
Once again in 2009, Vickers is right in the thick of the Chase hunt, 16th in the standings. Last year he was in a similar position, 14th in points and poised to make a run, when a motor let go at Indy, resulting in a 42nd place finish, killing his Chase hopes. He hopes for better luck this time around, coming off the heels of back to back 7th place finishes at Daytona and Chicagoland respectively, and the first ever front row start for team Red Bull, with Vickers on pole and teammate Scott Speed second.
More on Speed later.
However with the news of Martin Truex Jr. leaving Earnhardt Ganassi Racing for Michael Waltrip Racing, Silly Season has kicked off in a big way. The rumors surrounding Vickers however, are limited. On June 10th, news broke that Vickers had verbally agreed to a multi year deal that would keep him in a Red Bull Toyota……and I say Toyota because this occurred before the whispers of Red Bull to Chevrolet came about.
Now it’s a month later, and Vickers has yet to sign the contract.
Possible holdups? Many.
First, let’s talk about Vickers and what his needs and wants are. Like every driver, he wants a stable organization around him, a team that he feels like he can be a threat to win on any given Sunday (and the occasional Saturday night). Right now it’s not there. They can win poles, three of them, but on race day, they're outdone by everyone else. Saturday was no different. Determined not to lose the lead to Denny Hamlin with 16 laps to go, the two engaged in a bumping war that took them both out of the lead, with Mark Martin slipping on by for the winning pass.
In fact, comparing Red Bull driver Brian Vickers to Michael Waltrip Racing driver David Reutimann, both started driving for Toyota in 2007, and Vickers has 4 top fives in 3 seasons, while Reutimann also has 4 top fives in 3 seasons, the difference being that Reuti’s top fives have all come this season, and one was a win, something Vickers hasn’t accomplished since before Reutimann even had a full time Nationwide ride. You decide if it’s team or talent.
But as the possibility of Red Bull converting to Chevrolet looms larger, I don’t see why Vickers wouldn’t want to switch to the equipment that gave him his only career win. With the success of Stewart-Haas Racing, the right people and the right allegiances can steer you in the direction that should be headed, and that’s winning races and contending for the Chase. Rick Hendrick can provide that better than anyone else right now. This should be a no-brainer for Vickers, who clearly has the talent to win, but just needs the right formula behind him.
Maybe it’s not that. What if it’s time for yet another new teammate in the second car?
Scott Speed’s job security is on the line, and why wouldn’t it be? Speed has failed to impress like fellow rookie competitor, 19 year old Joey Logano. It could be said that Logano inherited a two time championship winning team, and Speed is only driving for a third year upstart team, but I find it hard to believe that a Red Bull Toyota is behind a Front Row Motorsports Chevy in the owners points. Speed’s biggest problem is not finishing races, and sometimes not starting them. He’s on a roll, with three straight DNF’s, and if he continues like this, not only will he not be back in the #82 next season; he may not find another ride in Sprint Cup Series ever again. He has rubbed numerous competitors the wrong way, including his Cup teammate Brian Vickers, during a Nationwide race at New Hampshire.
If Speed can’t get his act together, and Red Bull does indeed form an alliance with Hendrick, Brad Keselowski could be very suitable replacement in the #82. With Vickers as a teammate, Red Bull will suddenly look like a double team threat, like Stewart-Haas Racing is, rather than just one team trying to make it on it’s own because of the limited information it must get from the #82.
I mean, if your average finish is 31.2, I don’t think you have much information that can help the #83. Keselowski not only has more experience in stock cars than Speed, but he doesn’t posses the flashy Formula One attitude that Speed still tries to show off. He’s a racer’s racer. Willing to win at all cost, he’s the man you want. Red Bull reps have denied any talks with Keselowski, but still, anything is possible this Silly Season.
This week Red Bull General Manager Jay Frye is heading to Austria to knock out the details of Brian Vickers’s future with the team, but for the record, it appears that Red Bull is ready to finally show it’s wings.
With or without Vickers.
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