Post by labontefanboy on Feb 2, 2014 11:20:36 GMT -5
Q&A with Points Leader Brian Vickers
After another top 5 finish at Sunday's Aaron's 499, NASCAR Nextel Cup Series points leaders Brian Vickers sat down with FoxSports' Lee Spencer to discuss his season so far and his future.
LS: Brian, let's start out with the obvious. You're the points leader right now by a wide margin over your teammate and mentor, 4-time champion Jeff Gordon. What does that mean to you?
BV: Well, it really means a lot. Jeff is a guy I've looked up to for a long, long time, and he's been working with me ever since I joined Hendrick Motorsports, so to be able to outperform him so far this season is pretty cool.
LS: You've never made the Chase in 3 full seasons. Many people believed last year was the make or break season, but Rick Hendrick extended your contract through 2011 even though you still missed the Chase. What kind of confidence does that give you?
BV: Oh man, it gives me a ton of confidence. It's pretty obvious that I haven't quite met the expectations a lot of people had for me back in 2003 but Rick called me up last season and said, hey, last year we didn't give you what we needed for your development, so this year is you playing catch up. I know you've got it takes so I want you to stay here for a long time. That trust he has in me really means a lot, I look at Rick as a father so it's really cool that he's got my back like that.
LS: Do you consider yourself a lock for the Chase with 17 races to go and a 184-point lead over Gordon?
BV: Absolutely not. We've got to keep putting pressure on everybody else. This sport is so competitive nowadays that we can't afford to just maintain our ground and get cocky. There's no room for complacency. We've got to keep putting up top 5, top 10 finishes week in and week out. The good news is that our whole organization is really running well right now so I think we definitely do have a good chance but we can't just quit now.
LS: Talk about last week. Phoenix, a place you've historically had inconsistent results at. Then, you dominate the second half of the race and get your first career win. How emotional was it for you?
BV: Oh yeah, it was really very emotional. It's a feeling I still have a hard time describing. Our team, the #25 team, has grown together over the past 3 years and all of our struggles and success finally culminated in one race, and we finally were able to put everything together and get the win. We've been close a bunch of times, it was all about getting over the hump. I can't say I didn't shed a couple tears that night. It was a huge day for me, personally, and our entire race team. We all wanted it so bad and finally got it....I just can't even describe it really. The only thing I know is that I think we've got a few more coming, we're definitely not done yet.
LS: I've got one more question for you. Have you gotten to drive the Car of Tomorrow yet?
BV: Yeah, me and Jimmie [Johnson] went to Michigan a couple weeks back and did the first shakedown for the Hendrick COTs.
LS: How does it compare to the current model?
BV: It's not similar at all. That car is going to be a whole new animal, and it's really going to change the playing field a ton. You think there's a lot of parity now? Just wait until next year. It really will level things out for everybody, it's a game changer. I'm looking forward to it, it's really challenging to drive but I think I'm up for the challenge.
LS: Thanks for your time Brian, and good luck in the rest of your 2007 season.
(FoxSports) (5/2/07)
After another top 5 finish at Sunday's Aaron's 499, NASCAR Nextel Cup Series points leaders Brian Vickers sat down with FoxSports' Lee Spencer to discuss his season so far and his future.
LS: Brian, let's start out with the obvious. You're the points leader right now by a wide margin over your teammate and mentor, 4-time champion Jeff Gordon. What does that mean to you?
BV: Well, it really means a lot. Jeff is a guy I've looked up to for a long, long time, and he's been working with me ever since I joined Hendrick Motorsports, so to be able to outperform him so far this season is pretty cool.
LS: You've never made the Chase in 3 full seasons. Many people believed last year was the make or break season, but Rick Hendrick extended your contract through 2011 even though you still missed the Chase. What kind of confidence does that give you?
BV: Oh man, it gives me a ton of confidence. It's pretty obvious that I haven't quite met the expectations a lot of people had for me back in 2003 but Rick called me up last season and said, hey, last year we didn't give you what we needed for your development, so this year is you playing catch up. I know you've got it takes so I want you to stay here for a long time. That trust he has in me really means a lot, I look at Rick as a father so it's really cool that he's got my back like that.
LS: Do you consider yourself a lock for the Chase with 17 races to go and a 184-point lead over Gordon?
BV: Absolutely not. We've got to keep putting pressure on everybody else. This sport is so competitive nowadays that we can't afford to just maintain our ground and get cocky. There's no room for complacency. We've got to keep putting up top 5, top 10 finishes week in and week out. The good news is that our whole organization is really running well right now so I think we definitely do have a good chance but we can't just quit now.
LS: Talk about last week. Phoenix, a place you've historically had inconsistent results at. Then, you dominate the second half of the race and get your first career win. How emotional was it for you?
BV: Oh yeah, it was really very emotional. It's a feeling I still have a hard time describing. Our team, the #25 team, has grown together over the past 3 years and all of our struggles and success finally culminated in one race, and we finally were able to put everything together and get the win. We've been close a bunch of times, it was all about getting over the hump. I can't say I didn't shed a couple tears that night. It was a huge day for me, personally, and our entire race team. We all wanted it so bad and finally got it....I just can't even describe it really. The only thing I know is that I think we've got a few more coming, we're definitely not done yet.
LS: I've got one more question for you. Have you gotten to drive the Car of Tomorrow yet?
BV: Yeah, me and Jimmie [Johnson] went to Michigan a couple weeks back and did the first shakedown for the Hendrick COTs.
LS: How does it compare to the current model?
BV: It's not similar at all. That car is going to be a whole new animal, and it's really going to change the playing field a ton. You think there's a lot of parity now? Just wait until next year. It really will level things out for everybody, it's a game changer. I'm looking forward to it, it's really challenging to drive but I think I'm up for the challenge.
LS: Thanks for your time Brian, and good luck in the rest of your 2007 season.
(FoxSports) (5/2/07)