Brian Vickers will fill in for injured NASCAR driver Tony Stewart in the Daytona 500.
As we previously reported, Stewart will miss the start of the season after suffering a fractured vertebra in his back while driving an ATV in California. Stewart-Hass Racing will announce its plans on who will drive Stewart’s number 14 car at a news conference on Friday. A person familiar with the situation said that Vickers is the team’s choice for filling in for Stewart, however they are waiting to see if Vickers is medically cleared to race, according to the Associated Press. It is unknown whether Vickers will be in Stewart’s car after the Daytona 500 or not. Vickers is expected to race just at Daytona and Stewart-Hass Racing is exploring all of its options for after Daytona.
Vickers, who had driven for Michael Waltrip Racing, which closed after the 2015 season, hasn’t race much the last couple of years due to health issues. He has been sidelined four times since 2010 due to health issues. In 2010 he missed 25 races due to blood clots in his legs and lungs, in 2013 he missed the final five races after being put on blood thinners to treat a blood clot in his right calf, and last year he ran in just two races before the blood clots returned, ESPN reports. He has 3 wins, 29 top-fives, and 77 top 10 finishes in 318 career NASCAR Sprint Cup Series races, according to Fox Sports. Vickers has four top tens and a 19.4 average finish in 16 career starts at Daytona.
NASCAR begins its 2016 season with the Daytona 500 on February 21.