At the beginning of the season, no one would have guessed that the Red Bull Racing team would have two solid cars, one which is in contention for the Chase.
After an 11th-place finish at Daytona, Brian Vickers sits 15th in the Sprint Cup driver standings, only 112 points from the top 12 heading into a weekend in the Windy City. Chicagoland Speedway, a 1.5-mile oval with a slight bend in the backstretch, is one of Brians better tracks. Never has he started outside the top five, never has he finished outside the top 15 in three starts and hes completed 100 percent of the laps. Hes on a roll, too. Over the past six races this season, Brians No. 83 Red Bull Toyota has earned the third-most points with two top-five finishes.
"Im excited, and a little anxious just want to get through it," Brian said. "When youre on the cusp of being in the Chase, theres a lot of pressure there. Im trying not to put too much pressure on myself or the team. We are a second-year team with a second-year manufacturer, so the fact that were even in contention for the Chase is fantastic. Were capable of it with a little bit of luck, hard work and focus. We have to make the ground up. Its not ours to lose."
AJ Allmendinger had a right-front tire fail 20 laps into his first Daytona race, and the No. 84 tagged the wall. He returned to the track 60 laps later and finished 42nd. In the pursuit of the top 35, the No. 84 is 37th in the owner standings 200 points out.