Vickers Paces Happy Hour at Bristol

BRISTOL, Tenn. (March 27, 2004) – Brian Vickers paced the field in the final NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series practice at Bristol Motor Speedway on Saturday, driving his No. 25 GMAC Financial Services Chevrolet to a lap of 122.968 mph (15.604 seconds). The rookie was followed by Jeff Gordon in 13th, Jimmie Johnson in 23rd and Terry Labonte, who was 32nd in “Happy Hour.” Driving the No. 48 Lowe’s Chevrolet, Johnson was the quickest Hendrick Motorsports driver in the first of the Saturday’s two practices, with the sixth-best lap of the session (123.554 mph, 15.530 seconds). Vickers was 11th, followed by 15th-place Gordon in the No. 24 DuPont Chevy. Labonte was 25th in the No. 5 Kellogg’s Monte Carlo. Dale Earnhardt Jr. was quickest in the early session at 124.218 mph (15.447 seconds).