GMAC Racing Finishes 32nd At Kansas
KANSAS CITY, Kan. (Oct. 5, 2003) – It was along afternoon for GMAC Racing on Saturday at Kansas Speedway, but it could have been a lot worse.
After qualifying 17th, Brian Vickers and his GMAC team looked to continue their winning ways, fresh off their third win of the season two weeks ago at Dover (Del.) International Speedway.
The race started slowly as it took only five laps until the first caution flag waved with Vickers in 15th. During the caution period, Vickers radioed crew chief Lance McGrew and explained that his car was loose, especially with cars tucked up behind him on his bumper.
By Lap 41, Vickers had slid back to 21st and was losing ground to the leaders quickly, so on Lap 55 the team elected to pit under green flag conditions for adjustments.
During the pit stop, the team changed four tires and made wedge and track-bar adjustments.
Vickers returned to the track after the pit stop only to find that the car’s handling did not improve. He tried adjusting the brake bias while in the car, but the car was still far too loose for his liking.
The team would pit again on Laps 73, 74 and 83 for adjustments, but nothing seemed to work.
On Lap 91, Vickers lost control of the No. 5 GMAC Financial Services Chevrolet in Turn 2 and hit the outside retaining wall. The 19-year-old was transported to the Infield Care Center for observation and was released shortly thereafter without any injuries.
Many teams would have opted not to repair a race car with the damage the No. 5 Chevrolet sustained, but because championship points are so valuable, the team went to work feverishly cutting away the sheet metal and replacing the damaged parts.
With every GMAC crew member pitching in, it took only 47 laps until Vickers was able to re-enter the race. The physical appearance of the car after the repairs left something to be desired, but it ran fast enough to meet NASCAR’s minimum speed requirements and it was good enough to gain six more positions on the race track -- all of which proved to be very important when the checkered flag waved.
Vickers finished 32nd, the worst finish by the GMAC team since Daytona in February. David Green, driver of the No. 37 Pontiac, won the race and assumed the top position in the point standings.
“It just wasn’t our day,” Vickers said. “These are not the results we had planned on, but tomorrow’s another day.
“The crew did a great job getting me back out there and it made a huge difference. They haven’t given up all season and it’s way too late to start now. We’ll go after it in Charlotte next week.”
The GMAC team slipped to third in the championship standings, just 46 markers behind Green with six events remaining.
The Busch Series will next visit Lowe’s Motor Speedway on Friday, Oct. 10 under the lights for the Little Trees 300. The race will be taped and broadcast on Saturday, Oct. 11 at 12 p.m. ET. Live radio coverage can be heard on PRN Radio beginning at 7:30 p.m. ET on Friday.