Will Brian Vickers extended absence hurt him in 2011?
In 2010 Brian Vickers season ended prematurely due to blood clots in his legs and around his lungs. He only raced in eleven races before his health condition sidelined him for the rest of the year.
The question Fantasy Racers are wondering is, will his extended absence hurt him? The obvious answer to that question is absolutely not. Why would it hurt him?
Brian Vickers health issue was an internal issue, not an outward physical condition. When you see him on the track he will not be nursing any broken bones or be suffering a psychological setback of being afraid to put his car in certain situations.
I also don’t believe Brian Vickers will be suffering any on track timing issues either. Do you really think his time off has really hurt him? Really!!!
Vickers has been testing his car since last year so it’s not like he’s going into the season cold turkey. Brian Vickers is a NASCAR driver, not a taxi cab driver. If missing this many months was an obstacle then he probably isn’t good enough to be racing in NASCAR’s premiere series in the first place.
I don’t think his pit stop rhythm will be off either. He’s not the one changing the tires. He may look a little rusty the first couple of times he pulls into his pit box but what driver isn’t a little off their game at the start of the season? Also it’s not like the 83 pit crew doesn’t practice. Their professionals and are the 2008 Pit Crew Champions.
Why am I so confident with this non-issue issue? Because a similar issue to this arose in 1987. Didn’t you watch the ESPN 30 for 30 about Tim Richmond? I’m not comparing Brian Vickers to him but they both suffered from internal health conditions (not broken bones etc.). Richmond was out for nearly half a season and the first race he returned he went on to victory lane. Richmond even won in his second race back from his absence.
Just to reiterate myself I’m not comparing Brian Vickers to Tim Richmond, I’m only pointing out that the argument that time away from the car should not be perceived as a significant issue.
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