Vickers reveals heart surgery in July, promises 2011 return

Vickers reveals heart surgery in July, promises 2011 return


By Reid Spencer
Sporting News NASCAR Wire Service

BRISTOL, Tenn.—Brian Vickers’ story took an unexpected turn Saturday when the Red Bull Racing driver revealed he had surgery July 12 to repair a small hole between the upper chambers of his heart.
Vickers, 26, who was sidelined from racing for the balance of the year after blood clots were discovered in his legs and lungs in mid-May, said he was diagnosed with a PFO (patent foramen ovale), a hole between the atria after a clot traveled from the right atrium to the left atrium of his heart and into one of the fingers of his left hand.
He opted for corrective surgery, and one day later had a stent placed in a vein in his left leg to counter May-Thurner syndrome, which leads to deep vein thrombosis because of compression of blood vessels in the leg. Doctors confirmed the diagnosis of May-Thurner syndrome during the July 12 procedure.
Despite the surgery, Vickers said he is on schedule to resume racing next season and expects to get back on track in January to begin preparation for the 2011 season.
The primary hurdle Vickers must clear in order to race again is the approval of his doctors. Typically, NASCAR relies on the medical opinion of a driver’s doctors and does not seek independent testing or verification.
Vickers is taking the blood thinners to treat the blood clots and will be off the medication before he races again.
“I’m on Coumadin and Plavix still, and I will be for the rest of the year, so I’m still out of the car,” Vickers said Saturday at Bristol Motor Speedway. “But they gave me full clearance for next year. I will be back next season. I’ll be racing in January, and I’m really excited about it.
“They feel that I’m probably in the best shape I’ve ever been in my life. I’ve got two issues that I never knew about fixed. Both surgeries went extremely well, and it’s been a bit of fresh air for me to really kind of know what caused this, or part of (the cause)—it wasn’t just one thing.”
In fact, Vickers recovered from the surgery so quickly that, three weeks later, he was doing 40- to 60-mile bike rides at 10,000 feet in the mountains near Aspen, Colo.

Three teams or two?
On the assumption Vickers will return to the No. 83 Toyota next season, Red Bull faces a choice between adding a third team to accommodate the signing of Kasey Kahne for one year or replacing Scott Speed with Kahne and continuing to operate as a two-car team.
General manager Jay Frye has said the organization is still evaluating Speed’s performance and wants to see improvement. Speed entered Saturday night’s race 27th in the Sprint Cup standings, with a best finish of 10th at Atlanta in March and Daytona in July.
“As far as Kasey, I’m excited to work with him,” Vickers said. “As far as how all that goes down, I know what you know—honestly, I read about it online. I didn’t even know about it. Jay told me something was going to happen, but he didn’t tell me what, and then I read an article.
“That’s really a question for Red Bull and Jay Frye. I have no idea. But I’m going to be in the 83, and I’m really excited about it.”


NASCAR still debating Nationwide policy
Possible changes to eligibility requirements for the Nationwide Series title may be getting a second look, sources told Sporting News.
The sanctioning body had contemplated making full-time Sprint Cup drivers ineligible to win the Nationwide championship and had discussed that possibility with the relevant teams. Recently, however, there are indications the restrictions against Cup drivers may not happen, based on what NASCAR has been telling the teams that would be directly affected by such a policy.
NASCAR is still holding meetings on possible changes and hasn’t made a firm decision. Currently, Carl Edwards, Brad Keselowski and Paul Menard are the only drivers doing full-time double duty. Edwards says he plans to run a full Nationwide schedule next year, even if he’s not eligible for the title.
“We’ve got a great shop and a bunch of people that work very hard,” Edwards said. “I kind of halfway committed to doing it a year ago, these two years, so (even if) NASCAR says that we can’t race for driver’s points, I still feel like I owe it to my guys and my sponsors and myself to follow through and do what I said I’d do.”
Track owners are all for the participation of Cup drivers in Nationwide events, because it helps put fans in the grandstands. And there’s an undeniable coattail effect, where Cup drivers can help raise sponsorship money that also provides opportunities to younger, less experienced drivers.

Fireworks in driver intros
Prerace driver introductions typically are a routine, humdrum affair. Not Saturday night.
Fresh from Friday’s Nationwide Series victory, in which he dumped Brad Keselowski to take the lead on Lap 219 of 250, Kyle Busch was greeted with boos as he walked down the gangway toward a waiting pickup truck.
“Aw, you’re so loving,” was Busch’s sarcastic response to the crowd.
Moments later, Keselowski strode down the gangway. “I’m Brad Keselowski, driver of the No. 12 Penske Dodge,” he announced. “Kyle Busch is an ass.”
AJ Allmendinger subsequently told the crowd, “I just hope I’m ahead of Brad and Kyle when this stuff goes down tonight.”