- published: 21 Jan 2016
- views: 1129
Brian Lee Vickers (born October 24, 1983 in Thomasville, North Carolina) is a American NASCAR and sportscar driver. He was the 2003 Busch Series champion, and at age 20, became the youngest champion in any of NASCAR's three top-tier series. Vickers will drive the No. 55 Toyota in eight races for Michael Waltrip Racing and selected races for AF Waltrip in the #61 Ferrari at the World Endurance Championship in 2012.
Vickers began running go karts in 1994. Over the next three years, he won eighty races in the World Karting Association, and won three championships, including the 1995 championship against three-time winner Mike Schwartz. In 1998, he moved to the Allison Legacy Series, and won five races during the course of the season. After competing in the NASCAR Dodge Weekly Racing Series in 1999, he moved to USAR ProCup; winning Rookie of the Year. He won two races in 2000. In 2001, he won five more races and finished 2nd in points.
Vickers made his Busch Series debut in the 2001 GNC Live Well 250 at Miwaukee in the #29 car; owned by his father Clyde. He qualified 30th and finished 37th after a crash. Vickers ran three more races that season; his best finish being 25th at North Carolina. In 2002, Vickers began running the Busch Series in his father's #40 Dodge Intrepid. He drove in 21 races, and his best finish was 7th in the Hardee's 250 at Richmond; his only top 10 of the season.
Michael Bliss (born April 5, 1965) is a NASCAR driver who has run in all three major series. He currently drives the #44 Toyota Camry for TriStar Motorsports in the NASCAR Nationwide Series. He began racing at age 10. 1993 marked his first major victory when he captured the USAC Silver Crown National Championship.
Bliss began racing in NASCAR in 1995, driving the #08/2 Ford F-150 for Ultra Motorsports in the new Craftsman Truck Series. Competing in 19 out of 20 races, Bliss picked up a win at North Wilkesboro Speedway and finished eighth in points. The next year, with sponsorship from Team ASE Racing, he won at Evergreen and I-70 and finished fifth in points. In 1998, he made his debut in the upper-NASCAR ranks. First, he finished 26th at the Kenwood Home & Car Audio 300 driving a car owned by Kevin Schwantz, then two weeks later, finished seventh at Indianapolis Raceway Park for Michael Waltrip Racing. He also ran a pair of Winston Cup races that season, finishing 25th at Martinsville Speedway in the #96 for American Equipment Racing.