After missing the
Daytona test because of a hernia operation, Hendrick Motorsports driver Brian Vickers got his first taste of action this season at the Las Vegas test, where he talked about what it would take for his #25 team to make the Chase for the Championship this year.
THE MODERATOR
We now have Brian Vickers with us. Are you feeling better?
BRIAN VICKERS:
Yeah, I'm definitely feeling a lot better. If you asked me last Monday or Tuesday whether I would be in the car the whole two days, it would definitely have been questionable. I was pretty concerned. The first week, the healing process was pretty slow, but then it took leaps and bounds after that. Still a little tender here and there, getting in and out of the car, but once I'm in the car, I feel pretty good. I feel real good.
THE MODERATOR:
Being here in Las Vegas, both Jeff Gordon and Jimmie Johnson both have a win here, Kyle finished second in the Cup race, does that give you some confidence going in or put a little pressure on you going into this year's race.
BRIAN VICKERS:
I think it's confidence that the Hendrick Motorsports teams have run pretty good here. For the first time we feel that all of the teams are in equal positions. You know, last year was the first step in the process of bringing everyone together on the same playing field, but it wasn't going to happen overnight. It took a year for all of that to take place and we are finally where we need to be.
Q.
There's a large rookie crop this year, you're not that far removed from your first year, what kind of pressure are they going to be under and what kind of advice can you give those guys?
BRIAN VICKERS:
Well, they are definitely going to have pressure and stuff. You know, from my experience, the majority of the pressure you have is as much as you put on yourself is probably the worst of it, especially being a rookie.
