Brian Vickers led 50 laps during Saturday night's race at Phoenix. Credit: Autostock

Gamble gives Vickers career-best Cup finish

Decision on final pit stop gives No. 25 driver first top-five

AVONDALE, Ariz. -- A decision to take only fuel on a late-race pit stop Saturday night at Phoenix International Raceway doomed Brian Vickers' hope of winning his first Nextel Cup Series race.

But it cemented his best career finish, fifth, in his 49th start in the No. 25 Hendrick Motorsports GMAC Chevrolet.

Results Subway Fresh 500 Pos. Driver Make 1. Kurt Busch Ford 2. Michael Waltrip Chevrolet 3. Jeff Burton Chevrolet 4. Dale Earnhardt Jr. Chevrolet 5. Brian Vickers Chevrolet Complete results, click here Standings, click here Race RewindWatch a condensed version of the Subway Fresh 500 from Phoenix Victory LaneKurt Busch celebrates his Subway Fresh 500 victory at Phoenix Top finishersMichael Waltrip, Jeff Burton and Dale Jr. on Phoenix finishes Final lapsWaltrip can't catch Kurt Busch in a chase for the checkers Tough luckBiffle and Kenseth have their luck run out in Phoenix Big wreckJohnson spins Stewart, starts a five-car wreck on Lap 206 Sign up for TrackPass now BUY YOUR NEXTEL DRIVER PHONE

"This means a lot to finally get our first top-five for this GMAC racing team," Vickers said. "In a position like that, we had a good car and we were real good on old tires."

Vickers said that led him and his team to take a gamble and go for it -- though he insisted it was not as wide-open a gamble as it seemed.

"Even if somebody had a little bit better tires than us, it was not that we were completely going for it," Vickers said. "But in a way we did.

"We were definitely going for the win and we knew that if everyone else pitted and came on with new tires, we'd still be OK, because we had a good car."

Vickers' car was good enough that he led in two separate stints, for 29 and 21 laps between circuits 179 and 260.

Vickers' result marked the first time the 21-year-old and his 19-year-old Hendrick Motorsports teammate, Kyle Busch, had both finished in the top-10 in a Nextel Cup race. Busch ended up eighth in the No. 5 Chevrolet.

"I think it's a sign of better things to come," Vickers said. "It starts at the top with Rick Hendrick, who's a great leader giving us what we need and right down to great teamwork and communication we have in the 5 and 25 shop."

Vickers scored a third-place finish in his last run here in the Busch Series -- his 2003 championship season -- and actually qualified second in his first two Cup starts on the unique one-mile oval, in 2003 and 2004.

Though his previous finishes didn't prove it, he said Saturday he had a great affinity for PIR.

"I've always enjoyed this racetrack -- it's a fun place," Vickers said. "It's unique compared to most of the tracks and it fits my driving style and this team.

"Lance (McGrew, crew chief) and all the guys on this GMAC racing team did a great job and I'm real proud of them. We had a good car all day -- we competed for the win all day long."

Vickers said in the end he was lucky to hold onto his top-five spot.

"It was very, very loose," Vickers said. "We were hauling the right rear, hard and just spinning the tires. I just had to work the throttle to keep it under me."

The evening's work marked the end of a brutal stretch of seven races for Vickers in which he had only one finish better than 12th -- a sixth at Atlanta Motor Speedway -- that had him 28th in the standings coming to Phoenix.

"We've had good cars, we just haven't had the finishes," Vickers said. "Lance and the guys have put good cars on the track and had good pit stops -- we just had luck on our side today."

In the end, Vickers moved up five spots in the Cup standings, to 23rd..

"It was great to get out there," Vickers said. "We haven't led this year, so it was great to get out there and lead.

"And not only did we lead a lap, because a teammate helped us get there, but we stayed out front for a long time through some cautions and pit stops."