Brian Vickers was 18th two weeks ago at Fontana. Credit: Autostock

Brian Vickers Mailbag: Changing the subject

Brian Vickers enters this weekend's action at Las Vegas ninth in the Nextel Cup Series standings after a pair of top-20 finishes in Daytona and California.

Q: Were you involved in any sports or extra curricular activities in school like drama, art, or choir? Also, what was you favorite subject?-- Amber, Parts Unknown

	Credit: Autostock
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Vickers: All of the sports I played during my younger years were prior to high school. I tried most every sport there was growing up, but nothing ever caught my attention like racing did. Honestly, I enjoyed school ... all subjects, but if I had to choose one subject over the years that was my favorite, I'd have to say it was math.

Q: How does the off week affect your race team? Is it a "momentum buster" or do you see it as a welcomed break after Speedweeks and two very long 500-mile races? -- Matt, Va.

Vickers: Having the off weekend so early can either be a momentum-builder or buster depending on how you look at it. If you had a good run the week before, you can relish in the accomplishment and relax without worrying too much about the race. On the other side, if you didn't have a good run, you're forced to wait an extra week to try and get redemption.

For the most part though, I don't think you'll hear too many people in the garage area complaining that we have a weekend off.

Q: I was just wondering, would you consider running the full Busch Series schedule ever again? -- JGBV72, Parts Unknown

Vickers: I hate to say never because things always change, but there are several factors for me that make me say I don't think I'd ever run in the Busch Series again. Perhaps, if all of the Busch races were held as companion events with the Nextel Cup races. It's no small task for those guys who try to run both schedules. It's a lot of travel.

It's great that Nextel Cup drivers can run in the Busch Series because I think as a driver, you can learn a lot from them. I know when I was in the Busch Series, I enjoyed the challenge of racing the Cup drivers and trying to learn from them and beat them.

Q: Do you ever wonder what other drivers think about how your driving? -- Catie, Texas

Vickers: You'd always like to think you have support from your peers and those drivers you compete against on a regular basis. I think a lot of it boils down to respect. Respect is something I feel you have to earn. I race other drivers like they race me.

If I feel someone made a poor decision on the track that affected our team, in many cases I'll try to discuss it with the driver and hope they would approach me, too.