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Brian Vickers has nine top-10s, one off his career high set in 2005.

Red Bull getting closer on manufacturer, Vickers

By Dave Rodman, NASCAR.COM
August 1, 2009
12:31 AM EDT
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LONG POND, Pa. -- Red Bull Racing's vice president and general manager, Jay Frye, spent nearly 24 hours traveling to Austria for a three-hour meeting last Tuesday at his company's headquarters, and Friday at Pocono Raceway confirmed the team is evaluating manufacturers for 2010 and getting closer to re-signing lead driver Brian Vickers.

"And that was a long [meeting] -- usually they're only an hour or two," Frye said, laughing. "The meeting was great and there's lots of enthusiasm for what we're doing with the program. I would think in the next short while we'd have some sort of announcement of what the future is and what we have going on.

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I certainly think he wants to be here, and we certainly want him here.

JAY FRYE, on Brian Vickers

"I think what happened at the meeting was, all the scenarios were laid out, and they're all great scenarios, but it was about what're we going to do 10 years from now, or five years from now?

"A lot of stuff was exchanged and there are a lot of things they have to review. I had a couple things I had to come back and do that have been done, so in a very short while we should have some things resolved."

Vickers has said he has an oral agreement to continue with Red Bull Racing Team, for which he's driven the No. 83 Toyota since 2007, the inaugural year for both Red Bull and the manufacturer in the Cup Series.

Vickers, who was 13th on Friday's time sheet when Sprint Cup's opening practice was stopped by rain after about 55 minutes, has five of the eight pole positions won by Toyotas this season, and is 15th in the standings, 120 points out of a qualified spot for the Chase for the Sprint Cup.

A team spokesperson said Vickers on Friday afternoon wasn't feeling well, had gone to his motorcoach shortly after practice ended and didn't want to comment further on his contract situation. Last weekend at Indianapolis, Vickers said he had to consider himself "a free agent" considering he had an oral agreement on his next contract, but hadn't seen the document.

"I don't think there's a concern about someone stealing him, because I certainly think he wants to be here, and we certainly want him here," Frye said. "The team has come a long way in the last year and a half, and Brian has been a big part of that -- he's done everything we've asked him to do.

"The meeting we had was phenomenal, and Red Bell in Austria has done a tremendous amount of things for this [Cup team] over the last three or four years and will continue to. But the thing that's unusual about it is the owner of the team [Dietrich Mateschitz] is 6,000 miles away. (Continued)

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Pocono

Lineup
Pos. Driver Make
1. Tony Stewart Chevrolet
2. Jimmie Johnson Chevrolet
3. Jeff Gordon Chevrolet
4. Kurt Busch Dodge
5. Carl Edwards Ford
6. Denny Hamlin Toyota
7. Ryan Newman Chevrolet
8. Kasey Kahne Dodge
9. Mark Martin Chevrolet
10. Juan Montoya Chevrolet

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