Driver to be on blood thinners for next three months
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RELATED: Vickers sidelined with recurrence of blood clots
FONTANA, Calif. -- Brian Vickers, driver of the No. 55 Michael Waltrip Racing Toyota, addressed the media on Sunday at Auto Club Speedway for the first time since team owner Michael Waltrip announced Friday that Vickers will not race in the Sprint Cup Series Auto Club 400 (3:30 p.m. ET, FOX).
Vickers explained that he will have to be on blood thinners for three months because of recurring blood clots that were discovered on his lungs in a CT scan on Thursday. The driver said he cannot drive while he's on blood thinners.
"I have not been on a blood thinner since the end of 2013," Vickers said in a press conference on Sunday.
While Vickers gave no specific timetable for his return, he said he remains hopeful about resuming his racing career and is far from crossing that bridge.
Vickers has been dealing with frequent blood clots in his leg and lungs that caused him to miss the first two races of the year while recovering from heart surgery he had in December. NASCAR kept Vickers Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup-eligible. This is the fourth time since 2010 that Vickers has missed had to sit out due to medical reasons.
"I've been told a thousand times I'll never race again," Vickers said. "And I've raced the last two weeks."
In the only two races that Vickers participated in this season (Las Vegas, Phoenix) he finished 15th and 41st, respectively.
Waltrip explained on Friday when the news was announced that he had spent time with Vickers in New Orleans recently and that when he last saw his driver, there was no indication that Vickers was experiencing health issues. It wasn't until 1 a.m. local time on Friday that the MWR team received a call from Vickers detailing his situation.
Filling in for Vickers in the No. 55 will be 22-year-old Brett Moffitt. This will be Moffitt's first time ever racing on the 2-mile speedway in California. Moffitt had been piloting the No. 34 Front Row Motorsports Ford for David Ragan as he filled in for injured No. 18 Kyle Busch. NASCAR XFINITY Series driver Chris Buescher will be behind the wheel of the No. 34 Sprint Cup car.
When asked if the North Carolina native is worried that his medical condition could push him into an early retirement he responded with confidence.
"Am I worried? Yeah, of course," Vickers said. "Have I given up hope? No.
"Whatever happens next I couldn't have been happier to be in that car for the last two weeks," Vickers said.
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