Race Weekend Central

Brian Vickers to Miss Dover Due to Undisclosed Illness

Red Bull Racing announced on Thursday (May 13) that Brian Vickers would miss this weekend’s Sprint Cup Series event at Dover International Speedway due to an undisclosed illness. Vickers, the driver of the No. 83 Red Bull Toyota, was hospitalized on Wednesday and according to team General Manager Jay Frye things are “looking good at the moment.”

Filling in for the recovering Vickers will be Casey Mears. After losing his ride with Richard Childress Racing at the end of the 2009 season, Mears has driven for Keyed Up Motorsports, Tommy Baldwin Motorsports and served as the stand in driver for Joe Gibbs Racing’s Denny Hamlin.

“Our main concern right now is with Brian and his health and recovery,” said Frye. “All things are looking good at the moment. This is just a minor setback. We appreciate Casey filling in this weekend and know he will represent the team well.”

“It is unfortunate that I will not be able to participate in the Dover race. Casey is a good friend of mine and I know he will do his best for the No. 83 team this weekend,” Vickers said.

The 26-year-old Vickers remains hospitalized and is currently undergoing further testing and evaluation.

About the author

The author of Did You Notice? (Wednesdays) Tom spends his time overseeing Frontstretch’s 40+ staff members as its majority owner and Editor-in-Chief. Based outside Philadelphia, Bowles is a two-time Emmy winner in NASCAR television and has worked in racing production with FOX, TNT, and ESPN while appearing on-air for SIRIUS XM Radio and FOX Sports 1's former show, the Crowd Goes Wild. He most recently consulted with SRX Racing, helping manage cutting-edge technology and graphics that appeared on their CBS broadcasts during 2021 and 2022.

You can find Tom’s writing here, at CBSSports.com and Athlonsports.com, where he’s been an editorial consultant for the annual racing magazine for 15 years.

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