NASCAR 2016 Season Opener Rumors: Brian Vickers to Replace Tony Stewart at Daytona
In response to Tony Stewart's accident and injury, Stewart-Haas Racing decided to replace him for the NASCAR season opener at the Daytona International Speedway with another driver in Brian Vickers. While no official word has been given, several sources confirm the rumors and the team will reportedly announce it later on.
Stewart's replacement is ironically someone who himself had some injury issues last season. As a matter of fact, Vickers only managed to race in two events last season because of recurring blood clots. He wasn't allowed to compete while undergoing treatment for the clots since doctors said that the blood thinners were likely to increase the risk of internal bleeding if he crashes or gets into an accident. He also missed the last five races during the 2013 season because of the same health issue. The first time it was discovered that he had a problem with blood clots was in 2010, when he also missed 25 races after doctors found out there were clots in his lungs and legs.
Stewart didn't have a choice but to skip the season opener due to an unfortunate ATV accident that resulted to a fractured vertebra. He is supposed to be racing in his farewell season in NASCAR.
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Meanwhile, NASCAR observers believe that Vickers will only be racing at Daytona on Friday before the Feb. 21 formal season opener at Daytona 500. It is likely that Stewart-Haas Racing will be looking at other options available once they see any kind of progress from Stewart, who, by the way, is expected to have a full recovery.
Before the start of the season, Stewart announced that he will be racing his final NASCAR season as a professional stock car racing driver. As a longtime participant in the Sprint Cup Series, he won the event three times as a driver. But aside from the Sprint Cup, he also owns racing titles in several events like Indy, USAC Silver Crown, and midget.
