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NASCAR Sprint-Cup Series
CUP: Vickers Mum On Switch
Brian Vickers wants no part of the debate about whether or not replacing AJ Allmendinger with Scott Speed was a good move.
Tom Jensen  |  Posted March 25, 2009   Harrisburg, NC
Brian Vickers was AJ Allmendinger’s teammate in 2007-08 and is Scott Speed’s teammate this year. (Photo: LAT Photographic)

Five races into the 2009 NASCAR Sprint Cup season, AJ Allmendinger is 16th in driver points with Richard Petty Motorsports, while the man who replaced him at Red Bull Racing, Scott Speed, is outside the top 35 in Sprint Cup owner points and will have to qualify on speed Friday at Martinsville Speedway.

So was replacing Allmendinger with Speed a wise move for Red Bull? Don’t ask Brian Vickers, who was Allmendinger’s teammate in 2007-08 and is Speed’s teammate this year.

“You know, for the most part, I didn't really know either one of them that well,” Vickers said during a NASCAR weekly teleconference. “I was just getting to know A.J. and I didn't know Scott at all. For me to comment on something that I didn't know or understand, would be irresponsible, and that's a mistake I try not to make very often.

“And even Scott now, it's hard for me to judge him or his talent or who he is, because I'm just getting to know him,” Vickers said. “For me to say that it was the right decision, the wrong decision now, just because of the five races and one higher in the points than the other, I think would probably be irresponsible as well.”

Vickers, the youngest NASCAR Nationwide Series champion in history, said he is trying to help Speed, the same way veterans like Jeff Gordon and Terry Labonte helped Vickers when he was at Hendrick Motorsports.

“Scott definitely leaned on me some for advice,” said Vickers. “You know, he's an experienced and talented race car driver, but he's very new to the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series. He has a lot to learn about the cars, the tracks, the way we race, and everything. And he had some questions, but yeah, it's not like we spend every moment together. He doesn't come to me a lot, but he comes to me some and asks me questions, you know, and there's nothing wrong with that. I asked a lot of questions when I got here as well. … I was very fortunate, I had some great teachers with Jeff and Terry Labonte.”

Vickers said he was not part of the decision to replace Allmendinger with Speed, who came up through the open-wheel ranks and had driven for Red Bull in Formula 1.

“I had nothing to do with it,” said Vickers. “Honestly I avoided the situation. Not because I was – I gave my opinion on specific events, but I don't run that team nor do I want to run that team. If I wanted to be a car owner, I would go try to be a car owner. It's not my role nor my responsibility to decide what driver is or is not in that car.”

Tom Jensen is the Senior NASCAR Editor for SPEEDtv.com, the former Executive Editor of NASCAR Scene and a contributing Editor for TruckSeries.com. He is the author of “Cheating: The Bad Things Good NASCAR Nextel Cup Racers Do In Pursuit of SPEED,” and has appeared on television and radio shows to discuss NASCAR racing. Jensen is the past President of the National Motorsports Press Association. Jensen is the 1997 National Motorsports Press Association Writer of the Year and has won numerous national and state awards for news reporting, columns and feature writing. The Answer Man is back at SPEEDtv.com. Tom Jensen answers your questions during every race week and looks forward to hearing from you - please e-mail it to

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