Brian Vickers wins bizarre qualifying session at Talladega

TALLADEGA, AL - OCTOBER 18: Brian Vickers, driver of the #55 Aaron's Dream Machine Toyota, poses for a photo after wining the pole award for the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series GEICO 500 at Talladega Superspeedway on October 18, 2014 in Talladega, Alabama. (Photo by Matt Sullivan/Getty Images)
TALLADEGA, AL - OCTOBER 18:  Brian Vickers, driver of the #55 Aaron's Dream Machine Toyota, poses for a photo after wining the pole award for the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series GEICO 500 at Talladega Superspeedway on October 18, 2014 in Talladega, Alabama.  (Photo by Matt Sullivan/Getty Images)
TALLADEGA, AL – OCTOBER 18: Brian Vickers, driver of the #55 Aaron’s Dream Machine Toyota, poses for a photo after wining the pole award for the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series GEICO 500 at Talladega Superspeedway on October 18, 2014 in Talladega, Alabama. (Photo by Matt Sullivan/Getty Images)

Brian Vickers will lead the field to the green in the NASCAR Sprint Cup series GEICO 500 at Talladega Superspeedway Sunday.  Vickers put down the fastest lap in a four round qualifying that can best be termed as bizarre.

“It’s crazy,” said Vickers. “I thought with coming to three (laps) to go we had literally no shot. They all checked up and gave me a chance to get a run. I just tried not to wreck.”

NASCAR changed the knockout qualifying format for Talladega opting to have two sessions in the first round of 23 cars each. Those first rounds, 1A and 1B, had tentative starts as most cars waited until less than three minutes left in the five-minute rounds before taking to the track. MORE>>>

Greg Engle
About Greg Engle 7421 Articles
Greg is a published award winning sportswriter who spent 23 years combined active and active reserve military service, much of that in and around the Special Operations community. Greg is the author of "The Nuts and Bolts of NASCAR: The Definitive Viewers' Guide to Big-Time Stock Car Auto Racing" and has been published in major publications across the country including the Los Angeles Times, the Cleveland Plain Dealer and the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. He was also a contributor to Chicken Soup for the NASCAR Soul, published in 2010, and the Christmas edition in 2016. He wrote as the NASCAR, Formula 1, Auto Reviews and National Veterans Affairs Examiner for Examiner.com and has appeared on Fox News. He holds a BS degree in communications, a Masters degree in psychology and is currently a PhD candidate majoring in psychology. He is currently the weekend Motorsports Editor for Autoweek.