#83-Brian Vickers plans to skydive into Daytona International Speedway Wednesday morning – about a year later than originally planned – and he could view that as another step in his journey of recovery from blood clots. But he doesn’t get all excited about the symbolic nature of the extreme race-track promotion. Instead, it’s just the jump itself that has the Red Bull Racing driver pumped. Originally scheduled to take place a year ago, the jump had to cancelled after Vickers was sidelined in May 2010 by blood clots. He eventually had heart surgery last summer and returned to the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series team in January. The 27-year-old Vickers estimates he has about 75 career jumps during the last four years. But this will be his first jump into a stadium and likely the jump that will challenge his skills the most. He said he hopes to land on the trioval grass during the promotional jump but noted every jump has its risks.(Scene Daily)(6-1-2011)
UPDATE: Brian Vickers dropped in on Daytona International Speedway Wednesday for a visit — literally. A skydiving enthusiast since 2007, Vickers became the first driver in series history to parachute into the speedway as a promotional kickoff for the July 2 Coke Zero 400. Vickers, 27, came to a sliding, tumbling stop on the grass in the speedway’s tri-oval after his first jump in the rain that started from about 5,000 feet above the track. “It’s not the first time someone has barreled rolled through the front stretch at Daytona,” he said. “The only problem is sticking the landing when you’re sliding through the water, the mud and grass.”(Associated Press)(6-1-2011)
