Send some good thoughts to Brian Vickers

Brian Vickers

In some very sad news, NASCAR Sprint Cup driver Brian Vickers once again finds himself on the disabled list due to heart issues. It now appears that the driver of the Michael Waltrip Racing, (MWR), #55 Toyota will not be sitting behind the wheel of his ride during the early portion of the 2015 season.

Further describing his latest medical situation, in a prepared statement released by MWR, Vickers said: "First, I want to thank everyone for their sincere support. I have faced obstacles before and it has made victory that much sweeter and I know that will be the case again.

My previous experiences have given me a very keen understanding of my body. Late last week I knew something wasn't right, so I went to the hospital to be checked out.

Following several tests, it was discovered that my body was rejecting an artificial patch that was inserted in 2010 to fix a hole in my heart. Saturday, I had to have corrective surgery to repair the hole and now I am beginning the recovery process. I will need plenty of time, rest and rehab but this temporary setback will not stop me from pursuing my dream of becoming a NASCAR Sprint Cup champion."

Vickers' medical problems first surfaced in May of 2010 when his doctors discovered the presence of blood clots in his legs and in the vicinity of his lungs. He was immediately placed on a blood thinning medication and was told by doctors to stay out of his race car.

In July of 2010 surgery, to install the aforementioned artificial patch, was performed to repair a small hole in his heart. The recovery process caused Vickers to miss much of the 2010 NASCAR racing season.

[adinserter name="GOOGLE AD"]In August of 2013 Vickers was involved in a crash at the Bristol Motor Speedway that resulted in an injury that doctors described as being a mild sprain in his right foot. The treatment process included the wearing of a medical ankle boot.

Unfortunately, this procedure created a restriction in the calf of Vickers' right leg with the result being the development of another blood clot that, once again, required blood thinning medication. Vickers was forced to sit out the final five races of the 2013 season.

With the 2015 racing season just a matter of weeks away, it remains unclear what move MWR will have to make, regarding who's going to drive the #55 Toyota, while Vickers is recovering.

However, it is clear that right now MWR's main concern lies with Brian Vickers' recovery according to a prepared statement from team co-owner Rob Kauffman.

"Brian has been a part of the MWR family since 2012 and our thoughts today are with Brian, his wife Sarah and the Vickers family," Kauffman said adding "as a race team, MWR has plenty to consider and we will confer with our partners, including Aaron's and Toyota. As this is fresh news, we will adjust our future plans as more information becomes available."

The NASCAR nation is being asked to send some good thoughts and prayers to Brian Vickers in hopes he will make a speedy recovery and return to the seat of his race car where he belongs.

It's well known that Vickers is highly regarded as a talented race car driver. Those of us who has had the opportunity to meet him will tell you that he's truly one of the NASCAR good guys.