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Vickers expects to be back for 2011 Sprint Cup season

Sat 21st, August 2010

Bristol, TN (Sports Network) - NASCAR driver Brian Vickers said he expects to return to racing next season, but revealed he underwent open heart surgery on July 12 to repair a hole in his heart, as part of his treatment for blood clots.

Vickers spoke with the media on Saturday at Bristol Motor Speedway on the status of medical condition. The Sprint Cup Series is running a 500-lap race here tonight.

In May, Vickers was diagnosed and treated for blood clots in his left leg and both lungs at a Washington, D.C. hospital. Doctors later discovered he had a blood clot in one of the fingers on his left hand. The 26-year-old announced later that month he would miss the remainder of the 2010 season, while he underwent treatment until the end of the year.

Vickers also said he was diagnosed with May-Thurner Syndrome (MTS), which causes compression of blood vessels in the legs and increases the risk of deep vein thrombosis in the lower extremities. Vickers continues to be treated with the anticoagulant (blood thinner) medication Coumadin and stroke-prevention drug Plavix.

One day after his open heart surgery, Vickers underwent another operation to have a stent placed in a vein in his left leg.

"I had heart surgery, and I never thought I would never have that at 26," Vickers said. "I've had a stent put in, and I never thought I would have one of those. But they both went extremely well. I am on Coumadin and Plavix still, and I will be for the rest of the year, so I'm still out of the car.

"They gave me full clearance for next year. I will be back next season, and I will be racing in January. I'm really excited about that."

Vickers has spent recent time getting himself in better physical condition. He said a few weeks after the surgery, he went biking in the mountains of Colorado.

"This has given me an opportunity to step back and really take a look inwards, and look at what's going around me, but a look inside and figure out what I really want," he said. "Sometimes you don't know how much you really love something until you don't have it, and I can tell you, I really love driving race cars, now that I don't have it.

"I think that my edge is going to be increased, and my drive and determination is only going to increase when I come back next year."

Vickers said he expects to be back in the No.83 Toyota for Red Bull Racing in 2011. However, Kasey Kahne will join RBR next season before he heads to Hendrick Motorsports in 2012. RBR team manager Jay Frye said Kahne will drive of the team's two cars next year. The team might add a third car to its stable. Scott Speed drives the No.82 Toyota.

"As far as Kasey, I'm excited to work with him," Vickers said. "As far as how that all goes down, honestly, I read about it online. I didn't even know about it. Jay told me something was going to happen, but he didn't tell me what."