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Sports

Vickers ready for Sonoma/Road America combo

By Sports Network
Published | Updated

Elkhart Lake, WI – Brian Vickers has a very busy weekend ahead of him, and has a lot of traveling to do as well.

Vickers is the only driver who will attempt to compete in both the Sprint Cup Series race at Sonoma Raceway and the Nationwide Series event at Road America. Vickers, a Nationwide regular, will spend Friday and Saturday at Road America. After the race is completed there, he will fly over 2,200 miles to Sonoma in time for Sunday's Sprint Cup event.

"This is the first time I've done a Cup and Nationwide weekend when they're separated," Vickers said. "It's going to be fun, but it's going to be challenging. I do think that the fact that the Nationwide race is a road race as well as obviously the Cup race will help, just not going from an oval to a road and back and forth. I think being on a road course in both places will help."

Vickers is driving the No. 55 Toyota for Michael Waltrip Racing at Sonoma. Jason Bowles will practice and qualify Vickers' car there. Vickers finished fourth in last year's Sonoma race.

This will be the first time Vickers competes at Road America, which is 4 miles in length. It's the longest racetrack in all three of NASCAR's national touring series. Vickers is in his first season as driver of the No. 20 Toyota for Joe Gibbs Racing in Nationwide. He is currently 10th in the point standings.

Points leader Regan Smith is another driver who has yet to compete at Road America. Smith enters this race with a very comfortable 58-point lead over Sam Hornish Jr.

"I would say the hardest thing for myself and I think a lot of guys going into this weekend (at Road America) is that we've never seen it," Vickers said. "Most of the guys have not raced there. A few have. I believe maybe Sam Hornish has run there in other cars, Max Papis and a few guys, but most guys have not, including myself, and the hardest part is going to be just learning a new 4-mile racetrack."

Forty-two teams are on the preliminary entry list for the Johnsonville Sausage 200. A.J. Allmendinger is scheduled to drive the No. 22 Ford for Penske Racing. Allmendinger is expected to make his first Nationwide start in five years. He had eight starts in the series from 2007-08.

Series: NASCAR Nationwide. Date: Saturday, June 22. Race: Johnsonville Sausage 200. Site: Road America. Track: 4.048-mile road course. Start time: 5 p.m. ET. Laps: 50. Miles: 202.4. 2012 Winner: Nelson Piquet Jr. Television: ESPN. Radio: Motor Racing Network (MRN)/SIRIUS NASCAR Radio.