Vickers gets contract extension from Red Bull

[August 19, 2009]  CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) -- Brian Vickers was rewarded Tuesday for his win at Michigan with a multiyear contact extension from Red Bull Racing.

Talks about a new contract had been ongoing for several months, with Vickers insistent he wanted to stay with the team. Although verbal agreements had been made, Austria-based ownership had been slow to present paperwork that would have finalized a deal.

It finally came Tuesday, two days after Vickers' stretched his final tank of fuel to the first victory for Red Bull. The pole-sitter won when leader Jimmie Johnson ran out of gas with two laps left, giving Vickers just the second Sprint Cup Series win of his career.

"I'm thrilled," said Vickers, who had expressed frustration during the last month about the delayed contract talks. "This has been a long time coming, and there is nowhere else I would rather be. I am looking forward to building on what we have started the last couple of years."

Vickers left Hendrick Motorsports at the end of the 2006 season to be the face of the new Red Bull team. Established in Formula One, the organization was establishing itself in NASCAR and built its brand around Vickers.

They struggled terribly in 2007, when Vickers failed to qualify for 13 races and finished 38th in the final season standings. But Red Bull has slowly progressed, with Vickers a major part of the package.

His win Sunday moved him to 13th in the standings, and he's just 12 points out of a spot in the Chase for the championship. There are three races remaining to set the 12-driver field.

"It is an interesting experience being with a team from the ground up -- going through the growing pains, then successes, together," Vickers said. "I am so proud to have been able to bring this team their first win."

[Associated Press; By JENNA FRYER]

Copyright 2009 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.