BV’s Ruling on ‘The Rush’

Brian Vickers has felt “the rush” countless times — in a race car cruising at 190 mph or free falling to the Earth at 115. But nothing, he said, can match the first time.

“And as long as you understand that,” he said, “you’re not always chasing that ‘first time.’ If you’re always chasing that rush the first time you did something, that’s what usually gets people into trouble because you’re never going to beat that. People try to, and that’s when people get hurt. They get riskier, riskier and riskier looking for that first rush.”

Racing yields a lot of firsts. Brian’s first rush came when he drove go-karts as a kid. Another came the first time in a full-sized race car. Another the first time in a high-horsepower Sprint Cup car. More after his Nationwide championship and first Cup victory at Talladega. And, yes, another when Brian made his skydiving debut in February. He’s jumped about 10 times since then.

“That (the rush) starts to drop,” he said. “Like with anything you do repeatedly, eventually it’s going to go. I don’t think it’s ever going to go way, I’m mean, jumping out of an airplane …”

He’s also flown with Red Bull Air Racer Kirby Chambliss, so where does Vickers find that next high?

“I’ve thought about jumping in with a snowboard and cut the chute right when you land,” he said. “Something tells me that’s more involved than what I imagine.”

The Talladega 500 is a so-called impound race. Brian and Mike Skinner will practice twice today, with qualifying at 12:15 p.m. ET Saturday. Then it’s straight to Sunday’s race.

Speed blurb: Scott Speed’s busy this weekend. He starts seventh in today’s ARCA/RE MAX Series 250 (5 p.m.) and rolls off 16th in Saturday’s Craftsman Truck race (4 p.m.).