ESPN Sprint Cup

ESPN.com preseason rank: No. 17

2009 Outlook

After moving himself to the cusp of being a Chase contender, Brian Vickers now has a new piece to the puzzle that could put him right there with 10 races to go this season. Crew chief Ryan Pemberton has joined Red Bull Racing and Vickers, moving over from Michael Waltrip Racing. Pemberton's goal is clear.

"I think we need to make the Chase, and I think we can do that," he said. "There's a lot of teams that think they can do that, and we're one of them. I expect to, and we need to come out of the box strong. If we do that, we'll be fine."

Pemberton believes the team has the right fit with Vickers; the Toyota engine program; and, now, the crew chief.

"It's the best opportunity I've had to make the Chase."

2008 Review

Certainly, the season proved to be a major improvement over 2007, when Vickers failed to qualify 13 times. In 2008, Vickers put Red Bull Racing on the map with three top-5 and six top-10 finishes and a 19th-place finish in the points. What Vickers and his team lacked was a strong finish -- after looking so competitive (and so improved) the first two-thirds of the season, the team endured a bit of a slide after mid-August.

During the season, Vickers experienced some ups and downs because of in-race pit issues. He was on his way to winning at Lowe's Motor Speedway last May when a loose wheel led to a wreck. Vickers also had a strong showing at the first Pocono race. He was 19th in the final points.

He has a shot at the title if: Vickers and Pemberton exhibit a strong chemistry from the start.

He won't win because: Red Bull Racing is a year or two away from making its presence felt among the major teams.

-- Angelique S. Chengelis