Waltrip & Vickers Lead SPEED TV Team To Victory

Last year, Brian Vickers watched as his No. 83 Red Bull Toyota crew took home top honors in the NASCAR Sprint Pit Crew Challenge presented by Craftsman. On Wednesday, the roles were reversed as Vickers’ crew watched the driver lead his team to victory in the 2009 NASCAR Media Pit Crew Challenge. Vickers’ team edged out the WBTV (Charlotte CBS affiliate) team in the finals by .05 seconds to take the title.

The event, held at Time Warner Cable Arena, included over 40 national and local media members. The group participated in the same event the NASCAR Sprint Cup crews will face in Thursday night’s NASCAR Sprint Pit Crew Challenge Presented by Craftsman. The competitors were tutored by the defending champion No. 83 Red Bull Toyota crew before the event.

Vickers and teammates Phil Parsons, Ray Dunlap and Rick Allen (SPEED), Chris Culos (O.A.R. drummer), Claire B. Lang (Sirius NASCAR Radio), and Michael Waltrip beat a team of local U.S. Army soldiers to reach the finals. The WBTV team, featuring Delano Little, Danielle Trotta, Michelle Bailey and Nate Winberly from the station, White Shadow (Ace and TJ), Benj Gershman (O.A.R. bassist) and Joe Menzer (NASCAR.COM) defeated a team from MRN/Sprintvision to advance.

Vickers and Waltrip were joined by Kasey Kahne, Tyler Brayton of the Carolina Panthers and all five members of the band O.A.R. as special guests. Immediately following the event, O.A.R. band members traversed to the other side of Uptown Charlotte to get ready for a free concert as part of NASCAR Rev’d Up, officially kicking off All-Star week festivities in Charlotte.