Texas: Red Bull Racing preview

ho owns the fastest qualifying lap at Texas Motor Speedway?

Brian Vickers, that's who. In November 2006, he averaged 196.235 mph in the No. 25 Chevrolet - good enough for the track record. Vickers' No. 83 Red Bull Toyota didn't go nearly as fast Sunday at tiny Martinsville Speedway, but he was fighting for a top-10 finish before running out of fuel in the closing laps. Pitting under green cost Vickers three laps, and he finished 23rd. Driver and car No. 83 sit 18th in their respective standings entering the Samsung 500. Mike Skinner, in Red Bull Racing Team's No. 84, had a rough ride at Martinsville, bouncing and spinning his way to a 31st-place showing. But the No. 84 moved up two spots in the owner standings to 41st - only 150 points from the top 35. The Craftsman Truck regular has started 20 Texas races over the years in NASCAR's top three divisions, with a best Sprint Cup finish of 12th (twice). He has five truck poles.

Brian Vickers has 534 laps of competitive racing on his plate, as he returns to Braun Racing's No. 32 for Saturday's O'Reilly 300. In three Nationwide starts, the 2003 series champion owns a pole (Las Vegas) and best finish of fourth (Daytona).

-credit: rbr