Brian Vickers: The NASCAR Sheriff May Not Be in Town for 2012

Of all NASCAR drivers who were in peril of not getting the chance to continue racing in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series, Brian "The Sheriff" Vickers has had the worst time finding a new ride after the dissolution of his old team, Red Bull Racing.

Most, if not all, other drivers who had no contract for 2012 have found a new ride. Not all of them are prestigious, but beggars cannot be choosers.

A.J. Allmendinger was signed fairly soon after the sudden departure of Kurt Busch. Busch was then signed to a new team. David Reutimann, kicked to the curb by Michael Waltrip Racing in favor of Mark Martin, has even been signed to race again in the Sprint Cup.

David Reutimann? Not to mention David Ragan in addition to that.

Vickers is not a NASCAR pushover. He has made the Chase. He has won races—more races than most of these drivers, with the notable exception being Kurt Busch.

He even won a battle with a serious medical condition that sidelined him for the entire 2010 season. Perhaps that is what makes owners a tad hesitant to sign Vickers; they fear losing him midseason to a relapse of a medical emergency.

That is purely speculative.

Another reason may be Vickers' relatively dismal performance in 2011. Whereas his teammate at Red Bull Racing, Kasey Kahne, persevered and fought hard to do his best with an organization that announced it would be defunct in 2012, Vickers could not muster the same panache.

Actually, he finished out the year in seeming opposite fashion of Kahne: While Kahne went on to a race during the Chase, the only notable accomplishment of Vickers was to, more or less, ruin the championship hopes of Matt Kenseth at Martinsville and Phoenix.

In essence, Kahne showed some character while Vickers dove into the moral gutter of a useless vendetta against a Chase contender.

It is difficult to say whether that is the particular reason for "The Sheriff" to be without a ride at this point in 2012. However, it may have led some owners to veer away from putting Vickers in their car.

Whatever the exact causes, Vickers is certainly a victim of the economic climate; there are simply too many drivers and too few cars.

In 2012, Vickers has drawn the short end of the stick, as he is the highest-profile driver that has yet to find a job.

Unfortunately, "The Sheriff" may have to leave town for a year in order to make a triumphant and authoritative return.

As it stands, Vickers' website still reports that no luck has yet been had in relation to his 2012 NASCAR participation.