Brian Ickler makes NASCAR Nationwide Series Debut

Words: Matt Kartozian
Photos: Durka Durka Photo
November 8, 2008
Avondale, AZ

Rising star Brian Ickler made his NASCAR Nationwide Series debut at Phoenix International Raceway driving the #55 for Robby Gordon Motorsports.

It was a weekend of ups and downs for Ickler at the Hefty Odor Block 200. He finished 22nd in the first round of practice, but in the 2nd round he moved all the way up to 11th. Things went downhill again during qualifying as Ickler finished 34th out of 43 and in his own words “Messed up big time in qualifying and barely made the show”.

At the start of the race Ickler looked good and was consistently picking off cars and he worked his way up from the back of the field. Near the mid point of the race he blew a right rear tire going into turn 3 and rode it up into the wall causing significant damage. He spent the rest of the race fighting the car and just trying to get it around the track and to the checkers.

Carl Edwards brought his car home for the win while Ickler finished in 34th.

“It was not the finish we wanted but we gained some experience with radial tires and what not. I just gotta talk Robby into to letting me drive another one of these things soon.”

Ickler future plans include racing Late Model at the Snowball Derby in December, and a return to the desert at the BITD Parker 425 and possibly Vegas to Reno in 2009.