Brian Vickers released from Washington hospital, will get more treatment in Charlotte

Brian Vickers: future uncertain, until doctors weigh in (Photo: Toyota Motorsports)

   By Mike Mulhern
   mikemulhern.net

   DOVER, Del.
   Brian Vickers has been released from a Washington, D.C. hospital after two days of treatment for blood clots in his veins, a sudden medical issue that apparently cropped up only Tuesday.
   Vickers flew to Charlotte, where he will get more medical treatment.
   The 26-year-old racer is facing an uncertain racing future in the next few weeks, until he gets medical clearance to return to the sport.
   Team general manager Jay Frye says the team will meet Monday to consider the next steps. Casey Mears is filling in for Vickers here in Sunday's Dover 400. The next event on the Sprint Cup tour is next weekend's All-star race; Vickers himself has qualified for the event, but whether the team itself can substitute another driver is unclear, though that has been done in previous events.
    Blood clots in the veins is a serious condition, and treatment could take several weeks. While treatment is straightforward – anticoagulant medication like blood thinners, to break up the clots – a more immediate problem is diagnosing the reason for Vickers' condition.