Heart Issue Sidelines Vickers

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Brian Vickers will miss the start of the 2015 Sprint Cup season to address yet another health matter.

Vickers said Monday he checked himself into the hospital when he didn’t feel right and learned his body was rejecting an artificial patch inserted to repair a hole in his heart five years ago.

“My previous experiences have given me a very keen understanding of my body,” Vickers said in a statement. “Late last week I knew something wasn’t right, so I went to the hospital to be checked out. Following several tests, it was discovered that my body was rejecting an artificial patch that was inserted in 2010 to fix a hole in my heart. Saturday, I had to have corrective surgery to repair the hole and now I am beginning the recovery process.”

Vickers has 316 career starts and would require a special waiver from NASCAR to miss multiple races but still be in consideration for the Chase playoffs. He finished 22nd in the standings in 2014, his first with Michael Waltrip Racing.

“Brian has been a part of the MWR family since 2012 and our thoughts today are with Brian, his wife Sarah and the Vickers family,” MWR co-owner Rob Kauffman said in a statement. “As a race team, MWR has plenty to consider and we will confer with our partners, including Aaron’s and Toyota. As this is fresh news, we will adjust our future plans as more information becomes available.”

This is the third instance of Vickers, 31, missing time because of health issues. He was also out for stretches during 2010 and 2013 to be treated for blood clots.

Vickers has not been agreeable to taking blood thinners regularly because it would prohibit him from driving.