Never mind the finish, it's a successful year for Red Bull

2009 review

The 2009 season has to be considered a success for Team Red Bull even though ultimately the year ended in disappointment.

Brian Vickers made a late regular-season run to get into the Chase, which included the team's first Sprint Cup win at Michigan in August, and he was one of the series' most consistent drivers in the summer stretch of the schedule.

Brian Vickers became the first Chase entry in Team Red Bull's history. (Getty Images)

And although he wasn't able to mount any kind of championship drive once the playoffs began, Vickers has nothing but positive memories.

"No matter what happened, it's hard to argue that it wasn't a successful year and I still stand by that," said Vickers, who wound up 12th in the final points standings. "We set our goals out at the beginning of the season to sit on poles, win races and be in the Chase. Racing for a championship within the Chase was not necessarily a goal we had, but obviously when you show up at the racetrack, you want to win races and championships. That goes without saying, especially with the competitors that we are."

Vickers sees the season as another building block in making TRB a solid contender to win races and titles down the road.

"Looking back upon the whole season, everything that we've gone through with Red Bull since its inception, I'm really proud of this year and proud of everybody at Red Bull for what we've accomplished," he said.

Vickers, who has been with the team since its inception in 2007, was rewarded with a contract extension earlier that will keep him behind the wheel for the TRB No. 83 Toyota for three more seasons.

"The team is continuing to prove that it is a consistent force week in and week out," Jay Frye, vice president and general manager of Red Bull Racing. "Brian has been here from the beginning and he continues to be a vital piece of the puzzle with regard to our ultimate goal of building Red Bull Racing into a consistent contender."

That gave Vickers the security with the team he was looking for, and with an agreement renewed to continue to field Toyotas also finalized this year, he sees bright things ahead.

"I'm thrilled," Vickers said. "This has been a long time coming, and there is nowhere else I would rather be. I am looking forward to building on what we have started the last couple of years.

"It is an interesting experience being with a team from the ground up -- going through the growing pains, then successes, together. I am so proud to have been able to bring this team their first win."

While things were on the upside for Vickers, the story wasn't as encouraging for the No. 82 entry driven by rookie Scott Speed.

The rookie driver struggled during his first full season in NASCAR's top division and, although he hung on to finish 35th in the point standings, notched only one top 10 -- a fifth -- along the way.

But Speed, who made the move to stock cars from Formula One two seasons ago, realized this would be a learning experience and is still optimistic about his future.

"Ever since I came back over the pond and started racing these things, every time I get into it, there's something big that I learn," Speed said. "And honestly, it has been a lot more exciting having done that just because I physically can see so much more progress in myself, you know, from where I started out, say from my first Cup race, to where I'm at now. It's really fun and exciting for me to be able to make those improvements and be able to better myself as a racecar driver. That's honestly the most rewarding."

2010 preview

Vickers can again qualify for the Chase, and the year's experience first making the playoffs and then being part of the championship season will be a benefit.

Crew chief Ryan Pemberton brings a seasoned presence to the 83 team, and the chemistry between the two has been called one of the best in the garage area.

Getting the year off to a good start will be key for Vickers, unlike in 2009, when he was caught up in a multicar accident in the Daytona 500 and forced to play catch up in the point standings from the beginning.

More trips to Victory Lane, especially on intermediate tracks where the team shined in 2009, are certainly possible for Vickers.

Speed will have his work cut out for him from the opening bell. Although he was 35th in driver points, the 82 team fell outside the Top 35 on the owner points side, meaning Speed will need to qualify for the first five races of the season -- including Daytona.