Breaking his silence?
Former NASCAR driver Brian Vickers, who won the Busch Series championship in 2003 before being forced into retirement from full time racing in 2015 due to health issues, has seemingly broken his silence after appearing several times in documents related to sexual predator Jeffrey Epstein, which were released back in January by the Department of Justice.
Vickers drove for several teams in the Cup Series, including Hendrick Motorsports, Team Red Bull and Michael Waltrip Racing (MWR). And he was previously married to Sarah Kellen, who began working for Epstein in the early 2000s as an assistant and has been alleged in previous litigation, including police affidavits, as having played a central role in Epstein’s sex trafficking scheme.
In the trial of Epstein associate Ghislaine Maxwell, Kellen was described by the judge as a “knowing participant” in the conspiracy, and she’s also been named in lawsuits from Epstein victims. Kellen, however, disputes any criminal wrongdoing and has previously said before that she was a victim of Epstein.
The former NASCAR driver announced that he and his wife were divorcing in 2025.
In the documents released by the government, emails show that Vickers and somebody presumed to be Kellen began talking around 2012, while he was driving for the now-defunct MWR, with one email apparently from Kellen describing Vickers as having “a reputation of being a major playboy.”
In a 2013 email, the sender (presumed to be Kellen) is communicating directly with Epstein after hearing from Michael Waltrip Racing that a potential sponsor, Aaron’s, may have a problem with sponsoring Vickers due to his connections to Epstein.
The concerns apparently arose after an article was published by Gawker detailing the driver’s relationship with the Epstein associate. The sender of the email asked Epstein for any connections he may have to the company’s CEO:
While discussing the matter, it appears that MWR team owners Michael Waltrip and Rob Kauffman were hoping that the potential sponsor wouldn’t find out about the articles:
“They don’t intend to bring it to Aaron’s attention right now and are hoping they won’t find out.”
It appears that Vickers himself began communicating with Epstein as well, at least as early as 2012, when the NASCAR driver forwarded him a…well, vulgar and disturbing “fairy tale.” I’m not going to include that one here, but it’s in there if you want to read it. While it’s not clear that it was written by Vickers himself, the writing mentions a “prince” who “raced cars and went to naked bars and dated women half his age.”
As recently as 2019, just five months before Epstein was arrested for the final time, Vickers also emailed him directly to wish him a happy Valentine’s Day:
Vickers and Kellen eventually married in 2015 before divorcing last year.
Also included in the release of the files was a draft of their prenuptial agreement, as well as several emails from various individuals inviting Epstein and his associates to NASCAR races.
Of course neither Vickers nor Kellen have been charged in relation to Epstein’s sex trafficking ring, and neither have commented on the documents contained in the latest release. Michael Waltrip, the 2001 winner of the Daytona 500 and former owner of MWR, currently works as an analyst for NASCAR on FOX and has likewise not commented on the emails. (MWR co-owner Rob Kauffman is no longer involved in NASCAR).
While the connection between Epstein and Vickers has long been known, the documents certainly raise questions about his relationship with the sexual predator, as well as Epstein’s involvement in the driver’s racing career.
Disgusting stuff.
Well Vickers appears to have broken his silence on the issue with a rare post on his X/Twitter account.
In the cryptic statement, which doesn’t mention Epstein directly, Vickers denies any involvement in the deceased sexual predator’s crimes:
“I have stayed quite [sic] for too long now. My hope that love would prevail in silence were not answered.
I will say this only once. I walk in love for all my brothers and sisters. If this is not your path, I will meet you where you are. So that the rest my walk in peace.
I had nothing to do with the mess left by others. If you can not see this you are part of the problem. I wish for peace and yet I am prepared for war against any that threaten my family walking in love.
I wish most of all, to say thank you to all who understand and walk the same path. It is time to build a more gentle world together. But it will not start with tolerance for hate. With unconditional love, not unconditional bounderies [sic].”
Vickers began his NASCAR career in 2001, driving in the Busch Series for BLV Motorsports, a team owned by his father Clyde Vickers. In 2003 he began driving for Hendrick Motorsports, and made his Cup Series debut with the team that same season.
In 2004 he began driving full time for Hendrick in the Cup Series, and won his first race in 2006 at Talladega.
He made his only postseason appearance in 2009 while driving for the now-defunct Team Red Bull, winning his second Cup Series race of his career and finishing 12th in points that season.
Starting in 2010, Vickers began to suffer medical issues caused by blood clots in his legs and around his lungs, which forced him to step away from racing less than halfway through the season. He would return to Team Red Bull in 2011, though the team would shut down after that season.
In 2012 he made the move to Michael Waltrip Racing, driving only select races in 2012 and 2013. But it was in one of those races in 2013 that Vickers won his third and final Cup Series race, at New Hampshire Motor Speedway, and was later announced as the full-time driver for the 2014 and 2015 seasons.
Of course 2013 was also the year that Michael Waltrip Racing was involved in a race manipulation scandal, now referred to as “Spingate,” at Richmond, with Vickers found to be one of the drivers involved.
The following season, Vickers managed to compete the full 2014 season, though he was only able to achieve a 22nd place finish in the final points standings. And that would turn out to be the final full season of his Cup career, because in 2015 he was once again sidelined with heart issues after having surgery the previous December to repair a hole in his heart.
Michael Waltrip Racing shut down following the 2015 season, due in part to the penalties received from “Spingate,” and Vickers joined NASCAR on NBC as an analyst. But in 2016, he was called upon to fill in for the injured Tony Stewart for 5 races at the beginning of the season, which turned out to be the final five races of his NASCAR Cup Series career.
