ATLANTA, March 6, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- A healthy
Brian Vickers makes an emotional
return to the NASCAR Sprint Series at this weekend's Kobalt 400 in
Las Vegas.
Vickers is driving for the first time this year following heart
surgery in mid-December. Last month, he was given a clean bill of
health by doctors to participate in the March 8th race at Las Vegas Motor Speedway.
The three-time winner in NASCAR's top division will once again
be at the wheel of the No. 55 Aaron's 60th Anniversary
Dream Machine Toyota, which was commandeered last week in
Atlanta by Michael Waltrip Racing
teammate Brett Moffitt to an
eighth-place finish, and by team founder Michael Waltrip at the Daytona 500 on
Feb. 22.
"The wait has been difficult but I am so grateful for the
excellent medical care from my doctors and wonderful support from
my NASCAR, MWR and Aaron's families," Vickers said. "I feel
healthier than I have in a long time and more ready than ever to
start racing and winning in my Aaron's Dream Machine."
The nearly three-month medical leave was the third for the
31-year-old Vickers since he joined the Sprint Cup in 2004. Blood
clots and surgery to repair a hole in his heart sidelined him for
much of the 2010 season, and a recurrence of clots interrupted his
2013 campaign. His body was rejecting an artificial patch inserted
in the 2010 surgery, prompting the December procedure.
"Brian serves as an inspiration to everyone for the way he has
battled back from difficult circumstances," said John Robinson, CEO of Aaron's, Inc. "I'm happy
to see him get the chance again to do what he does best --
race cars."
The car Vickers is driving will sport a different look than his
previous models. As part of Aaron's, Inc.'s yearlong celebration of
its 60th anniversary, the No. 55 car has been emblazoned
with large navy letters reading "60th Aaron's
Anniversary" on its white hood.
The 60th anniversary of Aaron's runs throughout 2015
and will be marked by numerous events, festivities and store
promotions. Aaron's was founded in 1955 by Charlie Loudermilk with a partner and a
$500 loan, and today is a publicly
traded company with more than 2,100 stores in the United States and Canada.
About Aaron's, Inc.
Aaron's, Inc. (NYSE: AAN), a leader in the sales and lease
ownership and specialty retailing of furniture, consumer
electronics, home appliances and accessories, currently has more
than 2,100 Company-operated and franchised stores in 48 states and
Canada. Aaron's was founded in
1955, is headquartered in Atlanta
and has been publicly traded since 1982. Progressive Leasing, a
wholly owned subsidiary and leading virtual lease-to-own company,
provides lease-purchase solutions through approximately 15,000
retail locations in 46 states. Aaron's, Inc. includes the
Aarons.com, ShopHomeSmart.com and ProgLeasing.com brands. For
more information, visit www.aarons.com.
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SOURCE Aaron's, Inc.