nascar Notebook

Vickers back: Brian Vickers had heart surgery last month as part of his treatment for blood clots, but the NASCAR driver said he fully expects to resume his racing career next season. Vickers has been out since May because of clots in his leg and lungs. In his first update in three months, Vickers said Saturday he had two procedures in July to close a hole in his heart and insert a stent into a vein in his left leg. Although doctors diagnosed him with the blood-clot disorder May-Thurner syndrome, Vickers believes he’ll be off blood thinners by Jan. 1 and driving for Red Bull Racing when next season begins. Vickers was hospitalized in May with chest pains that led to the discovery of blood clots in his leg and lungs. He said he’d stop driving the rest of the season while undergoing treatment, and revealed Saturday the discovery of a third clot, in his finger, that doctors believe moved through a hole in his heart. He had surgery July 12 to close the passageway, and a second procedure to insert the stent was done the next day.

Purses cut: NASCAR will cut the purses for the Nationwide Series by 20 percent next season, a move designed to make hosting the second-tier series a more profitable proposition for race tracks. It’s the second consecutive year the purse will be reduced in Nationwide. NASCAR also cut the purses in the premiere Sprint Cup Series before this season.

Associated Press