Top 5 Cases of Vickernism in NASCAR

In 2011, Dr. Spencer invented the diagnosis Vickernism after studying patient Brian Vickers, who experienced an episode of extreme recklessness and self-destructive behavior that at the time baffled most of the racing and medical worlds. Yet despite its rarity, it’s far from the only time drivers have had similar mental breakdowns on track.

 Cody Ware: Martinsville (2021)

At the very track where Vickernism was coined, 10 years later, pay driver Cody Ware had a strikingly similar race. He was in 4 wrecks that day, 2 of which were crashes caused solely by his own violation. Something even the commentators seemed sick of his incidents. Such erratic and reckless driving is already enough to diagnose an individual with Vickernism, but there are often forgotten symptoms,

Dr. Spencer summed up as “being a dope.”  Which takes us to the 1st crash Mr. Ware was involved in. As it wasn’t the driver of the No.51, it wasn’t the RWR car spinning around this time. Off the back bumper of Mr. Ware’s car, Australian driver James Davison spun around who was at the time Mr. Ware’s teammate. At the time, most dismissed it as Ware driving in over his head and making another 1 of his many mistakes.

But soon afterwards, he made it clear he had been going through a heavy Vickerism episode. As on the radio, not only did he confirm it was intentional, but he even said he was going to wreck his own teammate again. Forcing his father, who owns the team he drives for, to calm him down from his Vickernism-induced rage.

Cody Ware: “Anytime he’s ahead of us (Davidson), he’s getting turned. I’m not fighting him anymore.” Crew Chief or Spotter: “Cut that out.” Rick: “I’ve heard enough over the radio, Cody.” “Rick, get your f****** son under control; he is mentally ill. He shouldn’t be out here. What is going on?!?!” James Davison. Mr. Ware finished 32nd after all was said and done.

At the time, it was an amusing incident between 2 of the worst cars on the field, fighting and feuding with each other, since everyone else was too fast for them to catch. It would serve as a prerequisite to the mental health issues Ware would later suffer, and he was tried for domestic violence, for which NASCAR suspended Mr. Ware in 2023.

Ken Alexander: Bristol (2002)

Had it not been for Ken Alexander’s Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Race at Bristol, he’d be 1 of the many unnotable drivers that took part in the 2000s Busch Series, driving for backmarker teams and never getting any notable results or anything worth noting beyond their attempts.

But his case of Vickernism, which he suffered at 1 of NASCAR’s most challenging tracks, turned him into a joke amongst early NASCAR fans on the internet for years to come. Ken Alexander suffered what many medical historians have looked back upon as 1 of the worst cases in recorded history.

He would wreck himself and, on six occasions, other, more competitive drivers, including at the time 2nd-place runner Jason Keller, Stacy Compton, and Michael Waltrip, all in 1 crash. He barely made minimum speed, making him a nuisance for the notably faster leaders to get by.  He even feuded with Casey Mears, who shoved him out of the racing line trying to get by him.

His perseverance despite everything saw him go till 11 laps to go when a crash with the #29, in DW’s words, “finally killed that thing.” For his efforts, he finished 31st, so not last. But it would’ve been better for him had he parked it after the 1st wreck and finished last anyway. But Vickernism causes all kinds of people to lose the sort of sense that makes practical decision-making possible. As proven by Alexander on this day.

Riley Herbst: Roval (2025)

The most recent case of Vickernism was recorded. This case focuses much more on the “being a dope” part of Vickernism. Perhaps brought on by his near flip in practice, although the results are inconclusive at this time. There’s no doubting the diagnosis. He started by feuding with former Cup Series champion Kyle Busch, hitting a lapped Kyle Busch on the backstretch for no reason.

He retaliated by wrecking Herbst in the final turn. This prompted the affected Herbst to angrily yell over the radio. “Maybe he should retire.”Then, later in the race, Herbst and Ty Dillon got into a pay driver feud. When under yellow, Ty Dillon hit Herbst in the door. Those affected with Vickernism are emotionally volatile and out of control.

So when this angered Herbst, the mechanisms that usually stop him from lashing out in such a self-destructive way were briefly dissipated. So, he accelerated towards the #10 and hit him in the door, which only caused Herbst to destroy 1 of his tires. And the cherry on top: he was DQ’d from his 30th-place finish for failing to meet weights.

 Derek Kraus: Knoxville (2021)

The Knoxville weekend initially started as great as possible for the former ARCA West champion. He started on the pole and swept both stages, an awe-inspiring feat for a short-track driver who isn’t very experienced on dirt and was in the middle of his rookie season. But due to strategy, he was sent down the field and afflicted with Vickernism. The whole field would pay for his affliction. He wrecked 3 times, five if you count the post-race shenanigans due to Kraus’s Vickernism-motivated actions.

He was spun by Ben Rhodes, who tried to bump him out of the way and instead blew his tire. Then Kraus, trying to get back up the field, shoved multiple trucks ahead of him, which caused a multi-truck crash. Then he was involved in the 2-to-go Big One as well. His Vickernism-afflicted driving saw him finish 5th, but also caused him to be spun twice after the race.

 Noah Gragson: Chicago (2023)

Suppose Ken Alexander at Bristol had a Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Race. Then Noah Gragson had a terrible, horrible, no good, terrible rookie season. 1 could accuse him of having Vickernism the whole season. Going from being a title contender and regular winner in Xfinity to struggling even to get top 10 finishes in Cup.

Getting into fights with Ross Chastain, being sidelined with concussions, and having his season end early because of a meme he liked would make his rookie season infamous enough. But combine an aggressive and hotheaded young driver dealing with a U-turn in form and heavy pressure from sponsor Wendy’s to perform at the Chicago weekend.

You get a case of Vickernism. Starting with him on lap 13, being buried in the tire barrier and stuck under it, his burnouts failed to get him out on his own. Then he was stuck under the same tire barrier in the same spot again in the middle of stage 2 as the ad for the Wendy’s Baconator flashed on screen while safety crews were getting him out of the barrier.

Gragson was also involved in a multicar incident with Keselowski and others at turn 6, which showed him all his trouble. He crashed again into the barrier during the race. Although this time he wouldn’t be buried under it, only hitting it. After the race on the cooldown lap, Noah Gragson spun one more time.

Mind you, this wasn’t because of a fellow racer he had enraged by his erratic, reckless driving, oh no. While everyone was slowing down and going to pit road, he made a mistake that caused him to spin, although he did get called an idiot by Andy Lally on the radio, who was behind him the moment he spun. Thanks a bunch for joining me on this deep dive into the history of this medical diagnosis known as Vickernism in NASCAR.