The Associated Press has learned Brian Vickers will replace injured driver Tony Stewart for the NASCAR season opener at Daytona International Speedway.

Stewart-Haas Racing has scheduled a Friday 2/12/16 news conference to discuss its plans for the number 14 Chevrolet.

Vickers ran only two races last season before suffering a recurrence of blood clots. He can't compete when being treated for the clots because the blood thinners increase his risk of serious internal bleeding if he crashes.

Stewart is sidelined for the start of his final NASCAR season with a fractured vertebra. He was hurt riding an all-terrain vehicle in the desert in California last week.

The season opener is The Daytona 500 on Sunday February 21, 2016. The race will be carried from flag to flag on AM1000 KXRB.

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