CUP: Scott Speed Upset With Treatment From Red Bull

Sprint Cup

CUP: Scott Speed Upset With Treatment From Red Bull

Scott Speed isn't happy with how his dismissal from Red Bull Racing was carried out...

Bob Pockrass | http://www.scenedaily.com | Posted December 08, 2010 Charlotte, NC

Scott Speed will have a new racing home in 2012. (Photo: LAT Photographic)

While he says he understands the decision by Red Bull Racing officials to have Kasey Kahne and Brian Vickers as their drivers for 2011, Scott Speed doesn’t feel he was treated fairly by the organization in its release of him last month.

The former Formula One driver finished 30th in the standings in his second year in Sprint Cup and said he was notified by fax Nov. 24 that he would not be retained for 2011 by the team operated by the Austrian-based energy drink company.

“I’m obviously stupid disappointed that I didn’t even get a phone call, not a conversation, not anything from anyone from Austria,” Speed said Wednesday in a phone interview. “They all showed up at Miami. None of them spoke a word to me. I got a fax.”

Speed has said he had a contract for 2011, but declined to discuss details, saying he has spoken to a lawyer about his options.

“I can’t describe how upset I am just over the morality of it,” Speed said. “I don’t understand how you can treat people like this. Whatever. I know that’s not how I treat people.”

The 2010 season began as if it would be a breakout season for Speed, who had three top-20 finishes in the first four races to reach 12th in points. But he then struggled, posting just four top-20 finishes in the next 12 events.

In May, teammate Vickers was diagnosed with blood clots and had to sit out the rest of the season. The team used five drivers in his place the rest of the year.

“When Brian got sick, we were both in the 20s in points just because of luck – honestly, we ran better than that,” Speed said. “We were going to put this driver in [for Vickers], and their old team was trying this [setup], so [we decided], ‘Let’s try this.’ … As a team, we kind of [crapped] the bed, really. There’s no question throughout the year we performed terribly.

“At the end of the day, I was a scapegoat for that, I guess.”

In August, the team announced it had signed Richard Petty Motorsports’ Kasey Kahne to a one-year deal before Kahne goes to Hendrick Motorsports in 2012. That left Speed’s job in jeopardy.

“They made it pretty clear with four or five races left that their plan was pretty simple – that if Brian doesn’t get better, then I’m their guy, but if Brian does get better, the options are open for maybe a third car, maybe Nationwide or something – that was the last I heard, was basically I’m waiting there to see if Brian is all right,” Speed said.

Speed said he might have made the same decision Red Bull made but just had done it differently.

“They had the opportunity to get Kasey Kahne, which is a no-brainer,” he said. “I would do the same thing. Then it’s ‘OK, do you want Scott Speed or Brian Vickers next year after that?’ Even though I think I’m probably performing at a similar level to Brian, I’d still take Brian over myself even because of his experience level.

“It makes sense what they’re doing. I just think they did it all wrong. They didn’t treat me fairly over the whole deal.”

Speed would not comment on the terms of his Red Bull contract because of advice from his attorney.

“They thought it was OK to kick me to the curb and not try to do absolutely anything for me,” Speed said. “They didn’t want to pay me anything. They didn’t want to help me get into any other kind of ride. Nothing. They were, ‘OK, we’re done with you. Thank you for seven-and-a-half years.’

“Honestly, I’m still a little bit shocked over the whole situation.”

In addition, much of the crew that worked with Speed in 2010 will be replaced by people picked by Kahne and Kenny Francis, the crew chief who came over from Richard Petty Motorsports with Kahne. Speed said the crewmen shouldn’t be blamed for the performance, which he believes picked up for a period of time after John Probst was given more control of the competition side in late summer.

“Changes that change the performance of the car are made at the top level,” Speed said. “When John Probst took over [general manager] Jay Frye’s sort of role running the team from a competition side, things changed and stuff got a lot better. … Then shortly after that, with everyone sort of fighting for their job, sort of a little bit working against each other, things got worse again.

“But the cars, during the middle part of the year, were terrible. They were terrible not because of the guys physically working on the cars. That’s not fair to say at all. That’s never the case. There’s three or four guys at the top that are deciding what bodies are going on what cars, what cars are going to run and that’s where the speed is at.”

Scott Speed's run in the No. 82 Red Bull Racing Toyota is over. (Photo: LAT Photographic)

Speed, who was released from his Red Bull-sponsored Formula One ride after 28 races in 2006 and 2007, said the situations were handled differently.

“I was released from the Formula One team, I was in a terrible situation over there, and at least Red Bull was reasonable enough to look at it and say, ‘This isn’t right, we totally [wronged] this kid here,’” he said. “It’s pretty common knowledge in the Formula One garage [of that]. They asked [me], ‘What do you want to do?’ I said, ‘Well, how about going stock-car racing?’”

As far as 2011, Speed said he figures it will be a lost season because he has no chance to properly align himself with a sponsor and competitive team.

“You can’t let a driver go in the middle of November,” Speed said. “There’s a reason they signed my extension [for 2011]. We were doing well. I have no question of my confidence level in stock-car racing right now, especially the Cup level.

“Last year was difficult for sure. But at the end of last year, once Brian made the Chase, we ran a lot more closer to Brian and felt a lot more confident and we started this year out and were awesome.”

Speed wants to continue racing stock cars and would consider a competitive Nationwide or Truck series team.

“My mom was diagnosed with cancer on the same day [I was released], so it kind of puts life into a little bit more perspective than, ‘Oh my God, I just lost a racing ride,’” Speed said. “It’s terrible, but priorities change a little bit. In any case, it’s not just a case of finding a new ride or a new sponsor.

“I’ve never had a manager my whole career, for example. Red Bull has always told me where to go and what to do. There’s never been a need for a manager, especially somebody trying to find money and a ride. The decision I make for myself and where I go after Red Bull is a huge one. What brand do I associate myself after a seven-and-a-half year relationship with Red Bull? I have a global brand name with my career in Formula One and with what Red Bull has done with my stock-car racing career.”

SceneDaily.com • NASCAR moves 2011 Hall of Fame induction ceremony from Sunday afternoon to Monday night following All-Star weekend