NASCAR Sprint-Cup Series
  • Peg It on GarageMonkey
CUP: Speed Embraces Family And Relationships
Scott Speed made the transition to full time Sprint Cup racing in 2009...
Jared Turner  | http://www.scenedaily.com  |  Posted January 03, 2010   Charlotte, NC
Red Bull Racing's Scott Speed finished 35th in the NASCAR Sprint Cup driver standings in his 2009 rookie season. (Photo: LAT Photographic)

Prior to his entry into the Sprint Cup Series, some observers thought Scott Speed might not exactly buy or fit into the NASCAR culture.

Sure, he carried a surname suited perfectly for America’s premier motorsports division, but Speed was not cut out of the traditional Cup driver’s mold.

Before Speed ever made his first Cup start, word of his unconventional personality and habits – he has been known to paint his toenails and get pedicures, among other habits – was known in the Cup garage.

So it was natural to wonder exactly how well this 26-year-old former Formula One driver would fit into NASCAR’s top series.

With one full season now under his belt, rest assured that Speed is the same guy. But he believes that his peers have accepted him for reasons that have nothing to do with his eclectic tastes. At the same time, Speed has embraced the NASCAR way of life – while remaining true to himself.

“I know a lot of people, and everyone kind of knows me as being different, but I think I certainly have got respect from a lot of people, but that’s 100 percent due to what actions are going on on the track rather than off the track,” he says. “When you’re not doing stupid things on the track and you’re not making a bunch of enemies right away – like other people that everyone knows about – it certainly makes the transition a lot easier, and as well people are more willing to help you, I think.

“I could call any number of the top guys in NASCAR driver-wise, and they would all help me as much as they could. I have a really good selection of people where I can get advice from and help on the driving side of NASCAR, and I think that’s mostly due to the fact that in my first season I’ve been respectful for the people around me running and haven’t been doing anything stupid to people.”

While Speed steered clear of any major confrontation in his rookie season of 2009, his learning curve proved to be steep.

After a stint in the Truck series and Automobile Racing Club of America Series in 2008, Red Bull Racing brought Speed to the Cup series full time in 2009 in hopes that the driver might contend for rookie-of-the-year honors with Joe Gibbs Racing newcomer Joey Logano.

While the 19-year-old Logano, who took over the two-time championship team of Tony Stewart, finished a solid 20th in the standings and scored a victory on the way to becoming Raybestos Rookie of the Year, Speed finished 35th in points and failed to qualify three times with a third-year program.

He netted just one top-10 – a fifth-place finish at Talladega in April – and finished in the top 20 just four times in 35 starts. Speed had harbored aspirations of a relatively smooth transition to Cup in light of his success in the Truck series (one win and nine top-10s in 16 starts) and ARCA (four wins and 18 top-10s in 22 starts).


Page 1 of 2
Prev
12
Next
jared_turner's avatar

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Jared Turner

SceneDaily.com

MORE BY THIS AUTHOR
Advertising | Jobs | Feedback | FAQ | Terms of Use | NEW Privacy Policy | Ad Choices | Site Map
Fox Sports | FUEL TV | FX Network | National Geographic | IGN | AskMen
The Motor Sports Authority, SPEED and associated logos are registered trademarks of Speed Channel Inc.
All Rights Reserved © Speed Channel, Inc. 2013

All external links will open in a new browser window. SPEED.com does not endorse external sites.