Aptly named Scott Speed: Gaining ground in NASCAR circles

You may be familiar with his flashy personality rather than his MPH on the race track. As long as you know about him, he’ll take care of the rest. His name alone gives reason to sit up and pay attention.

Speed. Scott speed, that is. Yes, that is his original name and he hails from Manteca, California. The 25-year-old has taken the Formula One route in an era where American drivers stick with NASCAR, with occasional swings at IndyCar. After 13 events in the ARCA Re/Max series, he has four wins and leads the points race (he also tops ARCA’s SunTrust Rookie of the Year rankings) and has already joined the NASCAR parade as a Red Bull driver. Racing. The energy drink with the angry red bovine is the perfect sponsor for Mr. Eccentric himself.

Speed’s style for the wacky includes blue and purple painted toenails (he gets a pedicure before races to help him relax), bright and ornate clothing, oversized sunglasses, and the occasional case. loose lips If you see her nod her head or flick her tongue, it’s just the latest song on her I-pod with headphones. He thinks of training NBA star Dennis Rodman without the tattoos and dyed hair. Wow, don’t give him ideas.

His full-time ride at ARCA, the No. 2 Red Bull Toyota Camry, is owned by Eddie Sharp Racing. In the Craftsman Truck Series he drives the No. 22 Red Bull Tundra owned by Bill Davis Racing. Next up is a concert on Nationwide, followed by a coveted ride in the Cup, but he’s in no rush. His expected participation in the Sprint Cup Series is 2010 at the earliest, which is fine by him. He’s having too much fun to rush the schedule, no pun intended.

Speed ​​broke into NASCAR with a bang this past March at Martinsville, finishing 10th in his second career start. His first win came in his sixth start on May 30 at Dover. He currently has two top-five and four top-10 finishes in eight races. His time in the seat is part of a BDR driver development program aimed at preparing him for top-tier competition.

And the boy can drive. In fact, he maintains, NASCAR is a piece of cake compared to Formula One. So if he can conquer the final circuit, Kyle Busch has nothing on His Brashness, style or racing ability. just ask him.

Busch is two years younger than Speed ​​and appears to have NASCAR on the cards. Speed ​​is unimpressed and scoffs at Shrub’s latest goal: racing a Formula One car in the off-season. Busch already has an F-1 test scheduled for later in the year and would give it a try if all goes well, though the race itself is less exciting, he says.

Speed ​​says otherwise. He dismissed the idea that another American, especially one so accustomed to NASCAR, could handle g-forces and neck strain. He says going from hard (F-1) to easy (NASCAR) is the way to go, and Busch is stuck in reverse.

Speed’s part-time run in the Truck Series began at Kansas on April 26, followed by Lowe’s Motor Speedway, Dover, Michigan, Bristol, Talladega, Martinsville, Atlanta, Texas, Phoenix and Homestead-Miami. His Truck credentials include two previous races at Atlanta and Martinsville.

Imagine the exposure you’ll get in the next two years.