Scott Speed

Scott Andrew Speed (born January 24, 1983) is an American race car driver. He was a driver for the Toro Rosso Formula One team. He made his first F1 race start at the 2006 Bahrain Grand Prix. He was the first American to race in F1 since Michael Andretti in 1993. In 2008, Speed started racing in NASCAR. For 2009 and 2001, he drove the Red Bull Toyota Camry full time in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series. Speed attempted to qualify for the 2011 Indianapolis 500, but did not make the race.

Scott Speed
Scott Speed.jpg
Born (1983-01-24) January 24, 1983 (age 41)
Manteca, California
NASCAR Sprint Cup Series statistics
76 races run over 3 years
2010 Sprint Cup position30th
Best Cup position30th - 2010
First race2008 TUMS QuikPak 500 (Martinsville)
Last race2010 Ford 400 (Homestead)
Wins Top tens Poles
0 3 0
NASCAR Nationwide Series statistics
13 races run over 1 years
2009 NNS position34th
Best NNS position34th - 2009
First race2009 Sam's Town 300 (Las Vegas)
Last race2009 Ford 300 (Homestead)
Wins Top tens Poles
0 8 1
NASCAR Camping World Truck Series statistics
16 races run over 1 years
Best NCWTS position21st - 2008
First race2008 American Commercial Lines 200 (Atlanta)
Last race2008 Ford 200 (Homestead)
First win2008 AAA Insurance 200 (Dover)
Last win2008 AAA Insurance 200 (Dover)
Wins Top tens Poles
1 9 1
Statistics current as of July 04, 2011.
Formula One World Championship career
Active years20062007
TeamsToro Rosso
Races28
Championships0
Wins0
Podiums0
Career points0
Pole positions0
Fastest laps0
First race2006 Bahrain Grand Prix
Last race2007 European Grand Prix
2007 position21st (0 points)

Early years

Speed started kart racing at the age of 10. He moved up to Formula series in 2001. He was a champion in US Formula Russell. He drove in both the US Barber Formula Dodge and US Star Mazda Series. Speed won the 'Red Bull Driver Search' program. In 2003 he drove for the ADR team in British Formula Three. During that year he fell ill with ulcerative colitis, a form of inflammatory bowel disease. He returned to the United States for treatment.[1]

2004 saw two championship titles for Speed. He won the Formula Renault 2000 Eurocup and later German Formula Renault. This was despite his worsening colitis.[1] This performance earned him a drive in the first season of GP2 Series for 2005. He ended the season third place in the driver championship standings behind Nico Rosberg and Heikki Kovalainen.

At the end of 2005, Speed drove the first three races of the new A1 Grand Prix series for A1 Team USA.

Formula One

In 2005 at the Canadian Grand Prix, Speed took part as a test driver for Red Bull Racing;[2] becoming the first American driver to participate in a Formula One event since Michael Andretti's 1993 stint.[3] He was also the test driver for the United States Grand Prix.[2]

After the purchase of Minardi, Red Bull Racing announced the team would become Scuderia Toro Rosso. Speed and Vitantonio Liuzzi would be the drivers for the 2006 season.

In 2006, Speed's first race was the Bahrain Grand Prix. His best finish of the season was a ninth place at the Australian Grand Prix. He would have finished Australia in the points, but had 25 seconds added to his race time for overtaking under yellow flags. At the United States Grand Prix he qualified a career best 13th. He was taken out of the race in a first-lap collision.

Scott Speed's 2007 season was disappointing. He had equipment breakdowns and several crashes. He spun off the circuit in wet conditions at the European Grand Prix. That turned out to be his last race for the team. After the race, it was reported that he was involved in a physical altercation with team principal Franz Tost.[4] Tost has since denied this.[5] Speed also said that they wanted to get rid of both him and Liuzzi.[6] Before the next race at Hungary, the team announced that he had been replaced by Sebastian Vettel.[7]

ARCA/REMAX Series

 
Scott Speed pits the #2 Red Bull Toyota.

To get ready for racing in NASCAR, Speed raced in the Automobile Racing Club of America (ARCA) series. he enter several races in 2007, and a full season in 2008. He drove the Red Bull-sponsored Toyota for Eddie Sharp Racing. Speed finished 5th in the points in 2008.

During the finale of the 2008 ARCA season, Ricky Stenhouse Jr. hit Speed and sent him into the wall. This ended Speed chance at a good finish, and possibly a Championship. After repairs, Speed intentially ran his car into Stenhouse, sending both cars into the wall. Neither driver was injured. ARCA officials parked Speed for the day.[8]

NASCAR

Speed made his Craftsman Truck Series debut at Atlanta Motor Speedway on March 7, 2008. He drove the Morgan-Dollar Motorsports #46 Cheverolet truck with Red Bull sponsorship. In his second race, he recorded his first Top 10 finish at Martinsville Speedway. He won his first career race on May 30 at Dover with Bill Davis Racing in a Toyota. On Sunday October 19, 2008, Scott Speed started his first Sprint Cup Series event at Martinsville Speedway. He finished in 30th place. He finished the Cup season in the #84 Red Bull Toyota Camry for the Red Bull Racing Team.

For the 2009 Sprint Cup season, Speed's car number was changed to #82. He won his first Rookie of the Race honor at the Daytona 500. Speed won the pole for the Sam’s Town 300 in his Nationwide Series debut on February 28, 2009. He also broke the track record with a speed of 182.45 mph and a lap time of 29.42 seconds.

For the 2010 Sprint Cup season, Speed was still in the #82 car. He had a disappointing season, with only two top ten finishes. At the end of the year, Red Bull Racing release Speed from his contract. This move was to make room for the return of Brian Vickers and the addition of Kasey Kahne. Vickers was returning after heart surgery. Kahne was signed for a one-year deal.[9]

Red Bull Racing Lawsuit

Within two weeks of leaving Red Bull Racing (RBR), Speed filed a lawsuit against the team for breach of contract. Breach of contract means that one person or group in the contract (RBR in this case) did not do the things they should have done. Speed is asking for $6.5 million US$ in the lawsuit. Speed alleges (says) that Red Bull

significantly reduced its financial commitment to Speed's race team and was unable and/or unwilling to provide [Speed] with 'supporting equipment' satisfactory for a driver of [his] skill to [be] effective [to] compete in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series[10]

Speed is claiming that Red Bull did not give his race team enough money or himself good enough race cars. Without the best race cars, it is hard to race at the same level as the top teams.

On July 28, 2011, Speed place a lien on RBR's property in Mooresville, North Carolina. The lien is for the race shop and the land it sits on. A lien is a legal tool to keep RBR from selling the property. The property can be used to ensure a debt is paid. RBR purchased the property for about $3.3 million US$.[11]

IndyCar

Speed attempted to qualify for the 2011 Indianapolis 500. He drove a car entered by Dragon Racing.[12] He was having trouble finding enough speed in the car to qualify. Dragon Racing put Patrick Carpentier in the car to test it. Carpentier spun and crashed the car. Dragon did not have another car for Speed to use. Speed was unable to qualify for the race.[13]

Racing record

Career summary

Season Series Team Name Races Wins Poles F/Laps Podiums Points Final Placing
2002 Formula Dodge National Championship ? 11 2 5 135 3rd
Formula Mazda Doublefield Racing 4 1 2 218 18th
2003 British Formula Three Championship Alan Docking Racing 14 0 0 3 23rd
2004 Formula Renault 2000 Eurocup Motopark Academy 16 8 9 402 1st
Formula Renault 2000 Germany Motopark Academy 14 4 3 293 1st
Asian Formula Renault Challenge Shangsai FRD GT Tires Team 2 1 1 N/A NC
2005 Formula One Red Bull Test driver
GP2 Series iSport International 23 0 1 67.5 3rd
2005-06 A1 Grand Prix USA 6 0 0 23 16th
2006 Formula One Toro Rosso 18 0 0 0 0 0 20th
2007 Formula One Toro Rosso 10 0 0 0 0 0 21st
ARCA RE/MAX Series Eddie Sharp Racing 1 0 0 195 N/A
2008 ARCA RE/MAX Series Eddie Sharp Racing 21 4 3 4925 3rd
Craftsman Truck Series Bill Davis Racing 16 1 3 n/a 3 2058 21st
Sprint Cup Series Red Bull Racing Team 5 0 0 n/a 0 366 55th
2009 Nationwide Series Michael Waltrip Racing 13 1 0 n/a 0 1591 34th
Sprint Cup Series Red Bull Racing Team
NEMCO Motorsports (2 races)
35 0 0 n/a 0 2690 35th
2010 Sprint Cup Series Red Bull Racing Team 36 0 0 n/a 0 3178 30th

Competed in less that 75% of the races. Not eligible to score championship points.
Team results.

Complete GP2 series results

(key) (Races in bold indicate pole position) (Races in italics indicate fastest lap)

Year Entrant 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 DC Points
2005 iSport International SMR
FEA

3
SMR
SPR

Ret
ESP
FEA

2
ESP
SPR

3
MON
FEA

4
EUR
FEA

16
EUR
SPR

12
FRA
FEA

15
FRA
SPR

18
GBR
FEA

4
GBR
SPR

2
GER
FEA

4
GER
SPR

3
HUN
FEA

Ret
HUN
SPR

19
TUR
FEA

5
TUR
SPR

4
ITA
FEA

Ret
ITA
SPR

15
BEL
FEA

4
BEL
SPR

4
BHR
FEA

Ret
BHR
SPR

19
3rd 67.5

Complete Formula One results

(key)

Year Entrant Chassis Engine 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 WDC Points
2005 Red Bull Racing Red Bull RB1 Cosworth TJ2005 3.0 L V10 AUS
MAL
BHR
SMR
ESP
MON
EUR
CAN
TD
USA
TD
FRA
GBR
GER
HUN
TUR
ITA
BEL
BRA
JPN
CHN
- -
2006 Scuderia Toro Rosso Toro Rosso STR1 Cosworth TJ2006 3.0 L V10 14 Series BHR
13
MAL
Ret
AUS
9
SMR
15
EUR
11
ESP
Ret
MON
13
GBR
Ret
CAN
10
USA
Ret
FRA
10
GER
12
HUN
11
TUR
13
ITA
13
CHN
14
JPN
Ret
BRA
11
20th 0
2007 Scuderia Toro Rosso Toro Rosso STR2 Ferrari 056 2.4 L V8 AUS
Ret
MAL
14
BHR
Ret
ESP
Ret
MON
9
CAN
Ret
USA
13
FRA
Ret
GBR
Ret
EUR
Ret
HUN
TUR
ITA
BEL
JPN
CHN
BRA
21st 0

Personal information

Speed currently resides in Mt. Holly, NC, where he lives with his wife Amanda Mathis.

His brother Alex currently races karts in America and is a 3 time Stars of Karting champion and a 3 time SKUSA Supernationals winner.

Scott Speed Media

References

  1. 1.0 1.1 Scott Speed www.formula1.com. Retrieved 1 July 2007.
  2. 2.0 2.1 "Formula 1, Formula 2, GP2, GP3, F3 and MotoGP news, photos and much more at GPUpdate.net - GPUpdate.net". F1.gpupdate.net. Retrieved 2010-07-10.
  3. "Scott Speed - Ask.com". 74.125.155.132. Archived from the original on 2009-02-21. Retrieved 2010-07-10.
  4. Scuffle could spell end to Speed's career. flagworld.auto123.com. 2007-07-23. http://flagworld.auto123.com/en/racing/news/index,view.spy?artid=86843. Retrieved 2007-07-23. 
  5. Franz Tost denies assaulting STR's Speed. duemotori.com. 2007-07-24. http://www.duemotori.com/news/f1/15407_Franz_Tost_denies_assaulting_STRs_Speed.php. Retrieved 2007-07-24. 
  6. Speed says Toro Rosso want rid of him and Liuzzi. uk.reuters.com. 2007-07-23. http://uk.reuters.com/article/motorSportsNews/idUKL2389326620070723. Retrieved 2007-07-23. 
  7. Toro Rosso axe Speed for Vettel. BBC Sport. 2007-07-31. http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/motorsport/formula_one/6923940.stm. Retrieved 2007-07-31. 
  8. Markey, Matt (October 13, 2008) (NewsBank). Speed - Stenhouse feud opens door for Allgaier - Retaliation mars final ARCA event of season. Toledo, Ohio: The Blade. p. C1. http://docs.newsbank.com/openurl?ctx_ver=z39.88-2004&rft_id=info:sid/iw.newsbank.com:AWNB:TOBB&rft_val_format=info:ofi/fmt:kev:mtx:ctx&rft_dat=123DBCE7E2C9EA10&svc_dat=InfoWeb:aggregated5&req_dat=0EAD847D4966C8AF. Retrieved 2010-10-04. 
  9. Aumann, Mark (2010-12-01). "Speed released from Red Bull Racing". nascar.com. NASCAR - Turner Sports Interactive, Inc. Archived from the original on 2011-06-06. Retrieved 2011-07-04.
  10. "Scott Speed Sues Red Bull After Team Releases Him". aolnews.com. AOL News. 2010-12-11. Retrieved 2011-07-04.
  11. Utter, Jim (2011-07-02). Scott Speed places lien on Red Bull property amid suit. McClatchy Company. http://www.charlotteobserver.com/2011/07/02/2423473/scott-speed-places-lien-on-red.html. Retrieved 2011-07-04. 
  12. Ryan, Nate (2011-05-06). Scott Speed will attempt IndyCar debut at Indy 500. Gannett Co. Inc. https://www.usatoday.com/sports/motor/indycar/2011-05-05-Scott-Speed-to-run-Indy-500_N.htm. Retrieved 2011-07-04. 
  13. Miller, Geoffrey (2011-05-22). "Carpentier wrecks in Scott Speed's car at Indy". sports.yahoo.com. Yahoo! Inc. Retrieved 2011-07-04.

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