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BIOSTATSGALLERY
SPEEDY TRANSITION

Californian Scott Speed cemented himself as a promising young NASCAR driver with an impressive 2008 season only months removed from racing across the world in Formula One.

With Red Bull Racing Team guiding Speed through his first season in stock cars - cars unlike anything he'd ever driven before - he took ARCA by storm and was a fixture at the front in the Camping World Truck Series. He drove to four ARCA victories and a series-leading 17 top 10s. On the truck side, he earned his first victory at Dover in only his sixth start and ended the season with eight top-15 finishes in his final 10 races.

It was enough to secure Speed a seat for the 2009 Sprint Cup season, where he's battling for rookie of the year in the No. 82 Red Bull Toyota. He'll also run a partial Nationwide Series schedule in the No. 99 Michael Waltrip Racing Toyota.

ACHIEVING F1 STATUS

After dominating the karting ranks for eight years, Speed stepped up to open-wheel racing in 2001 and won the Formula Russell title in his first try. In 2002, he continued the climb, competing in the Skip Barber National Championship and Star Mazda.

That same year, Red Bull launched the Red Bull Driver Search - aimed at putting a United States-born driver in Formula One. Speed, at a still-green 19, won the competition and crossed the pond for British Formula 3, but fell ill with ulcerative colitis, a form of inflammatory bowel disease, and was forced to return to the U.S. for treatment.

In 2004, he won the German Formula Renault and Eurocup championships. GP2 came calling a year later. Podium finishes were the norm, and Speed ended up third in the GP2 championship. He got a taste of Formula One, too, running a third car for Red Bull Racing in the North American swing through Montreal and Indianapolis.

Speed became the first American in Formula One since Michael Andretti in 1993, and Red Bull gave him one of two full-time seats on its sister team - Scuderia Toro Rosso - for the 2006 season. He flirted with points finishes a few times but never scored.

The 2007 season was largely disappointing, punctuated by a mutual parting of the ways with the team. After seven races, Speed was released from his contract at Scuderia Toro Rosso. His relationship with Red Bull, however, remained strong, and Speed turned his attention to landing a seat in the States.

He did for the October ARCA race at Talladega, starting seventh and finishing seventh in his first stock car race.

LIFE OF A RED BULL ATHLETE

"Red Bull is in my blood," Speed has said. He's eccentric, speaks what's on his mind, has experienced countless cultures and prides himself on being an individual. Few can rival his fashion sense, too.

He's constantly on the move. In 2008, he rode a mechanical bull in Texas, attended the Red Bull Air Race World Series event in Detroit, the Red Bull Indianapolis Grand Prix MotoGP race in Indianapolis and judged a Red Bull Flugtag event in Tampa, Fla.

Hardly ever is he found without his iPhone or U2-packed iPod. At 25 years old, he still loves peanut butter and jelly sandwiches and M&Ms. He enjoys watching the ruthlessness of Al Pacino in "Scarface." Out of the car, Speed climbs rocks, rides bicycles and plays a mean game of golf.
Scott Speed speaks out:

Q. How's the whole career change thing going?
I have more confidence with what I'm feeling and the changes I would want to call out if I was in the middle of the race. From the first time I got in the car, it's not hard to go fast. My biggest thing is I'm going to be learning, needing time in the car to know what the car feels like, how it should feel in practice and how that translates into the race, to drive the car loose in the opening laps and feel how it gets tighter and how that changes from circuit to circuit.

Q. Do you ever envision yourself doing anything else?
Golf. I wouldn't be great at anything other than racing, and maybe golf if I really worked at it. I would want to be the best at what I did.

Q. How is the golf game?
Not bad, actually. The Charlotte area affords a lot of opportunities to play.

Q. What is the neighbors' reaction when you tell them you drive race cars for a living?
My neighbors in Austria, they were all my biggest fans. I can relate with them, and I think they have fun telling me what they heard on the news. One of my neighbors came up to me and was like, 'Dude, I saw this crazy clip of you on the news. It looked like you were yelling at somebody. I was laughing to myself. I was like, 'Yeah, that's my neighbor!' I get that stuff sometimes.

Q. You and Red Bull go back a long way. What is it that makes you so Red Bull?
Red Bull has always encouraged me to be myself, to let my personality come out. I'm very honest. I say what I think. I do have a personality, and Red Bull lets me completely be myself and doesn't put any restrictions on me. It's such an awesome working experience, such a great situation. I'm super happy to carry this relationship further because everyone at Red Bull has been so faithful to me and so supportive.

Q. Are you tight with any other Red Bull athletes?
I know a lot of the international guys, most of the guys in Europe. In Austria, I lived right next to Red Bull and a lot of the guys came through there.

Q. The premier perk of being a Red Bull athlete is?
If I had free time to go, say, surfing or skiing, you have easy contact to the people who do that for a living and do it at the highest level.

Q. Scott Speed's driving style in one word.
I always had a very methodical approach to driving. I didn't really deal with a lot of emotion or aggression. I was very methodical about the decisions I made on the track. I think methodical would be the best way to describe it.


SPRINT CUP 2009

Race
Site
Start
Finish
Laps
Money
Status
Led
1
Daytona
38
35
151/152
268,763
Running
0
2
California
9
41
172/250
94,498
Engine
0
3
Las Vegas
42
21
284/285
111,198
Running
0
4
Atlanta
26
35
262/330
85,413
Accident
0
5
Bristol
11
28
500/503
101,873
Running
0
6
Martinsville
36
39
424/500
81,923
Running
12
7
Texas
DNQ
-
-
-
-
-
8
Phoenix
18
34
310/312
80,798
Running
0
9
Talladega
8
5
188/188
144,798
Running
1
10
Richmond
8
33
396/400
80,298
Running
0
11
Darlington
32
26
362/367
75,325
Running
0
Charlotte (SS)
20
19
40/40
28,425
Running
0
12
Charlotte
18
18
227/227
116,648
Running
0
13
Dover
23
37
118/400
90,328
Engine
0
14
Pocono
37
32
199/200
78,298
Running
0
15
Michigan
21
37
174/200
85,948
Running
0
16
Infineon
31
37
112/113
72,750
Running
2
17
New Hampshire
36
36
189/273
84,298
Accident
0

NATIONWIDE 2009

Race
Site
Start
Finish
Laps
Money
Status
Led
3
Las Vegas
1
40
21/209
31,298
Accident
2
4
Bristol
19
8
300/300
32,663
Running
0
9
Richmond
21
27
246/250
21,718
Running
0
10
Darlington
24
13
153/153
22,418
Running
0
11
Charlotte
14
11
170/170
19,375
Running
0
12
Dover
4
7
200/200
18,285
Running
0
16
New Hampshire
4
8
200/200
18,150
Running
0

ARCA 2008

Race
Site
Start
Finish
Laps
Money
Status
Led
1
Daytona
2
39
29/80
Accident
37
2
Salem
5
5
204/204
Running
-
3
Iowa
2
6
250/250
Running
8
4
Kansas
2
1
100/100
Running
4
5
Rockingham
25
35
152/312
Accident
8
6
Kentucky
7
2
112/112
Running
6
7
Toledo
4
6
204/204
Running
6
8
Pocono
1
2
86/86
Running
3
9
Michigan
1
4
100/100
Running
2
10
Cayuga
8
8
257/257
Running
2
11
Kentucky
6
1
104/104
Running
2
12
Berlin
6
1
200/200
Running
2
13
Pocono
1
2
80/80
Running
1
14
Nashville
5
1
117/117
Running
1
15
Springfield
8
8
102/102
Running
1
16
DuQuoin
14
8
102/102
Running
1
17
Chicago
4
3
136/136
Running
1
18
Salem
3
8
200/200
Running
1
19
New Jersey
3
8
48/48
Running
1
20
Talladega
7
23
82/94
Running
1
21
Toledo
3
34
34/200
Accident
5

ARCA 2008 SUMMARY

Starts: 21
Driver points: Fifth
Average finish: 9.8
Best finish: First (Kansas, Kentucky-2, Berlin, Nashville)
Top five finishes: 10 (Salem-1, Kansas, Kentucky-1, Pocono-1, Michigan, Kentucky-2, Berlin, Pocono-2, Nashville, Chicago)
Average start: 5.6
Best start: First (Pocono-1, Michigan, Pocono-2)
Top five starts: 13 (Daytona, Salem-1, Iowa, Kansas, Toledo-1, Pocono-1, Michigan, Pocono-2, Nashville, Chicago, Salem-2, New Jersey, Toledo-2)
Laps completed: 2,699 of 3,088 (87.4 percent)

CRAFTSMAN TRUCK 2008

Race
Site
Start
Finish
Laps
Money
Status
Led
3
*Atlanta
28
27
127/130
8,235
Running
0
4
*Martinsville
17
10
253/253
11,835
Running
0
5
Kansas
8
8
167/167
13,860
Running
0
6
Charlotte
13
33
107/138
8,260
Trans.
0
7
Mansfield
6
15
250/250
11,885
Running
0
8
Dover
4
1
200/200
67,525
Running
51
9
Texas
16
26
164/172
10,935
Accident
0
10
Michigan
5
3
100/100
26,670
Running
17
16
Bristol
1
3
203/203
25,270
Running
0
19
Las Vegas
17
21
146/147
8,635
Running
0
20
Talladega
16
15
94/94
17,685
Running
0
21
Martinsville
32
7
200/200
11,210
Running
0
22
Atlanta
11
5
130/130
18,285
Running
0
23
Texas
18
10
147/147
13,710
Running
0
24
Phoenix
4
14
150/150
11,285
Running
0
25
Homestead
7
10
137/137
17,160
Running
0

CRAFTSMAN TRUCK 2008 SUMMARY

Starts: 16
Driver points: 21st
Owner points: 11th
Average finish: 13.0
Best finish: First, Dover International Speedway, May 30
Top 10 finishes: Nine (Martinsville-1, Kansas, Dover, Michigan, Bristol, Martinsville-2, Atlanta-2, Texas-2, Homestead)
Top Toyota: Once (Dover)
Average start: 12.7
Best start: Pole, Bristol Motor Speedway, Aug. 20
Top 10 starts: Seven (Kansas, Mansfield, Dover, Michigan, Bristol, Phoenix, Homestead)
Laps completed: 2,575 of 2,618 (98.4 percent)
Laps led: 68
Fastest laps: 70
Laps in top 15: 1,485 (56.7 percent)
DNFs: Two
Total winnings: $282,445

* — With Morgan Dollar Motorsports

SPRINT CUP 2008

Race
Site
Start
Finish
Laps
Money
Status
Led
32
Martinsville
35
30
497/504
70,900
Running
0
33
Atlanta
34
34
320/325
82,175
Running
1
34
Texas
33
33
330/334
99,350
Running
0
35
Phoenix
38
40
269/313
64,300
Accident
1
36
Homestead (83)
2
16
267/267
79,575
Running
0

SPRINT CUP 2008 SUMMARY

Starts: Five
Driver points: 55th
Owner points: 35th
Average finish: 30.6
Best finish: 16th, Homestead-Miami Speedway, Nov. 16
Average start: 28.4
Best start: Second, Homestead-Miami Speedway, Nov. 16
Laps completed: 1,683 of 1,743 (96.6 percent)
Laps led: Two
DNFs: One
Total winnings: $396,300
2008 ARCA RE/MAX SERIES SCHEDULE

Race
Date
Track
Site
1
Feb. 9
Daytona International Speedway
Daytona Beach, Fla.
2
April 13
Salem Speedway
Salem, Ind.
3
April 19
Iowa Speedway
Newton, Iowa
4
April 26
Kansas Speedway
Kansas City, Kan.
5
May 4
Rockingham Speedway
Rockingham, N.C.
6
May 10
Kentucky Speedway
Sparta, Ky.
7
May 18
Toledo Speedway
Toledo, Ohio
8
June 7
Pocono Raceway
Long Pond, Pa.
9
June 13
Michigan International Speedway
Brooklyn, Mich.
10
June 29
Cayuga Speedway Park
Hagersville, Ontario
11
July 11
Kentucky Speedway
Sparta, Ky.
12
July 26
Berlin Raceway
Marne, Mich.
13
Aug. 2
Pocono Raceway
Long Pond, Pa.
14
Aug. 9
Nashville Superspeedway
Lebanon, Tenn.
15
Aug. 17
Illinois State Fairgrounds
Springfield, Ill.
16
Sept. 1
DuQuoin State Fairgrounds
DuQuoin, Ill.
17
Sept. 6
Chicagoland Speedway
Joliet, Ill.
18
Sept. 13
Salem Speedway
Salem, Ind.
19
Sept. 28
New Jersey Motorsports Park
Millville, N.J.
20
Oct. 3
Talladega Superspeedway
Talladega, Ala.
21
Oct. 12
Toledo Speedway
Toledo, Ohio


EDDIE SHARP RACING

Skipping across the waters of his native Florida is where Eddie Sharp first discovered speed. Forget quarter midgets or go-karts. Inboard hydroplane boat racing, a youthful Sharp thought, was where it was at, as he dominated the Sunshine States regional circuit.

Eventually, Sharp came to his senses. He knew if racing were to become life then hed have to ditch H2O for asphalt. Sharp climbed the short-track ladder doing the weekly thing on Friday and Saturday nights. Next up was road racing, where he drove to the Central Florida GT1 championship in the early 1990s.

Sharp, nicknamed Mr. Diversity at this point, proved he could get it done in any type of vehicle. But if he wanted a shot at the big-time, Florida had to become history in favor of stock-car racings hotbed Charlotte, N.C.

He drove in two NASCAR Busch Series races in 1993 (he finished 14th at Bristol) and spent a few seasons competing in the Midwestern-based American Speed Association.
A new opportunity came Sharps way. The man who had always owned his own equipment decided to give others a chance, as the sign on Sharps office door now read car owner. The decision, as it turned out, was the right one. Sharp led Bill Bairds team to the 1999 ARCA championship.

Sharp then worked with Cunningham Motorsports, where he oversaw the Dodge Motorsports Driver Development program as its general manager in 2005. He expanded his ownership role in 2006, providing drivers Ken Weaver, Ryan Mathews, T.J. Bell and Michael McDowell with top-flight equipment to score six top fives and 13 top 10s.

The 2007 season was even better for the Denver, N.C.- based team. With McDowell, Ken Butler III and Josh Wise wheeling Eddie Sharp Racing Toyotas, the team earned five victories as McDowell finished second in the championship. Just think of what ESR can do with a driver named Speed.