Motorsports FanHouse http://motorsports.fanhouse.com Motorsports FanHouse http://www.blogsmithmedia.com/http://motorsports.fanhouse.com/media/feedlogo.gif Motorsports FanHouse http://motorsports.fanhouse.com en-us Copyright 2009 Weblogs, Inc. The contents of this feed are available for non-commercial use only. Blogsmith http://www.blogsmith.com/After Crash, Vickers Slams Teammatehttp://motorsports.fanhouse.com/2009/06/27/after-crash-vickers-slams-teammate/http://motorsports.fanhouse.com/2009/06/27/after-crash-vickers-slams-teammate/http://motorsports.fanhouse.com/2009/06/27/after-crash-vickers-slams-teammate/#commentsFiled under: , ,

Get in the groove for today's race with FanHouse Warmup.

Brian Vickers New Hampshire Motor Speedway Red BullVeteran Brian Vickers couldn't have been less of a Red Bull Racing team player during Saturday afternoon's Nationwide Series race at New Hampshire Motor Speedway, while his teammate Scott Speed handled a dicey situation beautifully.

The two Sprint Cup Series teammates tangled while battling Mike Bliss for fourth on the last lap, sending Vickers into the wall. On the cool-down lap, Vickers bumped Speed numerous times in retaliation.

What Vickers said, though, likely will have some lasting repercussions on the team.

"He ran into the back of us," said Vickers. "I don't know if he's frustrated because he's running so bad in the Cup series."

When asked what Speed told him after the two had exchanged words upon exiting their cars, Vickers said Speed explained that Vickers' No. 32 and Bliss' No. 1 machines slowed too quickly in the corner to avoid contact.

"That's not much of an excuse," Vickers said.

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    Kyle Busch drives to victory at the NASCAR Nationwide Series Camping World RV Sales 200 auto race in Loudon, N.H., Saturday, June 27, 2009. (AP Photo/Jon Pierre Lasseigne)

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    LOUDON, NH - JUNE 27: Brian Vickers, driver of the #32 Dollar General Stores Toyota, leads a group of cars during the NASCAR Nationwide Series Camping World RV Sales 200 at New Hampshire Motor Speedway on June 27, 2009 in Loudon, New Hampshire. (Photo by Chris Graythen/Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Brian Vickers

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    LOUDON, NH - JUNE 27: Kyle Busch, driver of the #18 Z-Line Designs Toyota, leads Joey Logano, driver of the #20 GameStop/Singularity Toyota, during the NASCAR Nationwide Series Camping World RV Sales 200 at New Hampshire Motor Speedway on June 27, 2009 in Loudon, New Hampshire. (Photo by Chris Graythen/Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Kyle Busch;Joey Logano

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    Kyle Busch's crew celebrates his victory from the pit wall as Busch burns his tires in the NASCAR Nationwide Series Camping World RV Sales 200 in Loudon, N.H., Saturday, June 27, 2009. (AP Photo/Toby Talbot)

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    LOUDON, NH - JUNE 27: Carl Edwards, driver of the #60 Scotts/Ortho Ford, leads a group of cars during the NASCAR Nationwide Series Camping World RV Sales 200 at New Hampshire Motor Speedway on June 27, 2009 in Loudon, New Hampshire. (Photo by Chris Graythen/Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Carl Edwards

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    LOUDON, NH - JUNE 27: Kyle Busch (C), driver of the #18 Z-Line Designs Toyota, celebrates with his team after winning the NASCAR Nationwide Series Camping World RV Sales 200 at New Hampshire Motor Speedway on June 27, 2009 in Loudon, New Hampshire. (Photo by Rusty Jarrett/Getty Images for NASCAR) *** Local Caption *** Kyle Busch

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    LOUDON, NH - JUNE 27: Brian Vickers, driver of the #32 Dollar General Stores Toyota, leads Kyle Busch, driver of the #18 Z-Line Designs Toyota, during the NASCAR Nationwide Series Camping World RV Sales 200 at New Hampshire Motor Speedway on June 27, 2009 in Loudon, New Hampshire. (Photo by Chris Graythen/Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Brian Vickers;Kyle Busch

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    LOUDON, NH - JUNE 27: Kyle Busch, driver of the #18 Z-Line Designs Toyota, celebrates in Victory Lane after winning the NASCAR Nationwide Series Camping World RV Sales 200 at New Hampshire Motor Speedway on June 27, 2009 in Loudon, New Hampshire. (Photo by Jerry Markland/Getty Images for NASCAR) *** Local Caption *** Kyle Busch

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    Kyle Busch celebrates his victory at the NASCAR Nationwide Series Camping World RV Sales 200 auto race in Loudon, N.H., Saturday, June 27, 2009. (AP Photo/Jon Pierre Lasseigne)

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    Kyle Busch's crew celebrates his victory at the NASCAR Nationwide Series Camping World RV Sales 200 auto race in Loudon, N.H., Saturday, June 27, 2009. (AP Photo/Jon Pierre Lasseigne)

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Television replays, however, seemed to tell a different story for the Sprint Cup teammates that drove for different teams on Saturday. Vickers piloted the No. 32 for Braun Racing while Speed drove the No. 99 for Michael Waltrip Racing.

As the three cars went to turn three on the one-mile flat oval during the final lap, Bliss was on the outside of Vickers with Speed trailing about two car lengths back. As Vickers tried to pass Bliss, he appeared to get loose and slide up the race track. His No. 32 lost momentum at just the moment that Speed appeared to be getting back in throttle.

Speed then nudged the rear of Vickers' Toyota, spinning it into the outside wall. The wreck dropped Speed to an 8th-place finish and Vickers to 12th.

"We all went into the last corner and they just checked up and I couldn't stop in time," said Speed. "Brian's a little bit heated for sure but luckily we're teammates so we'll get to talk it out -- maybe in counseling or something."

After Crash, Vickers Slams Teammate originally appeared on Motorsports FanHouse on Sat, 27 Jun 2009 17:24:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

 

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]]>Brian VickersMike BlissNationwide SeriesNew Hampshire Motor SpeedwayRed Bull RacingScott SpeedSprint CupGeoffrey MillerSat, 27 Jun 2009 17:24:00 EST Does NASCAR Feel the Need for Speed?http://motorsports.fanhouse.com/2009/02/07/does-nascar-feel-the-need-for-speed/http://motorsports.fanhouse.com/2009/02/07/does-nascar-feel-the-need-for-speed/http://motorsports.fanhouse.com/2009/02/07/does-nascar-feel-the-need-for-speed/#commentsFiled under: ,

Scott SpeedDAYTONA BEACH, Fla. - Maybe the question isn't whether Scott Speed is ready for NASCAR, but if NASCAR is ready for Scott Speed.

The 26-year-old Californian has a personality as high octane as the Red Bull energy drink that sponsors his No. 82 Toyota Camry in the Sprint Cup Series, and sponsored the open-wheel driver competition that landed him a Formula One job in the 2006-07 seasons.

Speed carries himself with the unmistakable swagger that comes from being supremely confident and massively talented.

He's young, hip and happy-go-lucky -- his favorite adjective, "sweet.''

Speed is easy to spot in a NASCAR lineup, thanks to a preference for flat-billed caps, big white sunglasses, a scruffy beard, edgy music and trendy clothes. He paints his toenails, dyes his hair and once wore a Mohawk. "I'll probably go back to that, I dug that,'' he said this week.

Twice he's been asked to change a t-shirt he's worn around the garage -- the message deemed inappropriate by NASCAR officials.

It's safe to say Speed stands out in the conformist, button-down, politically-correct world that NASCAR has become. He's more like his original NASCAR heroes Ernie Irvan and Dale Earnhardt than the guys he'll be racing tonight in the season-opening Budweiser Shootout exhibition race, and again in next week's Daytona 500.

"It's a much different culture to be in the NASCAR Cup garage than in the Formula One paddock,'' Speed said smiling.

And yet he couldn't be happier to be here.

He said his days on the world stage have prepared him for the hype that surrounds him in this high-profile transition from Formula One to NASCAR -- from wine-and-cheese in Monte Carlo to Busch Light and boiled peanuts in Talladega.

Truthfully, Speed, who drove for a development team, never stood a chance in Formula One. Here he does. And it's exactly that challenge that appeals to him.

He won his first stock car race in the ARCA Series, in only his fourth start and then answered it a month later with a win in the highly-competitive NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series in only his sixth start there.

"It'd be easy for me to go into open-wheel cars in America or anywhere else in the world and do well,'' Speed said. "But to come to this, where I really have no experience and I'm not very good at it honestly ... and to try to keep improving myself and be the level of where I can compete in the Cup Series -- that whole journey and learning process has been a really, really cool part of my life.''



It's the kind of candor and honesty you'd expect. But his tell-it-like-it-is manner and over-the-top demeanor have also contributed to the assumptions that Speed is cocky and reckless -- a rap he'll calmly explain away.

Like this: He was leading the ARCA Series championship when, in the last race, the championship runner-up intentionally wrecked him. The incident cost Speed the title. After his car was patched-up he returned to the race and promptly took the other guy out, handing the championship to Justin Allgaier, who entered the race ranked third.

"That was a no-brainer,'' Speed said. "No one in their right mind would not do something about it. Then he smirked and invoked a favorite "Days of Thunder" reference, "It was very Cole Trickle-ish.''

It's not something Speed is inclined to repeat Saturday night in his Daytona Cup debut -- a 75-lap shootout among 28 cars. By virtue of a blind draw, Speed is starting on the outside of the second row -- just in front of two-time Cup champ Tony Stewart, two rows ahead of Dale Earnhardt Jr. and well in front of other NASCAR stars like Jimmie Johnson and Jeff Gordon. Before the accident in practice, Speed's Toyota was among the fastest 10 cars.

"What's going to give me all the respect is what I do on the track,'' Speed said. "I'm not being an idiot out there racing people. I'm being smart about where I want to challenge and when I want to race.''

Yet Speed won't be backing down from anyone.

"If you're going to be a pushover, then that's not going to work either,'' he said.

"I think I've been humble since I made it to Formula One, honestly. Formula One is one of those things where it is the top of motorsports and when you make it there, what is someone going to say, 'You're not a good driver?' Please,'' Speed said.

"At that point you stop trying to prove that you can drive race cars and you just have fun and are thankful for what you have.''

Sweet.

Does NASCAR Feel the Need for Speed? originally appeared on Motorsports FanHouse on Sat, 07 Feb 2009 15:40:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

 

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]]>fanhouseindaytonaScott SpeedScottSpeedHolly CainSat, 07 Feb 2009 15:40:00 EST First '09 Crash Grabs Menard, Speedhttp://motorsports.fanhouse.com/2009/02/07/first-09-crash-grabs-menard-speed/http://motorsports.fanhouse.com/2009/02/07/first-09-crash-grabs-menard-speed/http://motorsports.fanhouse.com/2009/02/07/first-09-crash-grabs-menard-speed/#commentsFiled under: , ,

If the starting order of Saturday night's Budweiser Shootout at Daytona left you feeling a little bit uneasy about the start of the non-points dash for cash, well, Friday night's practice likely isn't going to calm your nerves:



Yep, that first yellow car to spin is Shootout pole winner Paul Menard and Scott Speed -- in the silver car -- is scheduled to start fourth with Elliott Sadler and Reed Sorenson in between them.

This accident wasn't exactly casting a direct foreshadow of Saturday night's activities because Menard didn't make a mistake, but rather just had a tire go flat. Speed's reaction, however, seemed a little bit interesting in that he just continued into the path of Menard without any drastic attempts to stay away from him.

I'll give Speed the benefit of the doubt, though, because the practice session was just his second time on-track in a Sprint Cup Series car with in the draft of restrictor plate racing. After all, it's hard to play armchair NASCAR driver for a guy who's following other cars at over 190 miles per hour.

Neither team is expected to head to a backup car for the race -- allowing them to keep their spot on the starting grid -- and thankfully for Speed, the accident came late in practice meaning he had quite a few laps under his belt prior to the Shootout.

First '09 Crash Grabs Menard, Speed originally appeared on Motorsports FanHouse on Sat, 07 Feb 2009 11:02:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

 

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]]>BudweiserShootoutDaytonaElliottSadlerPaulMenardReedSorensonScottSpeedSprintCupGeoffrey MillerSat, 07 Feb 2009 11:02:00 EST Menard, Sadler Start Up Front in Shootouthttp://motorsports.fanhouse.com/2009/02/06/menard-sadler-start-up-front-in-shootout/http://motorsports.fanhouse.com/2009/02/06/menard-sadler-start-up-front-in-shootout/http://motorsports.fanhouse.com/2009/02/06/menard-sadler-start-up-front-in-shootout/#commentsFiled under: , , ,

Paul Menard's new season with a new team is starting out on a refreshingly good note.

Menard, who left the Earnhardt-Ganassi Racing team following 2008 to drive the No. 98 Ford at Yates Racing, drew the pole for Saturday night's Budweiser Shootout at Daytona during a made-for-TV draw "party" Thursday night just outside of the speedway.

The lineup -- one that is set completely at random for the 28 eligible drivers -- has left some drivers that don't fall into "favorites" category sitting at the front while others, including last-place starter and former Shootout winner Jeff Gordon, will have plenty of traffic to negotiate at the green flag.

After an interesting month of January for Elliott Sadler that saw him nearly fired and then re-hired, the driver of the No. 19 Richard Petty Motorsports Dodge will start alongside Menard with teammate Reed Sorenson third.

Scott Speed rolls off in his first ever Sprint Cup restrictor-plate race from the fourth. Speed, the former F1-turned-stock car driver, is eligible for the race thanks to the owner points earned by the No. 84 car driven mostly by A.J. Allmendinger in 2008. NASCAR changed the Shootout eligibility requirements to include the top six teams from each manufacturer in addition to a wild-card from each make.

Denny Hamlin, Tony Stewart, Brian Vickers, Bobby Labonte, Dale Earnhardt Jr. and Kyle Busch will round out the grid's Top-10 at the green flag Saturday night.

The 75-lap race -- up five laps from the race a year ago won by Dale Earnhardt Jr. -- is scheduled to take the green flag just after 8:10 p.m./EDT Saturday night on FOX.

Menard, Sadler Start Up Front in Shootout originally appeared on Motorsports FanHouse on Fri, 06 Feb 2009 13:42:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

 

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]]>BudweiserShootoutDaytonaEarnhardtGanassiRacingJeffGordonPaulMenardReedSorensonScottSpeedYatesRacingGeoffrey MillerFri, 06 Feb 2009 13:42:00 EST