Yardbarker: Scott Speed

Speed, Leavine Family Racing Going Back to the Future at Kentucky

Wed, 27 Jun 2012 16:04:20 -0400

The Saturday night's Quaker State 400 was not on the original schedule for driver Scott Speed and Leavine Family Racing (LFR) - at least until the team noticed his record there. While Saturday's race will be the first in his NASCAR career, Speed has two starts at the 1.5-mile raceway in the ARCA Racing Series. One of those resulted in a second place finish; the other was a victory. "We attempted to race last year at Kentucky but qualifying was rained out," crew chief Wally Rogers said. "We really looked forward to that race and we were sent home without a chance to even compete for a spot in the starting lineup." "Kentucky wasn't on our original limited schedule until we saw Scott's ARCA record there. That's why we decided to add this to our part-time schedule."Speed started seventh and finished second there in 2008 in the first of two races that year for the ARCA Racing Series. He came back two months later to start sixth and claim ...

The best 25th place finish for Leavine Family Racing

Tue, 26 Jun 2012 12:53:12 -0400

The Sonoma raceway left a lasting impression on Scott Speed, as each turn brought back a familiarity to the California native. It was this knowledge that helped Leavine Family Racing (LFR) overcome early trouble and rally the No. 95 Leavine Family Racing Ford to finish 25th at the Sonoma road course.As it turns out, a spark plug wire was the difference between finishing a lap down in Sunday's Toyota/Save Mart 350 at the Sonoma raceway and finishing in the Top 10 for Speed and the No. 95 Ford.Speed had barely gotten up to speed on the second lap when he noticed something was terribly wrong. He stopped on the third lap for a pit stop, and the team quickly realized a spark plug wire had come off."It was incredibly disappointing because we were among the leaders in practice and we had such a solid qualifying run," Speed said. "We felt like Sonoma was a chance for our best finish. We did well, but it should have been a lot better."Speed wound up 25th, a lap down, ...

Speed's Sonoma Homecoming Stirs High Hopes for Leavine Family Racing

Wed, 20 Jun 2012 08:02:33 -0400

The Toyota/Save Mart 350 has been circled on Scott Speed's calendar for months.The road course was not originally on the selective race schedule for Leavine Family Racing's No. 95 Ford Fusion, but Speed quickly convinced them of the benefits of racing through Northern California's wine country."The Sonoma Raceway is my home track," Speed said. "I have raced just about everything there. When we finally settled on our part-time schedule, I circled this race because I felt like it was where we would get our strongest finish.""It is always hard to predict what's going to happen on the track. But I feel we have more control over the outcome on road courses than anywhere else. It also helps to have a home track advantage."Speed made a compelling argument in favor of the two road courses. Since he's spent so much time on the 12-turn, 1.99-mile course, Speed has high expectations for Sunday's race."I raced my first open-wheel race t...

Pileup leads to early red flag

Sun, 03 Jun 2012 14:32:54 -0400

Fireworks started at Dover International Speedway nine laps into Sunday's FedEx 400 after a dozen cars were collected in a pileup on the backstretch. Defending NASCAR Sprint Cup champion Tony Stewart received significant damage after contact with Landon Cassill and Regan Smith sparked a crash that led to nearly a 20-minute red-flag stoppage of the race. "(Landon Cassill) was trying to get down to the bottom," Stewart said. "We were just at the wrong place at the wrong time. It wasn't Regan's fault. He was right behind us. He didn't have anywhere to go either. Just not a real good deal at the start of a race like this. "(The car) is pretty damn tore up. So we'll see. Just a crappy weekend. You get back here with some of them guys, you got to be more patient. As far back as we started, I didn't really have the luxury to be as patient as I would have liked to have been." In addition to Stewart, Cassill and Smith, Juan Pablo Montoya, Scott Speed, David Gillilan

Speed, Leavine Family Racing 37th at Coca-Cola 600

Thu, 31 May 2012 10:20:08 -0400

Scott Speed and Leavine Family Racing continued to evolve as a race team last Sunday at the Coca-Cola 600 by making huge gains in speed with each practice session and persevering through mechanical issues during the race. Speed, crew chief Wally Rogers and the rest of the LFR team solidified their relationship throughout the entire racing weekend as they continue to build a foundation for the future. They worked to improve the car during every practice session and the race itself - the primary objective for a season of selected starts. Speed's No. 95 Jordan Truck Sales (JTS) Ford started 38th at the Charlotte Motor Speedway, but fuel pump issues sent him behind the wall 87 laps into the longest race on the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series schedule. Instead of parking the No.95 machine, however, the team replaced the fuel cell and fuel pump and sent Speed back on track. An hour later the same symptoms returned, and though Speed was making competitive lap times and running with the leader...

Speed, and Rogers Find New Speed by Improving Levels of Communication

Thu, 24 May 2012 07:47:13 -0400

The one thing Scott Speed and Wally Rogers have learned in their selected starts with Leavine Family Racing (LFR) is that a major component of speed is communication. It's not enough for Speed to tell his crew chief, Wally Rogers, what the car needs. Sometimes it's more important to understand the way he says it. The two forged a greater level of communication during last Saturday's Sprint Showdown at the Charlotte Motor Speedway. Now they hope to use that knowledge to their benefit during Sunday's Coca-Cola 600. "I am excited about this weekend at the Coca-Cola 600 after our performance in the Sprint Showdown," Rogers said. "I feel like we learned a lot of valuable information this past weekend. The biggest thing we learned is how we can work more with Scott and understanding how loose is loose and how tight is tight. "We have started to establish a baseline for not only Charlotte but for the next upcoming race weekends on our schedule as well....

Scott Speed and Leavine Family Racing Hope to Bank Experience, Knowledge at Sprint All-Star

Wed, 16 May 2012 07:12:58 -0400

Saturday night's Sprint Showdown and All-Star race at the Charlotte Motor Speedway is a chance to win a lot of money. For Scott Speed and Leavine Family Racing, it's also a chance to put something more valuable in the bank - knowledge. The team will participate in the Showdown with hopes of qualifying for the Sprint All-Star main event. Their main goal is to use Friday's practice session and Saturday's races as a dress rehearsal for the May 27 Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway. Scott and the No. 95 Jordan Truck Sales (JTS) Ford Fusion are scheduled to make selected starts in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series this season. Since the team's shop is the closest of all teams to the Charlotte Motor Speedway, crew chief Wally Rogers has put a lot of emphasis on the Coca-Cola 600 race. "It's not often you get a chance to get that much practice a week in advance of a big race," Rogers said. "We're using the Sprint All-Star events as a test ...

American driver looks to help rally US to F1

Fri, 11 May 2012 11:17:46 -0400

The first American driver on the Formula One grid in five years is hoping for a solid performance at the Spanish Grand Prix. Caterham test driver and California native Alexander Rossi took to the track for practice on Friday, becoming the first U.S. driver to get behind the wheel of an F1 car since Scott Speed drove for Toro Rosso in 2007. Speed was eventually replaced by the current two-time world champion Sebastian Vettel. The United States will host a race this season for the first time in five years on Nov. 18 at Austin, Texas, and a second GP will be held in New Jersey in 2013. ''American people are very patriotic, but there is no driver to get behind and support,'' Rossi said. ''I don't see why Formula One cannot be something America is a part of. I wouldn't say it's too European at all.'' Phil Hill was the first American driver to win the championship in 1961 and Mario Andretti title was the last in 1978. Andretti's son Michael raced 13 grand prix ra

Leavine Famliy Racing makes first road trip to Richmond

Thu, 26 Apr 2012 08:15:28 -0400

While driver Scott Speed is no stranger to the Richmond International Raceway, Saturday night's Sprint Cup Series 400 will be Leavine Family Racing's first trip to the popular three-quarter-mile short track. Speed will drive the No. 95 Tommy Williams Drywall (TWD) Ford Fusion on a track that's become a favorite among NASCAR drivers. "Richmond International Raceway is a unique track," Speed said. "It has everything. It's a driver's...

Jimmie Johnson Crowns 'Speeding To Read' Champions At Clara Love Elementary In Justin

Sat, 14 Apr 2012 09:09:55 -0400

If anyone knows how a champion should be crowned, it is Jimmie Johnson. Johnson, the five-time NASCAR Sprint Cup Series champion, paid a special visit Friday to Clara Love Elementary School in neighboring Justin to crown the inaugural champions of Texas Motor Speedway's "Speeding To Read" educational program. Before an enthusiastic full-school assembly of nearly 625 students, faculty and visiting parents, Johnson arrived to a thunderous, continuous chant of J-I-M-M-I-E J-O-H-N-S-O-N in the auditorium to present the winning classrooms of the "Speeding To Read" program with their championship trophies. Johnson presented the Kindergarten-Second Grade Division championship trophy to Ms. Abrams' first-grade class, which read 10,457 books. He then presented the Third-Fifth Grade Division championship trophy to Ms. Baker's fifth-grade class, which read 913 books that were longer and more in-depth than the younger division. The 29 classrooms ...

Speed gets part-time Sprint Cup ride for 2012

Thu, 15 Dec 2011 10:17:25 -0500

Scott Speed (photo courtesy of NASCAR Media)Scott Speed has signed on with Leavine Family Racing to drive a No. 95 car in 15 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series races in 2012, according to a press release from the organization. “We are pleased to have Scott Speed join our team,” car owner Bob Leavine said. “We, as a team, want to give Scott the equipment and the resources he needs to win, and that is what I believe he will do for us in return.” After losing his ride with Red Bull Racing at the end of the 2010 season, Speed raced a partial Cup schedule with Whitney Motorsports in 2011. In his most recent full-time season, Speed posted two top-10 finishes. “Scott is a proven driver,” Leavine said. “He was the first American to race in Formula One since Michael Andretti and has a lot to offer our program as a teammate and competitor. In addition to the Sprint Cup Series, Speed’s NASCAR experience includes 18 Nationwide Series starts and 16 starts in the Camping World Truck Series. He won in the T...

Speed secures Cup ride for 2012

Tue, 13 Dec 2011 17:12:03 -0500

Scott Speed is back. The 28-year-old will return to the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series in 2012, driving 15 races for Leavine Family Racing in the No. 95 Ford. Speed, who has driven in all three of NASCAR's national touring series, joins the team after making 13 Sprint Cup starts with Whitney Motorsports in 2011 in the No. 46 Ford. This will mark Speed's fifth season in the Sprint Cup ranks. He raced full time with Red Bull Racing in 2009 and 2010, earning three top-10 finishes. "We are pleased to have Scott Speed join our team," team owner Bob Leavine said. "We, as a team, want to give Scott the equipment and the resources he needs to win - and that is what I believe he will do for us in return. "Scott is a proven driver. He was the first American to race in Formula One since Michael Andretti and has a lot to offer our program as a teammate and a competitor." In addition to his Cup races, Speed has 18 starts in the Nationwide Series and 16 in the Camping World Truck Series. He

Scott Speed to drive 95 car for partial schedule

Tue, 13 Dec 2011 16:24:20 -0500

I'm bringing sexy baaaack! Driver Scott Speed is set to drive the #95 Leavine Family Racing Ford in a partial Spint Cup schedule. Speed spent the 2011 season driving the #37 and #46 cars. Without top-35 owner points ensuring a starting position in the field, Speed qualified for 13 races while missing 3. Speed had spent the first three years of his career driving for Team Red Bull after starting five events for the team in 2008. His best finish was a fifth place run at Talladega in 2009. “We are pleased to have Scott Speed join our team,” team owner Bob Leavine said. “We, as a team, want to give Scott the equipment and the resources he needs to win – and that is what I believe he will do for us in return.” The team plans to compete in 15 races in 2012. “I am excited to team up with Bob Leavine and his guys at Leavine Family Racing,” Speed said. They have a solid group of guys working on the team and I think it will be a real fun deal. Our goal is to build this race team to ...

Scott Speed Laughs At Jeremy Mayfield Being Meth Head

Wed, 02 Nov 2011 11:46:23 -0400

In case you didn’t hear this morning, former NASCAR driver Jeremy Mayfield was arrested last night for meth possession. Long story short everyone knew this was coming. And..of course…preppy ass ***** Scott Speed had to go and make fun of a guy down on his luck. “It’s funny to imagine how different mayfield life must be then mine… Especially now, Can’t say I feel sorry tho.. Shoulda #justsayno lol.” Bro, sick tweet, popped collar and glasses. Siiiccckk! Filed under: Other Sports