Thoughts about Scott Speed?

Don't forget, even the slowest back markers are still some of the best drivers in the world. Period. They are all good.

 

Exactly, they may not do great in F1 but they still got there, which makes them something special. I really hope Speed succeds, it is his interviews that are really lame. Did anyone read the Interview with him in F1 racing magazine?

 

I love how the guy who lives in canada has a comment on how slow an american is when jacque struggles to stay int he sport.

I've been keeping up with speed since 04, he did okay in f2 but to be mid pack on the grid in most races hes been in, is nothing short of impressive. To be mid pack is quite an achievement for any driver in their first year of racing, no matter what you are driving. In fact in montreal i bleieve he was giving button a run for his money and almost passing him. Coulthard barely finished a position ahead of him and how long has he been in the sport? Quite a while.

I agree with what some of you say about red bull and their program. They really did try to fit a 10-15 year program into 5 which is a mistake because they ended up passing by a lot of talented drivers. The Speed family is fairly prominent in the karting community however and his little brother dominates SKUSA? Or another mainstream shifter kart category.

Any how it's his first year and he's going to make mistakes. Marco could have won Indy yet he pulled back because he got cocky, yet i don't hear anyone giving him **** for that....

 

I'm not sure Ide would even agree with this if he was on this board.

I don't like the way Scott handles himself in interviews. It would be better for him to not talk and just sit in the car at all times waiting for the lights to go out. As far as his driving, he's made some dumb moves, which I can understand a rookie making. The bigger problem is that when he's interviewed afterwards to explain what happened and he provides no real explanation and just keeps laughing. I don't get this

 

Are you assuming that all Canadians support Jacques?

 

The only reason Speed almost passed Button was due to his engine. Montreal is a fast circuit and you may recall that on many occasions it's been noted that should the Toro Rosso cars start placing, there's liable to be further restrictions placed on them. I think they should be running the similar engines as all the other teams . . . heaven knows they have the funds to play on the same court as everyone else.

DC finished MORE THAN BARELY a position ahead of Speed - he finished two places ahead. DC = 1:36.940, Button = 1:39.085 THEN Speed at 1:39.488. If you look at the race lap by lap you will find that Nico had the 5th fastest time in lap 1, faster tham JPM. Speed's race was mid-pack or below. His positions: lap 1-11 = 14th place; lap 12&13 = 13th place; lap 14 = 12th place; lap 15-26 = 11th place; lap 28-58 = 12th place; lap 59-64 = 11th place; lap 65-69 = 10th place. DC placed 8th, Button 9th. Comparative times for the last few laps: Lap 65 = DC 1:31.497, SS 1:32.013; Lap 66 - DC 1:32.986, SS 1:33.295; Lap 67 DC 1:35.427, JB 1:36.522, SS 1:36.901; Lap 68 DC 1:37.069, JB 1:38.536, SS 1:38.990; Lap 69 DC 1:36.940, JB 1:39.085, SS 1:39.488.

Carol

 

I have respect for him. He is a far better driver than I could ever hope to be, and he seems to give his all even though he's in a sub par car. I'd honestly rather watch a driver with a little less skill but never quits than an amazing driver that's arrogant and a prima donna.

Mark

 

Interesting statistics, well researched, but fairly pointless. The only measure of how good /bad Scott is to compare with his teammate. In that competition SS has never really looked like getting an upper hand, which doesn't bode too well for his future. Toro Rosso is a team that can afford to pay for the right drivers. There are better drivers than SS coming into the market next year.

 

I doubt they'll dump SS. I remember and interview in F1 Magazine that said the austrian who started Red Bull loves americans, thus the reason for the driver search. If the dumped him that would defy the whole reason for their 5 year program; He'll be in it whether he becomes WC or not. On the other hand, there is a little 14 year old named John Edwards who is some kind of phenom.

 

It didn't hurt Alonso's career...

Ohh yeah the radio comment at the start had me in stitches, right on cue. Can't blame him for having a go that his car isnt performing to his teammates or has some issue, but heads rolling? He said it like he was the team owner

 

He doesn't have "it". You immediately know the ones who do. Senna at Monaco chasing Prost in the rain, Schumacher at Spa his first time. Rosberg has "it", for example. Speed doesn't. If he's very, very lucky he might pull off a Damon Hill, but I doubt it. And he IS a total asshat on TV.

 

Ok Carol, tell us how you really feel.

Didn't know you had that sharp of a pencil. Not that I disagree.

At any rate, it'll be interesting how long Red Bull keeps him in his seat. Given that even Austrian beloved Klien is now on his way out, Speed might be in for another year and then find his way into IRL or whatever it will be called then. Mateschewitz, bring on Almendinger!

 

Yes, I rememeber the entire thing as it was unfolding. Destroyed his stamina, prevented him from training, and he put in a mediocre year as a result. In the words of Judd Nelson, B. O. O. H. O. O.

Once again, it's not his driving or determination that irk me. It's him, his personality, the lack of objectivity, etc.

That said, I hope Speed does do well. It would just be nice if he could do it without being a spaz. In addition, if he was winning his behavior would be considered eccentric, a product of his brilliance and the personality necessary to succeed. This is the key; why many appreciate Alonso. FA can pull off stupid comments, arrogant remarks, flapping his arms like a bird, etc. because week in and week out he stomps a 7 time world champion. Who does Speed stomp? ... so are his biweekly comments really justified?

 

The other Schumacher. In Silverstone.

 

Lol. man, what the hell happened to him... maybe too distracted by the hot wife. He won at Canada in 2001 IIRC, 5 years later he's in the pit 6 times and loafing around the track when not.

 

Actually I meant that Speed basically run into Schumacher ruining his, Ralf's and Webber's race.

All that reminded me of the young Ralf joining F1 and going exactly nowhere. But making a killer salary in the process.

 

Is the name "Scott Speed" a little over the top? I realize its totally possible that is his real name but Frank Fastball probably would sound odd if it were a baseball player. Truth be told, his name bothers me almost as much as his attitude.

 

Yeah, I caught your drift (which made me laugh, good play on meanings), it got me thinking about Ralfie's dismal week up in Canada though, in which SS stomped him from a performance perspective. Silverstone, not much RS could do, this week though it was like someone stomped his soul.

 

Carol -

The professional opinion on the V10 engines is the exact opposite of your conclusion. They may have been better on tigher turns versus high speed courses because their advantage is torque, not top speed. Most also seem to believe that the advantage they had earlier in the year is gone as the V8 engines have continued to be developed throughout the year while no money is going into the V10 engine. The V8s have caught up.

This is not my opinion, I am just repeating what I heard from Peter Windsor, Scott Speed, and Keke Rosberg. All had the same opinion when discussing the issue this weekend.

 

I had the same question about Saffron Burrows: What parent would name their kid "Yellow Trenches"?

Then there was "Slim Pickins" ...

And what about a race driver named "Rusty Wall-Ace"?


Some of the issues Scott has been having in F1 may illuminate why there aren't more yanks in euro-racing -- it's a different culture. The last long-term "american" driver in F1 was raised in Monaco.

And you can't get a decent slice of apple pie over there.
(Don't even get me started on the coffee.)

 

Straying off topic a bit; another bad name for a NASCAR driver is Dick Trickle. What were his parents thinking?

 

Kasey Kenneth Kahne... KKK always struck me as an odd choice of initials, particularly for someone in NASCAR. Seems like one of the few combinations you'd try and avoid as a parent.

 

A lot of them are from the South so maybe the parents did it on purpose if you know what I mean. You never know...

 

Kasey Kenneth Kahne (born April 10, 1980 in Enumclaw, Washington)

 

OWNED!