Catchfence

Who: Scott Speed (99 Red Bull Toyota, Michael Waltrip Racing)

What: Copart 300 (Nationwide)

When: Saturday, Oct. 10, 2009

Where: Auto Club Speedway, Fontana, Calif.

Result: Scott Speed (start 4, finish 27)

+ CALIFORNIA TREADS ON SPEED

At least Scott Speed can say his late-race misfortune paved the way for the first
green-white-checkered finish in Nationwide Series history at Auto Club Speedway.
Because other than that, little else came out of the Copart 300.

Speed’s six-race streak of consecutive top-10 finishes ended Saturday with a
27th-place showing in his first Nationwide start at the 2-mile, D-shaped oval.

While many of the lead-lap cars stayed out under the eighth caution, Speed pitted
the No. 99 Red Bull Toyota for a series of adjustments aimed at tightening the car
and restarted 27th with 16 laps to go. He drove back inside the top 15 within a
handful of laps and was flirting with another top-10 finish before the tread
shimmied its way off the left-rear tire, sending Speed spinning backwards into the
turn two wall four laps from the finish.

As Speed nursed his car back to pit road, the field prepared for overtime. The 10th
caution flag extended the race distance by two laps. After the crew’s quick fix,
Speed restarted 29th and picked two spots to finish 27th – marking the ninth
consecutive race that Speed finished on the lead lap.

Speed qualified in the top five (fourth) for the sixth time in 12 tries this season.
He’ll team up with Michael Waltrip Racing for one more Nationwide race, the Nov.
21 finale at Homestead.

+ UP NEXT FOR SPEED

Ford 300, Saturday, Nov. 21, Homestead-Miami Speedway

- Red Bull Racing Press Release