NASCAR Sprint Cup Series...

06/20/2010

SPEED SURVIVES SONOMA W/ 18TH PLACE FINISH...

+SPEED SURVIVES SONOMA

No. 82 driver Scott Speed was on a completely different strategy from his teammate. He, too, pitted under the first caution and cycled to the front on the ensuing green-flag run. The team kept pitting to correct the handling on the front end.

Speed, who at one point ran as high as third, discovered early that his No. 82 Red Bull Toyota was “too loose at high speed, too tight at low speed” and that the car was “plowing” in turn 11.

But he hung on to it, and kept the No. 82 within striking distance of the top 15 all afternoon. Two late caution flags spoiled the team’s fuel strategy.

He was running 15th on the second-to-last restart with 17 laps to go, but the yellow waved again with eight laps remaining. Speed wanted tires, and crew chief Ryan Pemberton granted him his wish.

Speed restarted 28th for the five-lap shootout, and picked up 10 positions in less than 10 miles to finish 18th.

It was the California native’s best road-course finish in three starts. Last season, he finished 37th at Infineon and 22nd at Watkins Glen.

Speed remained 26th in the driver standings. This week, Speed will move on to New Hampshire.