Scott Speed talks about switch to Sprint Cup Series

Scott Speed holds the trophy after winning the truck race at Dover in the Spring

How is the test here at Lowe's going so far for you?
“So far it’s going all right. It’s nice to be out there with a lot of the other guys, to kind of see where we range. It’s nice to follow some guys to see how this thing handles behind other cars. It’s a little bit different. So far, everything is going really well."

Can you explain the difference between this NASCAR car and the ARCA car you’ve been running?
“Honestly, I feel these a lot better. I feel the track better. It’s a lot tighter. This thing moves around a lot less. Everything is done right on these things. The steering box, the pedal box — everything is really precise. It makes it actually easier for me to feel the car and the changes. So far, it’s been an easy transition."

How well do you think you have done adapting to stock-car racing?
“I think I’ve learned everything pretty quickly, but the thing I’m missing is experience. You can’t learn experience. That’s why we started throwing in truck races. As we started becoming successful in the Truck Series, we started looking at Cup Series testing to speed this process along. The more and more time I do before I get in a Cup race is better. Am I ready now? Maybe. Could I have come straight over here to Cup and not looked stupid? Probably. It’s one of those things where I have the time to not do that. We’re trying to take as much time as possible and really wait for the right circumstance to jump in."

Do you want to be racing in the Cup Series right now?
“Honestly, it doesn’t matter. It depends on if we’re in the right circumstance. So far, we’ve made really good decisions and Red Bull has made great decisions for me my whole career. I trust that when they think I’m ready that they’ll make the right choice." —

Did you ever think you would be racing in NASCAR?
“I’ve said so many times that I would never do this. I’ve for sure said that. I guess after Formula One, when I started looking at what I wanted to do, I was like, ‘Do I want to go race open-wheels in America? What am I going to win there? Am I going to prove anything to myself? No. I’ve already accomplished that and more already.’ This is something I’ve never tried. I’ve never raced on an oval. It’s still a very, very big series in America. It’s very popular motorsports. And I looked at it like, ‘All right, I don’t want to do Formula One right now, and I want to stay with Red Bull. What would be a good challenge? What do I want to do?’ I have a lot of drive to do this because I think if you can be successful in Formula One and come over here and do this and be successful in Cup racing, that’s another huge accomplishment."

Are you having more fun racing here in the U.S.?
“I’m having way more fun over here in America. There are a lot of things that I miss in Europe, for sure. The quality of everything I miss of Europe. The racing here is really fun. You really are racing out there, opposed to qualifying every lap. I get along better with the people, of course. I’m American. I’m surrounded by friends now, opposed to foreigners."