This whole entire scott speed interview cracked me up:
Scott Speed:
"It's interesting to see how the team works together. This whole scene reminds me more of my karting days how the guys would work on the car and you're standing right there watching them. Also, the other teams were so willing to come over and share information and that just doesn't happen in Formula One."
The Californian was impressed by the high banking at the 2.66-mile superspeedway, which he tackled for the first time while making his maiden outing in a stock car. He believes the experience required some bravery from him at first.
"The banking here is pretty incredible and intimidating," Speed added "Having never sat in a stock car and to just go out there and run the first lap flat against the wall - I'd be lying if I said that was easy! That took a bit of bravery. The banking here is just super."
"The car is so much heavier than a Formula One car and you feel so much more movement. This car is about three times the weight of a Formula One car, so it moves a lot on the springs and tires. It's just a big moving mass and you feel really tiny inside of it.
"A Formula One car is so small and stiff, if you even think about wanting to go right - you're going right."
While Speed was able to start familiarizing himself with his new environment, he believes he still has a lot to learn, especially on how to run in the draft, as he will have to when he makes his race debut next week.
"It will be so intense to race here," Speed said. "You're just hauling ass because it's so fast. It's not going to be easy to throw that thing into a corner at 170 mph. I have to learn how to draft and how to race these cars too. Learning how to run so close together with so many guys will be wild."
What surprised you the most from today’s test?
"That they fill up the cars at a normal gas pump at the race track that looks like one you’d pull into if you were just driving down the road. That was so bizarre for me!"
"Also, in open-wheel racing, you always have someone on the team who buckles you into your seat. I got into my seat today waiting for someone to buckle me in and then after awhile realized I was supposed to buckle myself in. I’m not used to bringing my own helmet to the car either!"
"The most surprising thing is that I just don’t dress like these people yet (sarcastic). I got harassed by some of the ARCA officials for my shorts – which I wasn’t supposed to be wearing in the garage – and for my hat because it’s what Europe would call high fashion, but I guess it’s not considered that here."
I remember a friend told me that Schumacher commented on oval racing that it's insanely dangerous because you're driving so close to the wall. I was also told that it was the main reason why Schumacher was so turned off by ovals (P.S. this quote was from a friend, if this is wrong please correct me). I know his brother Ralf had really bad experiences on the oval turn of Indy.
Scott Speed:
"It's interesting to see how the team works together. This whole scene reminds me more of my karting days how the guys would work on the car and you're standing right there watching them. Also, the other teams were so willing to come over and share information and that just doesn't happen in Formula One."
The Californian was impressed by the high banking at the 2.66-mile superspeedway, which he tackled for the first time while making his maiden outing in a stock car. He believes the experience required some bravery from him at first.
"The banking here is pretty incredible and intimidating," Speed added "Having never sat in a stock car and to just go out there and run the first lap flat against the wall - I'd be lying if I said that was easy! That took a bit of bravery. The banking here is just super."
"The car is so much heavier than a Formula One car and you feel so much more movement. This car is about three times the weight of a Formula One car, so it moves a lot on the springs and tires. It's just a big moving mass and you feel really tiny inside of it.
"A Formula One car is so small and stiff, if you even think about wanting to go right - you're going right."
While Speed was able to start familiarizing himself with his new environment, he believes he still has a lot to learn, especially on how to run in the draft, as he will have to when he makes his race debut next week.
"It will be so intense to race here," Speed said. "You're just hauling ass because it's so fast. It's not going to be easy to throw that thing into a corner at 170 mph. I have to learn how to draft and how to race these cars too. Learning how to run so close together with so many guys will be wild."
What surprised you the most from today’s test?
"That they fill up the cars at a normal gas pump at the race track that looks like one you’d pull into if you were just driving down the road. That was so bizarre for me!"
"Also, in open-wheel racing, you always have someone on the team who buckles you into your seat. I got into my seat today waiting for someone to buckle me in and then after awhile realized I was supposed to buckle myself in. I’m not used to bringing my own helmet to the car either!"
"The most surprising thing is that I just don’t dress like these people yet (sarcastic). I got harassed by some of the ARCA officials for my shorts – which I wasn’t supposed to be wearing in the garage – and for my hat because it’s what Europe would call high fashion, but I guess it’s not considered that here."
I remember a friend told me that Schumacher commented on oval racing that it's insanely dangerous because you're driving so close to the wall. I was also told that it was the main reason why Schumacher was so turned off by ovals (P.S. this quote was from a friend, if this is wrong please correct me). I know his brother Ralf had really bad experiences on the oval turn of Indy.