Speed, Leavine Family Racing Looking Left and Right for Watkins Glen Success

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In: NASCAR Cup Series News

The only thing Scott Speed likes more than turning left in a NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race is turning right. That’s why Sunday’s Finger Lakes 355 at Watkins Glen International is another highlight on his racing schedule.

While Speed likes all the challenges of competing with a limited schedule in the No. 95 Leavine Family Racing Ford, he has a special fondness for road courses like the fabled 2.45-mile, seven-turn course in Upstate New York.

“There are many difficult aspects to oval-track racing, but nothing forces a driver and a race team to be on their toes any more than a road course,” Speed said. “Everything about the race has to be spot on. The car must leave the shop ready to turn right and left. The team must have a strategy for all 90 laps. And the driver has to be on his game.”

Leavine Family Racing added road course races in favor of superspeedway events to better utilize Speed’s background on road courses. He grew up racing open-wheeled cars on road courses, particularly in Sonoma near his home in California. His background in Formula One also played heavily on the team’s decision to add both road course races to their selected schedule.

“Scott is such a natural on road courses,” said crew chief Wally Rogers. “It was an easy decision to make Watkins Glen International part of our schedule. We’re going there with great expectations. We have a good car, we’ve honed in on our race strategy and we know Scott will do his part.

“We fully expect the race to be one of our highlights this year.”

Speed and Leavine Family Racing have planned to appear at 17 regular season Sprint Cup Series races this year. After Sunday’s Finger Lakes 355 at the Glen, the team will have 10 races remaining on the schedule.
 
“We back-loaded our schedule,” Speed said. “Watkins Glen really kicks off our late-season drive. We think it will get that 10-race stretch in only 15 weeks a fast start where we can make something good happen.”

LFR PR

Speedway Digest Staff
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