Motorsports

F1's Speed inching toward NASCAR move

By Times staff, wires
Published September 21, 2007

CHARLOTTE, N.C. - Scott Speed is the latest former Formula One driver to move toward NASCAR, announcing Thursday he'll run the ARCA race at Talladega Superspeedway.

Speed will drive the No. 21 Toyota for Eddie Sharp Racing in the Oct. 5 event. The car will be sponsored by Red Bull, which has a five-year association with Speed.

"I come from a completely different world of racing, so there's no doubt it's going to be a challenge learning how these cars handle," Speed said. "But I'm ready to get out there and see what I've got."

Speed, 24, won the Red Bull Driver Search in 2002, a program designed to find an American driver to compete in Formula One. As the winner, he received financial backing to race in Europe and prepare for an F1 ride.

Eury Jr. to leave DEI early: Tony Eury Jr. is leaving Dale Earnhardt Inc. for Hendrick Motorsports earlier than thought, ESPN.com reported.

Eury will step down after the Oct. 7 race at Talladega Superspeedway.

He has been Dale Earnhardt Jr.'s car or crew chief for all but one season since the two started racing in the Nextel Cup Series in 2000.

Through a deal made by DEI, Eury will be able to take four members of Earnhardt's No. 8 team when he joins Earnhardt at Hendrick in 2008.

Reutimann expecting offer to return: Zephyrhills' David Reutimann, a Nextel Cup rookie driving for Michael Waltrip Racing, said he expected to be presented a proposal to return to the team for next season when he boarded a charter flight from the Charlotte, N.C., area to Dover, Del.

"I just need to look at it and see if it's workable," Reutimann said in a phone interview. "I think it's a good start for sure."

The 37-year-old had a season-best finish of 13th at Richmond two weeks ago and is 40th in driver points. MWR, asserting ongoing sponsor negotiations have slowed the process, has expressed an interest in re-signing the most successful driver on its first-year Cup team.

General manager Ty Norris called him the "crown jewel" of Toyota's Cup program.

Reutimann has a clause in his contract that prevents him from personally talking to other teams until Oct. 1. Reutimann, who uses an assistant to Darrell Waltrip as an agent, said he has been assured MWR will run three Cup teams though he has not been told sponsorship is in place. Reutimann also wants to run a full Busch Series schedule.

The most intriguing opening is the possible development of a fourth Cup program at Richard Childress Racing, whose three current entries qualified for the Chase for the Championship.

M&M's to sponsor Kyle Busch: Mars U.S. was finalizing a deal to use its M&M's brand to sponsor Kyle Busch when he moves to Joe Gibbs Racing next season. M&M's would replace Interstate Batteries, which has sponsored Gibbs' flagship No. 18 since its 1992 inception. The Associated Press reported Mars was working on a deal that will be announced next month at M&M's World in New York.

Times staff writer Brant James contributed to this report.

[Last modified September 21, 2007, 01:46:20]