Scott Speed out at Red Bull Racing

MoMike said:
Yeah, Just look at Kurt Busch.
:D
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Kurt Busch ran Trucks, FULL TIME. Scott Speed did not -- he came to Cup directly from ARCA -- in fact he was still running ARCA when he got his Cup ride. If memory serves me correctly, Scott Speed was driving his ARCA race car when official word came down he would be at Red Bull. It had already been confirmed and the NASCAR media quoted Red Bull saying it was a done deal but Scott and Amanda Speed had no clue about it.
 
AndyMarquisLive said:
Kurt Busch ran Trucks, FULL TIME. Scott Speed did not -- he came to Cup directly from ARCA -- in fact he was still running ARCA when he got his Cup ride. If memory serves me correctly, Scott Speed was driving his ARCA race car when official word came down he would be at Red Bull. It had already been confirmed and the NASCAR media quoted Red Bull saying it was a done deal but Scott and Amanda Speed had no clue about it.
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Yeah, but he also had some F1 under him too. Juan didn't get to dabble in trucks, or NNS. Trial by fire.....
If he's got talent, someone will pick him up for a truck, or NNS ride. I'm sure we'll still see him around.
MoMike
 
•Speed suing Red Bull: UPDATE: According to a tweet by Scott Speed, "today should be the day my lawyer files this lawsuit against Red Bull...Had to tell my loyal twitter followers before they saw it online". In a later post he made clear that he is looking for a ride for next season, "Sure not easy to find something when u start looking in December but we workin on it! Ill keep ya posted. sure we will find something".(12-8-2010)

UPDATE: The former Formula One driver finished 30th in the standings in his second year in Sprint Cup and said he was notified by fax Nov. 24 that he would not be retained for 2011 by the team operated by the Austrian-based energy drink company. "I'm obviously stupid disappointed that I didn't even get a phone call, not a conversation, not anything from anyone from Austria," Speed said Wednesday in a phone interview. "They all showed up at Miami. None of them spoke a word to me. I got a fax." Speed has said he had a contract for 2011 declined to discuss details, saying he has spoken to a lawyer about his options. "I can't describe how upset I am just over the morality of it," Speed said. "I don't understand how you can treat people like this. Whatever. I know that's not how I treat people." Speed would not comment on the terms of his Red Bull contract because of advice from his attorney. "They thought it was OK to kick me to the curb and not try to do absolutely anything for me," Speed said. "They didn't want to pay me anything. They didn't want to help me get into any other kind of ride. Nothing. They were, 'OK, we're done with you. Thank you for seven-and-a-half years.' Speed wants to continue racing stock cars and would consider a competitive Nationwide or truck team.(Scene Daily)(12-8-2010)
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REALLY??!!! This guy has some nads to think that Red Bull owes him to help him find another ride. Did I not see somewhere that he had a clause in his contract that he had to maintain a certain ranking in the top 35 or RB could cut him loose? If so then he is the one that signed that contract!!!
 
wolfcub said:
REALLY??!!! This guy has some nads to think that Red Bull owes him to help him find another ride. Did I not see somewhere that he had a clause in his contract that he had to maintain a certain ranking in the top 35 or RB could cut him loose? If so then he is the one that signed that contract!!!
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Without being able to see the terms of the contract, It's impossible to say one way or the other.
 
Nads? I don't know but he did have a contract through the end of 2011 so I can certainly see where he feels that he got the short end of the deal and wants compensated.
 
wolfcub said:
gonads :) kahunas :D
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The definition of nads hadn't escaped me. I don't think nads had anything to do with it. He had a contract that ran through the end of next season. That was my point. Sounds to me like he's getting screwed.
 
dpkimmel2001 said:
The definition of nads hadn't escaped me. I don't think nads had anything to do with it. He had a contract that ran through the end of next season. That was my point. Sounds to me like he's getting screwed.
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Oh, sorry, lol

I swear I read somewhere that he had a clause in his contract that said if he did not stay in the top 20 they had the option not to keep him. I thought his contract ended 2010 and they had the option to keep him if he met the clause
 
wolfcub said:
Oh, sorry, lol

I swear I read somewhere that he had a clause in his contract that said if he did not stay in the top 20 they had the option not to keep him. I thought his contract ended 2010 and they had the option to keep him if he met the clause
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Did the contract state he would be compensated if he was released?
 
Speed's option not picked up; #82 to #4? to Chevy? UPDATE: It was reported on SPEED's NASCAR Race Hub that driver of Red Bull Racing's #82 Toyota, Scott Speed, was told that his 2011 option was not picked up, making him a free agent in 2011 (NASCAR Race Hub).
AND Two people familiar with Kasey Kahne joining Red Bull said he'll replace Scott Speed next year in the two-driver lineup. Kahne will take over Speed's #82 team, but the car number will be changed to #4 to mimic what Kahne uses in sprint car competition. The two people spoke on condition of anonymity because Red Bull has not announced its full 2011 plans (Associated Press).
As reported before, Kahne's crew chief at Richard Petty Motorsports, Kenny Francis, will move over to Red Bull Racing in 2011 to be Kahne's crew chief in 2011. Current #83 crew chief, Jimmy Elledge is likely the odd crew chief out at Red Bull Racing. Ryan Pemberton, the crew chief for the current #82 team, would move back to the #83 team with Vickers. Also some rumors have been floated out there that Red Bull Racing could switch from Toyota to Chevy, with engines and chassis coming from Hendrick Motorsports. Kahne will move to Hendrick Motorsports in 2012, to the #5 Chevy.(10-21-2010)
UPDATE: Red Bull Racing will field only two teams next season with Kasey Kahne in the #82 car and Brian Vickers in the #83, general manager Jay Frye said on Friday. Vickers' spot is contingent on his health. He has missed the last two-thirds of this season after being diagnosed with blood clots. If Vickers is healthy, #82 driver Scott Speed will become a free agent. Speed has a performance clause in his contract that relieves Red Bull Racing from financial responsibility past this season if he doesn't finish in the top 16 in points.
 
From the sound of it, they had an option to keep him for 2011, which they choose not to do. I see nothing wrong with that. He knew he may or may not have a ride for 2011.
Sounds like there was a performance clause. Since he didn't finish in the top 16, I don't see where Red Bull should owe him anything.
 
JustMe said:
From the sound of it, they had an option to keep him for 2011, which they choose not to do. I see nothing wrong with that. He knew he may or may not have a ride for 2011.
Sounds like there was a performance clause. Since he didn't finish in the top 16, I don't see where Red Bull should owe him anything.
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Agreed. If it were only an option for 2011 then there's nothing wrong with releasing him. I had heard it reported on SNR that he was under contract through the end of next year. They hadn't mentioned it was an option year.
 
Scott has been with Red Bull for 7 1/2 years and he says that they have always managed his carreer. What really ticked him off, so he says, is that he was notified by fax that he was being released. He even says that if he owned the teams that he would take Kahne over him and although he and Brian this year were about the same, he'd take Vickers over him because of the experience. I've not followed Speed so I know very little about him, but from his interview, he sounds pretty pragmatic about it all. But it's how he was released that has him all fired up. I guess it all depends on how you feel about Scott as to what you think about this situation.
 
I don't blame him for being upset about the way he was let go, through a fax. That's just crappy of the owner for doing it that way. I happen to like Scott. But I still don't feel like he has a case just because they choose not to pick up his option for next year. I also don't feel like they should pay him after this season if his contract stated they didn't have to past this year if he didn't finish at least 16th in points.
 
JustMe said:
I don't blame him for being upset about the way he was let go, through a fax. That's just crappy of the owner for doing it that way. I happen to like Scott. But I still don't feel like he has a case just because they choose not to pick up his option for next year. I also don't feel like they should pay him after this season if his contract stated they didn't have to past this year if he didn't finish at least 16th in points.
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Agreed, he signed the contract then he should abide by it.
 
JustMe said:
Also some rumors have been floated out there that Red Bull Racing could switch from Toyota to Chevy, with engines and chassis coming from Hendrick Motorsports.
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ok, now putting kahne with red bull finally makes some sense.
 
Granted, Red Bull could have handled it differently in releasing Speed. But more than anything, Speed could have responded differently as well.

By creating a mud puddle and jumping in with both feet, Speed hurt himself, his image and the image future employers might have had of him.

Speed could have said something to the effect of: "I was notified today I am no longer an employee of Red Bull Racing. (See, right there he squirted on their shoes, but in a very nice way.)
I am appreciative of the opportunities afforded me by Red Bull and for all the good things they did for me as a driver and team player. I know they will have a significant role in my future because that is the kind of people they are and I look forward to any involvement and assistance they might offer. (a nice way of putting them on the spot)

I see nothing but negatives in the way Speed handled it. Yes, we say things in anger and more than once I saw or heard of a team owner pee and grunt negative b.s. when a long time sponsor left. Never did it make it easier for them to secure a new sponsor or appear as the winner in the mud puddle. Speed finds himself in a similar situation and needless to say, he did it all by himself.

Properly handled, Speed could have told Red Bull exec's to "go screw yourself" in such a way they looked forward to the experience.
 
From ESPN via Jayski:

"Speed has a performance clause in his contract that relieves Red Bull Racing from financial responsibility past this season if he doesn't finish in the top 16 in points. Speed is 28th in points with five races remaining."

So I'd say he's out of luck.
 
Weel as much as you'all know about his contract Scott sees it different...:cool:

UPDATE 2: NASCAR driver Scott Speed filed a $6.5 million breach-of-contract lawsuit Friday afternoon against Red Bull Racing, the team that released Speed following the 2010 season. In the lawsuit, filed in North Carolina Superior Court in Statesville, N.C., Speed claims that Red Bull did not fund the team as necessary to compete at the Cup level. According to the lawsuit, Speed signed a three-year deal in September 2007 for a salary of $300,000 in 2008, $500,000 in 2009 and $1 million in 2010. He would receive 50 percent of prize money for each top-10 finish, 45 percent for finishes 11th-20th and 40 percent of prize money for finishes of 21st or worse. In June 2008, the deal was amended to include 2011 at a salary of $1.5 million and options for 2012-2013 at raises of $500,000 annually. In January 2010, the deal was revised to cut Speed's pay from $1 million to $500,000 for 2010, according to the complaint. In May 2010, Red Bull picked up Speed's option through 2013, according to the complaint, but then fired him Nov. 23. The $6.5 million figure represents the salary Speed would have received from 2011-2013, in addition to the $500,000 reduction for 2010. Speed said Wednesday that the filing of the lawsuit was in hopes of being able to pay bills due next year, given that the chances of now getting a ride for 2011 are slim. Red Bull Racing officials indicated Wednesday that they would not comment on Speed's release or any pending litigation.(Scene Daily)(
 
Not funding the team? Vickers was in the chase in 09
 
A problem I have is this and made me look up some stats:
"I know we definitely were cutting the budget down," Speed said. "The package we had this year was terrible, especially in the middle of the year. We were battling back there with the Taco Bell car [underfunded team with driver David Gilliland that finished 32nd in points] when like three months ago we were running in the top 10."


RedBull has a history of treating drivers like dung, Speed went through almost the same thing with them in F1. RedBull probably gave him crap equipment knowing he couldn't meet contract expectations if he drove junk. Speed isn't the greatest driver in NASCAR but there is no reason for a team with deep pockets like RedBull to have trouble surpassing Gilliland. Kahne hopped in the 83 and all of a sudden it started clicking?


Speed had top 20's and a 10th and 11th at the intermediate tracks at the beginning of the season, by the second ATL he was finishing in the 30's with a couple 19th places in there. Nah, they made the escape clause happen when they got wind Kahne was available and Vickers would be back, it wasn't like Speed forgot how to drive. RedBull knows what they were doing.
 
Well it will be interesting to see who is telling the truth

Scott Speed upset over lawsuit: Scott Speed is shocked and ill he was put in the position of having to file a $6.5 million lawsuit against Red Bull Racing, the organization that gave him his shot in motorsports. The suit was filed in Statesville, N.C., last Friday, about two weeks after Speed received a termination letter from the Sprint Cup organization and about seven months after Speed says the team agreed to a three-year extension through 2013. "They can't say 'We'll give you three more years' and then at the end of the season say 'Just kidding,'" Speed said Wednesday. "They think they have a way of getting out of my contract. I think they're crazy." Red Bull Racing officials said prior to Speed's release there was a provision in the contract that allowed for dismissal if the driver wasn't in the top 16 in points. Speed, who finished 30th in points, said that isn't "100% the truth" and that proof will come out later in the process. Speed was released to make room for Kasey Kahne, who will drive the #4 for Red Bull Racing for one season before moving into the #5 at Hendrick Motorsports in 2012. Brian Vickers, who missed most of this past season after being diagnosed with blood clots, will drive the #83 Red Bull Toyota
 
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