Two-Stepping at Texas

He battled with Johnny Benson and Todd Bodine, sliced and diced with Mike Skinner, had it out with Ron Hornaday. They’re all grizzled veterans that have shown Scott Speed a thing or two this season — Friday night included.

Speed finished 10th at Texas Motor Speedway, just another lesson learned in the Craftsman Truck Series that can only help his Sprint Cup career with Red Bull Racing Team.

“The thing is experience,” said Speed, who ended up 26th in June’s Texas truck race after a late spin down the frontstretch.

“More laps doing anything, especially against this caliber of competition, all helps. I’m learning so much running with these really good drivers at the front. It’s just an amazing amount of information that I’m taking in.”

Speed started 18th and drove into the top 10 in 15 laps, running as high as fifth at halfway. Fighting a tight condition in traffic, Speed’s last pit stop for four tires and fuel came on lap 96. He restarted 14th and charged to 10th, as the No. 22 Red Bull Toyota was the fastest truck for 10 of the final 20 laps.

It was Speed’s eighth top-10 finish in 14 races (to go along with a victory and four top fives), and only once has he finished outside the top 15 in his past seven starts.

On the Nationwide side: All signs point to big things (we are in Texas, after all) for Brian Vickers in his final Nationwide Series race of the season (3:30 p.m. ET today).

+ He starts 10th.
+ He’s driving the No. 10.
+ The Red Bull Energy Station opened at 10 a.m.