FANTASY NASCAR Racin

Lake was named after the best friend of his father, Bob Lake. Lake's father Leland L. Speed took office as the Mayor of Jackson, Mississippi in 1948, the same year that he was born. He started his racing career at the age of thirteen racing karts, much to the displeasure of his family. Over the years, Speed won the International Karting Federation (IKF) National Championship six times and in 1978 he won the prestigious Karting World Championship over among others, future Formula One legend and icon Ayrton Senna. As of 2012, Speed is the only American to win the championship. In 1980 after considering racing in other series such as Formula One, CART, and IMSA, and getting advice from current Lowe's Motor Speedway promoter, Humpy Wheeler, Speed chose to go NASCAR racing. According to Speed, "It was the highest mountain to climb." Speed's relative unfamiliarity with the NASCAR scene led him to buy his first car from someone in Chicago. Speed started nineteen races in his

rookie year scoring an eighth at Darlington Speedway in his third career start. Speed finished twenty-second in overall points and second to Jody Ridley in the rookie of the year standings. In 1981, Speed again ran his own operation driving the #66 Speed Racing automobile. He ran about every make of General Motors car that season wheeling Buicks, Pontiacs, Oldsmobiles and Chevys. He started twenty-seven of the thirty-one races on the schedule. 1982 was Speed's first full year of competition on NASCAR's Cup circuit. The season was a struggle with Speed not obtaining a single top ten finish until the eleventh race, and finishing twentieth in points. 1983 was a year of major change for Lake Speed. He was now

driving for an established owner in Hoss Ellington, however on a limited schedule. The team showed promise early in the season scoring a fourth at Rockingham and a sixth at Darlington in the #1 UNO car. It was at Talladega where Speed's life took a major change. Towards the race's end, Speed was leading the field with a chance to win his first Cup race. He was beaten at the end by Richard Petty and Benny Parsons. After the race, Speed decided to change his life and become a devout Christian on August 28. 1985 was Lake Speed's breakout season in NASCAR. Running a full schedule under the RahMoc Racing banner driving the #75 Nationwise car, Speed started off the season with a

second-place finish to Bill Elliott in the Daytona 500. CBS' pit reporter Mike Joy conducted an interview with Speed after the race, during which the emotional driver repeatedly thanked God for the successful showing. After an engine problem at Atlanta, Speed scored a string of strong runs: seventh at Bristol, ninth at Darlington, ninth at North Wilkesboro, eighth at Martinsville and tenth at Talladega. Speed then finished sixth in the World 600. The stretch run of the season took its toll on the team and

Speed's position in the points, notching a tenth-place finish. Speed started off the 1986 season with a tenth in the Daytona 500 and a tenth at Rockingham but after the fourth race of the season, he was ousted from the ride. 1987 was a building year in many ways. With sponsorship from Wynn's Car Care Products, Kmart and Delco Battery, Speed built an entirely new race team with himself as the owner and veteran crew chief Darrell Bryant helping him build the operation. The purple and white Oldsmobile donned the number 83, in honor of the year Lake became

a born-again Christian. Speed claimed his first top ten of the year at Talladega finishing ninth. He backed that up with a third-place finish in the World 600. Speed's other two top ten finishes that year were at the same tracks, seventh places at both Talladega and Charlotte. The team's strong 1987 performances proved to not be a fluke in 1988. With strong support from the Hoosier tire company, Speed ran strong in the Daytona 500 before dropping out due to an engine failure. The next race at Richmond, Speed ran up front leading sixty-seven laps but finishing sixth. The following race at Rockingham, Speed again showed power leading fifty-one laps finishing second to Neil Bonnett. Speed's day in the sun would come March 27 at Darlington in the TranSouth 500. After starting the

race in eighth place; Speed methodically moved his way to the front before eventually taking the lead and running away with the show. Leading 178 of the 367 laps, Speed beat Alan Kulwicki by half a straightaway to secure his first and only NASCAR CUP win. In 1990, Speed started only six races with Prestone sponsorship, finishing two of them. The best finish of Lake's abbreviated 1990 season came at Talladega's Die Hard 500 with an eleventh place effort. 1992 was a lean year; only being able to get sponsorship for nine races. Purex would pay to put it's name on

Speed's Fords and he could only manage a pair of 18th place finishes as season's best. After driving his own car during a handful of races in the 1993 season's first half, Speed was called to drive for Robert Yates Racing, filling in following Davey Allison's death. Speed qualified fourth at Watkins Glen International. He followed that up with a second place start at Michigan and a seventh place finish. After Bristol, Speed was replaced by Ernie Irvan. It was two races later at Dover where Speed found another ride, this time replacing Geoff Bodine who had departed from Bud Moore's Ford to drive his own team which he purchased following Alan Kulwicki's death. Speed would drive the Quality Care ford for the remainder of 1993 and

all of the following year. 1994 was a good year as he posted nine top 10 finishes and finished 11th in the points. Speed moved over to Harry Melling's team for the 1995 season and resurrected the organization. The normally red and white Melling car now was embazoned with Spam sponsorship and blue and yellow colors. Lake had two top ten runs, at Charlotte in the Coca Cola 600 and at Darlington in the Southern 500. After the University of Nebraska backed out on their sponsorship, Speed and Melling ran a limited 1997 season. 1998 would be Lake Speed's final Cup season. Speed secured sponsorship from Cartoon Network. Speeds best finish of the season was at

Daytona in the Daytona 500, where he tangled with John Andretti with two laps to go bringing out the yellow flag that effectively won the race for Dale Earnhardt. At Sears Point Raceway, he was strong during the first practice session with the second fastest speed behind Jeff Gordon. In the second practice session, Speed ran over debris thrown on the track by a car who had got off course, cut a tire and slammed into one of the tire barriers breaking his sternum. Speed missed the event and was replaced by

Butch Gilliland, but he returned to the next race at New Hampshire. Unfortunately, Speed was caught up in a wreck not of his own making and aggravated his injury. After the race, Speed felt it best for the team to find another driver. Speed stepped aside and was replaced by Jerry Nadeau; so Speed effectively retired from NASCAR racing at this time. For his career Speed made 402 CUP starts. He had 75 top ten finishes and had a best finish of tenth in the CUP points in 1985. He also ran in six Nationwide races with best finishes of second and third. Some info from Wikipedia

Fantasy NASCAR Racing

LAKE CHAMBERS SPEED - 01/17/1948