14 replies to this topic

[crackr]

Anyone aware of his racing background?

OT: Are F1 drivers in the US named in the same fashion as porn actors?

[Ross Stonefeld]

nah, we'll never have a racing driver with a name like Ben Dotato.

[tombr]

Anyone aware of his racing background?

OK, I'll ask... Are you serious?

[dgsg]

Don't know how much is true, but here it is;
http://www.caranddri...article_id=9976

[KWSN - DSM]

Scott began his career behind the wheel of a kart, like so many other open wheel professionals. By 1995 the young hot shoe had already garnered his first national championship and was only just beginning his rise to the top of North American kart racing.

From 1996 to 2001, Scott Speed scorched the tarmac and earned numerous championships and national titles before making the leap to open wheel race cars.

In his rookie season racing in the Jim Russell Racing Championship, Scott emerged the quickest, taking the series title with relative ease. From there, Scott made the transition to the Skip Barber National Championship as well as running selected Formula Mazda Championship races.

With Scott's talent and natural ability, he caught the eye of the 2003 Red Bull American F1 Driver search and was quickly selected to compete in the run offs. Up against the nation's top drivers, Scott was selected to continue in the program and chosen to contest a handful of ultra competitive British F3 events.

For 2004, Scott contested the Formula Renault championships in both Germany and Europe. True to form, Scott did not disappoint and added both championships to his illustrious resume. Later that year, Scott was given the opportunity to test with the Red Bull Cheever IRL Racing team and contributed valuable feedback.

For 2005, Scott will move one step closer towards Formula 1 by competing in the GP2 series. In addition, there are tentative plans for Scott to test with the newly formed Red Bull F1 racing team.

Racing History
1993 – First karting race
1995 – First karting national title
1996 - 2001 – Multiple karting national titles and championships
2001 – Russell Racing Champion, Sonoma Ca.
(first car racing championship)
2002 – Barber Dodge National Championship
2002 – Formula Mazda Championship
2002 – Selected, and won, Red Bull American Driver Search
2003 – British F3 (partial season due to illness)
2004 – Formula Renault German and Eurocup Champion
2004 – Testing with Red Bull Cheever Racing IRL team
2005 – GP2

Courtesy www.scottspeed.com

[tombr]

Don't know how much is true, but here it is;
http://www.caranddri...article_id=9976

From the article... ""If you don't keep up with Formula 1, you may not have heard of Speed."

[Ross Stonefeld]

Ive often wondered if the colitis thing hasnt been exaggerated. He looks healthier this year than he did in F3 or Renaults, because he's bulked up for GP2. But he looks even leaner now. He never looked like someone who lost 30lbs in a season. And with as much as he was on the podium you'd think you'd notice.

[jb_128]

Originally posted by Ross Stonefeld
Ive often wondered if the colitis thing hasnt been exaggerated. He looks healthier this year than he did in F3 or Renaults, because he's bulked up for GP2. But he looks even leaner now. He never looked like someone who lost 30lbs in a season. And with as much as he was on the podium you'd think you'd notice.

How can you exagerate an illness for which no cure is known? I think it speaks for itself that it was bad enough to make him quit his F3 season. Weight loss is not really a criterium to judge how bad the illness is.

[tidytracks]

Originally posted by jb_128


How can you exagerate an illness for which no cure is known? I think it speaks for itself that it was bad enough to make him quit his F3 season. Weight loss is not really a criterium to judge how bad the illness is.

Agreed.

Scott suffers from a debilitating disease, lets not make light of that fact. A few years back he faced an impossible decision...

1: To replace his colon with a colostomy bag and potentially end his racing career for good
2: To stop racing for good to lower his stress levels and allow the disease to be treated
3: To continue racing and risk the colitis doing even more damage

He went for option 3.

I never knew that much about Scott's colitis until recently, but it has opened my eyes to what a major effort and sacrifice he was willing to make for his career. Like him or loathe him, you have to respect his balls.

The following is taken from www.scottspeed.com and is a diary entry where Scott talks about his illness. I hope you find it as interesting as I did.

Scott Speed - "Dealing With Ulcerative Colitis"

I was diagnosed with the chronic disease Ulcerative Colitis in the beginning of 2003. Ulcerative Colitis is a disease that affects the large intestines by becoming ulcerated, thus causing the large intestines to bleed and lose functionality. This results in a major loss in nutrients, uncontrollable bleeding, and a loss of bowel control.

Halfway through the 2003 season, with things not looking good in the championship I was running, I was anemic and much debilitated by the severity that my disease had reached. At that time we all decided it was best to try a different type of medication and go back home so that my family could take care of me. At this time, fixing a disease that would be with me for the rest of my life, was more important than my racing career.

After almost 2 months, with limited results, we decided to go back for the last race and see the Austrian specialist again. From December until August 2004 the story was the same. The only difference was that I was now having great results and finally making a name for myself in Europe. This was enough to let my colitis digress to an all time low. With almost 4 straight weekends of racing away from my home in Austria, I had reached bottom. When I returned to the Red Bull Training Center after my double win in Bruno, Czech Republic I had a Hemoglobin level of 8.3 and a weight of 55kg. Anyone who has dealt with a loss of blood and anemia will know that this is extremely low. Low enough in fact, that I was told by the Doctors and the Red Bull Training Center that I needed a blood transfusion.

After this news, we decided to try one more doctor in Wien, Austria by the name of Dr. Christoph Gasche. Dr. Gasche has had great results in this field and we were hopeful that he was the Doctor that could help me.

The first visit and Colonoscopy with Dr. Gasche in August of 2004 was definitely hard to take in. He told me that I had a very serious problem and that my disease had expanded throughout my entire large intestines. He advised that I needed to seriously think about either surgically taking out my large intestines and replace it with a bag that you wear on your waist, or stop racing to lower my stress level. Luckily he wanted to try one more type of medication before we made this decision.

Within a month of treatment on the new medications and iron infusions, I had regained bowel control, the bleeding had stopped, and my Hemoglobin was rising. A feeling I hadn’t had for almost 2 years.

Rehabilitation:

To come from almost 2 years of very little or no physical training to being physically able to drive a GP2 for a 180km race or test an F1 car has been such a long and tough road. Thanks to the Red Bull Training Center (Thalgau, Austria) providing the equipment and personnel for the Red Bull Athletes to train, and all my good friends at Endurance Rehab (Scottsdale, AZ), I have come a huge distance with my physical fitness and mental toughness in dealing with my disease.

[Ross Stonefeld]

Originally posted by jb_128


How can you exagerate an illness for which no cure is known? I think it speaks for itself that it was bad enough to make him quit his F3 season. Weight loss is not really a criterium to judge how bad the illness is.

Im saying everytime I read his story, the illness is even worse. First he lost 10lbs in the season, now its 30 and he's anemic. I know he had the disease, there's no denying that; but Im skeptical of the 30lbs bit. Thats like a 20% weight loss in someone whho's already very slim. Probably the wrong thing to focus on (but then again you gotta find something to distract yourself from his personality) but I'm curious to what the epic struggle of survival will be once he gets a race seat and they're trying to promote him domestically.

And actively risking your health to win a motorrace doesnt take balls, or brains.

[Taxi]

wow. didn´'t now he had such a problem. Hope he can recover and show his imense talent in good conditions. Go Speed!

[Menace]

Originally posted by tidytracks


Agreed.

Scott suffers from a debilitating disease, lets not make light of that fact. A few years back he faced an impossible decision...

1: To replace his colon with a colostomy bag and potentially end his racing career for good
2: To stop racing for good to lower his stress levels and allow the disease to be treated
3: To continue racing and risk the colitis doing even more damage

He went for option 3.

I never knew that much about Scott's colitis until recently, but it has opened my eyes to what a major effort and sacrifice he was willing to make for his career. Like him or loathe him, you have to respect his balls.

The following is taken from www.scottspeed.com, and is a diary entry where Scott talks about his illness. I hope you find it as interesting as I did.

Scott Speed - "Dealing With Ulcerative Colitis"

I was diagnosed with the chronic disease Ulcerative Colitis in the beginning of 2003. Ulcerative Colitis is a disease that affects the large intestines by becoming ulcerated, thus causing the large intestines to bleed and lose functionality. This results in a major loss in nutrients, uncontrollable bleeding, and a loss of bowel control.

Halfway through the 2003 season, with things not looking good in the championship I was running, I was anemic and much debilitated by the severity that my disease had reached. At that time we all decided it was best to try a different type of medication and go back home so that my family could take care of me. At this time, fixing a disease that would be with me for the rest of my life, was more important than my racing career.

After almost 2 months, with limited results, we decided to go back for the last race and see the Austrian specialist again. From December until August 2004 the story was the same. The only difference was that I was now having great results and finally making a name for myself in Europe. This was enough to let my colitis digress to an all time low. With almost 4 straight weekends of racing away from my home in Austria, I had reached bottom. When I returned to the Red Bull Training Center after my double win in Bruno, Czech Republic I had a Hemoglobin level of 8.3 and a weight of 55kg. Anyone who has dealt with a loss of blood and anemia will know that this is extremely low. Low enough in fact, that I was told by the Doctors and the Red Bull Training Center that I needed a blood transfusion.

After this news, we decided to try one more doctor in Wien, Austria by the name of Dr. Christoph Gasche. Dr. Gasche has had great results in this field and we were hopeful that he was the Doctor that could help me.

The first visit and Colonoscopy with Dr. Gasche in August of 2004 was definitely hard to take in. He told me that I had a very serious problem and that my disease had expanded throughout my entire large intestines. He advised that I needed to seriously think about either surgically taking out my large intestines and replace it with a bag that you wear on your waist, or stop racing to lower my stress level. Luckily he wanted to try one more type of medication before we made this decision.

Within a month of treatment on the new medications and iron infusions, I had regained bowel control, the bleeding had stopped, and my Hemoglobin was rising. A feeling I hadn’t had for almost 2 years.

Rehabilitation:

To come from almost 2 years of very little or no physical training to being physically able to drive a GP2 for a 180km race or test an F1 car has been such a long and tough road. Thanks to the Red Bull Training Center (Thalgau, Austria) providing the equipment and personnel for the Red Bull Athletes to train, and all my good friends at Endurance Rehab (Scottsdale, AZ), I have come a huge distance with my physical fitness and mental toughness in dealing with my disease.

Thank you for sharing that! Never knew about his disease... at all!

[tidytracks]

Originally posted by Ross Stonefeld
And actively risking your health to win a motorrace doesnt take balls, or brains.

Wouldn't you say that motorsport, by its very nature, involves a driver actively risking his health every time he steps into his car?

Maybe it doesnt take brains, or balls... just the mindest of a racing driver.

To be honest the fact that Scott continues to race and at one point risked everything, including his health, to follow his dreams, shows me a side to the driver that I like and respect very much. It adds another layer to a man I believe is a complex character, and an individual who is, for the most part, misunderstood by the media.

[Riker!]

Ive been hit with the same thing Scott got, and I can tell you it farks you up pretty bad. When I got it I was only 75 kilos, I reckon I lost about 10-15 kilos pretty damn quickly, you just feel tired and run down and basically feeling like ****. But if he lost 30kilos...gees hes lucky hes gotten over it so quickly.

[jonpollak]

Let's see....
I know he is partly managed by a Rock and Roll Production Manager named Jake Berry.
http://www.faderhigher.com/index.shtml
(thanks to Ross for sending me the web address )

Jp