Lake Speed

Lake Chambers Speed (born January 17, 1948) is an American retired stock car racing driver. He formerly competed in the NASCAR Winston Cup Series, scoring one career win in 402 starts.

Background Lake was named after the best friend of his father, Bob Lake. Lake's father, Leland S. Speed, took office as the Mayor of Jackson, Mississippi, in 1948, the same year that Lake 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 at age 30, he won the prestigious Senior Division Karting World Championship over, among others, future three-time Formula One champion Ayrton Senna, who was 18 years old at the time. Speed had been the only American to win the Karting World Championship until 2015 when 14 year-old Logan Sargeant of Florida won the KFJ World Karting Championship.

NASCAR career

1980–1984 In 1980 Speed started nineteen races in his rookie year scoring an eighth at Darlington Speedway in his third career start. Speed also scored finishes of seventh at the spring Talladega Superspeedway race, eighth at Talladega's fall event, seventh at Charlotte's fall event and eighth at the season ending race at Ontario Motor Speedway. Speed finished 22nd in overall points and second to Jody Ridley in the rookie of the year standings.

In 1981, Speed again ran his own operation starting 27 of the 31 races on the schedule. Lake was unable to qualify for the 1981 Daytona 500, but did manage to win the thirty-lap consolation race, leading the race from start to finish. He scored a ninth-place finish in both races at Rockingham and at Bristol. He followed that up with a seventh in Martinsville Speedway's spring event, an eighth at the now-defunct Texas World Speedway and a sixth in the late summer Talladega event. Speed's final top ten would come at Bristol in August where he finished seventh. The final points tally came up with Speed finishing eighteenth in points. One special footnote for Speed during the '81 season was that he enabled future NASCAR pace car driver Elmo Langley to start his 536th and final NASCAR race at Dover in the Mason-Dixon 500. Langley started 29th and finished 29th completing only six laps before a driveshaft failure.

1982 was Speed's first full year of competition on the Winston Cup circuit. This time, Speed was driving for the first time for another car owner, Roger Hamby. The beginning of the season was a struggle with Speed not obtaining a top ten finish until the eleventh race, at Dover International Speedway. In July at Daytona, Speed scored his second top-ten finish with a ninth. Speed continued to struggle as the season wrapped up managing to finish sixth in the Southern 500 at Darlington and eighth at the fall event at the North Wilkesboro Speedway. Speed finished twentieth in points.

1983 was a year of major change for 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. 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. The week after Talladega, Speed scored another top ten with a sixth in the World 600 at Charlotte. Speed's final top ten of the season was the August Michigan International Speedway race with an eighth-place finish. Speed finished 27th in the points standings.

1984 was much the same. Starting 19 of the series' 30 races, Speed showed some early season strength with a third at Rockingham, a ninth at Atlanta and a sixth at Charlotte. At the first Pocono Raceway race, Speed qualified second and finished tenth following that up with a fifth at Michigan. Speed finished eighth in the late summer Talladega race and had a near win in the Southern 500 starting second and leading 28 laps before he crashed out. Speed's final top-ten was at Atlanta with a seventh-place finish and 26th in points.

Speed also started six races in the NASCAR Busch Series between 1983 and 1984. He only made one start in 1983, at Charlotte in the Miller Time 300, where he finished sixth. In 1984, Speed lost by two feet to Darrell Waltrip in the season opening Goody's 300 at Daytona, and scored another top five in the Mello Yello 300 at Charlotte. Speed's worst qualifying effort was a thirteenth place start in the season opener. Speed's starts were fifth at Darlington, seventh at Charlotte, third at Darlington and ninth at Charlotte.

1985–1989 1985 was Speed's breakout season in NASCAR. Running a full schedule under the RahMoc Enterprises banner, Speed started off the season with a second-place finish to Bill Elliott in the Daytona 500. CBS's pit reporter Mike Joy conducted an interview with Speed after the race, during which the emotional driver repeatedly thanked God for the successful showing. He followed that up with a tenth at Richmond International Raceway and a fourth at Rockingham, taking the points lead early in the season. 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 fell; however, he continued to post strong runs, finishing seventh at Talladega, tenth at Bristol, tenth at Dover and seventh and ninth-place finishes at Atlanta and Riverside International Raceway to round out the season. Overall, it was Speed's best year in terms of 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. Speed started one more race that season, filling in for the ailing Rick Wilson in his Morgan-McClure Motorsports ride at Charlotte finishing fourteenth. Shortly thereafter, Speed began working again at starting his own race team.

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 to build the operation. The purple and white Oldsmobile donned the number 83, in honor of the year Lake became a born-again Christian. In his thirteen starts Speed finished ninth in the first Talladega race and followed that up with a third-place finish in the World 600. Speed's other two top ten finishes were at the same tracks, seventh place at both Talladega and Charlotte.

The team's strong 1987 performances continued 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 finished sixth. The following race, at Rockingham, Speed again showed power, leading fifty-one laps and finishing second to Neil Bonnett. Speed's first win came March 27 at Darlington in the TranSouth 500. After starting the race eighth, Speed methodically moved his way to the front before eventually taking the lead and running away from the field. Leading 178 of the 367 laps, Speed beat Alan Kulwicki by half a straightaway to secure his first and only NASCAR Winston Cup win. One of the factors in Speed's victory was that he was the only driver who tested the Hoosier tires at Darlington. Where most of his competitors thought that the Hoosiers would blister, Lake and his team believed that they would not.

At Dover, Speed finished fourth, following that up with finishes of ninth at Daytona and fifth at Michigan. In the Volunteer 500, Speed led sixty-six laps and looked like a strong contender for the race win before blowing a right front tire and hitting the wall, effectively ending his day. Speed's last top ten came at the 1988 Delaware 500 with a ninth-place effort. The season ended with Speed seventeenth place in the final points rundown.

Speed had strong finishes in 1989 with a Bull's Eye Barbecue Sauce sponsorship Speed said was "worth peanuts." At Rockingham, Lake took eighth and a few weeks later he finished tenth Darlington. Speed finished fifth in the inaugural event at Sears Point (now Sonoma) Raceway and a seventh a few races later at Michigan. However, in the July race at Pocono, Speed was injured in a two-car wreck that also injured driver Greg Sacks. Although Sacks' car overturned, Speed was injured more severely, and missed several races. While Lake recovered from his injuries, he had several drivers drive in his place including Joe Ruttman at Talladega, Michigan and Bristol; Eddie Bierschwale at Watkins Glen; and Rodney Combs at Darlington. Lake returned to action in the Miller High Life 400 at Richmond to finish 14th. At the final race of the '89 season at Atlanta, Lake was able to conclude a personally disappointing year with a tenth-place run.

1990–1994 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. Speed also fielded cars for short track ace Tommy Ellis and Phil Parsons in two races. Ellis started the Delaware 500 at Dover in 31st and finished 32nd after an engine failure. In the National 500 at Charlotte, Parsons drove Speed's car with Baja Boats sponsorship to an eighteenth place run. 1991 was an improvement in terms of races started. Speed replaced Dick Trickle in Cale Yarborough's car but struggled with mechanical failures throughout his stint with the team. In twenty starts, Speed's best finish was an eleventh at Bristol in August. In 1992, Speed got back to his own team starting just nine races with Purex as his sponsor. The team suffered several mechanical failures and Speed only managed to have a best finish of eighteenth in the final two races of the season at Phoenix and Atlanta.

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. The next race at Bristol, Speed was running a strong race before contact late with Rick Mast ruined his chances at a top-ten finish. After Bristol, Speed was replaced by Ernie Irvan, but less than a week later, on September 3, it was announced that Speed would drive the No. 15 Ford owned by Bud Moore for 1994, replacing Geoff Bodine, who would depart from Moore's Ford to drive his own team which he purchased following Alan Kulwicki's death. However, two races later at Dover, Speed replaced Bodine in Moore's No. 15, as Ford allowed Bodine to take over Kulwicki's former No. 7 for the last seven races of 1993, in preparation for his first full season as an owner-driver. Speed's best finish for Moore at the end of the '93 season was an eleventh at Charlotte.

Speed remained with Moore for the 1994 season starting off with finishes of sixth at Atlanta, fifth at Darlington and third at Bristol, moving up to fifth place in the points. Two races later, Speed finished seventh at Talladega. It was during this time that Speed was inducted into the karting hall of fame. Speed would have to wait until the July Daytona race to get another top-ten finish, a tenth. Speed and the team ran good through the summer stretch, often starting near the rear of the field but moving to the front. Unfortunately, Speed did not manage a top ten finish until Dover where he finished ninth. In the final four races, Speed had three great runs. A fifth at Charlotte, a tenth at Rockingham and a fourth at Atlanta where he led twenty laps. It wasn't enough for Speed to finish in the top-ten in points. He finished eleventh behind Bill Elliott.

1995–1998 Speed moved over to Melling Racing team for the 1995 season and resurrected the organization. The normally red and white Melling car now was emblazoned with Spam sponsorship and blue and yellow colors. Speed had two top-ten runs, at Charlotte in the Coca-Cola 600 and at Darlington in the Southern 500 to finish twenty-third in the points rundown. However, the 1995 season provided Speed with what is perhaps his most famous moment. After the Miller Genuine Draft 400, Michael Waltrip blocked Speed's car in the pits. Waltrip, angry over an on-track encounter with Speed, pulled down Speed's window net and began throwing punches at Speed, who was wearing his helmet. .The incident was broadcast in front of a live television audience on the CBS network and resulted in a $10,000 fine for Waltrip.

During the 1996 season, Speed earned his first career NASCAR pole, albeit in a non-points event, the Winston Open. At the Miller 400 at Michigan, the normally blue and yellow Spam Ford was graced in red, white and gold in honor of 50 years of Melling's parts company being in operation. Speed and the Melling Racing team notched an eighth place finish at Pocono in the Miller 500. Speed stunned everyone in qualifying for the Brickyard 400 at Indianapolis with a third-place effort. During the race, Speed made a daring three-wide pass to take the lead. The finishing order saw Speed finish thirteenth after leading two laps. At the second race in Michigan, the GM Goodwrench Dealer 400, Speed led seven laps and looked poised to possibly capture his second NASCAR Winston Cup victory before getting caught up in a wreck started by Sterling Marlin. Though Speed qualified poorly for the Southern 500, he quickly moved his way through the field. Just as he neared running in the top ten, a right front tire cut and Lake had to pit under the green flag, losing two laps. However, the strength of the car would prove itself as Speed worked his way back to finish tenth, the final top ten finish of his career.

In September 1996, the University of Nebraska–Lincoln announced a three year sponsorship deal with the assistance of former Husker linebacker Trev Alberts. However, the sponsorship never saw the track due to a disagreement over sharing space on the car with other sponsors. Speed and Melling ran a limited 1997 season. Speed qualified for all 25 races he attempted. Lake and the team raced to a solid twelfth place finish in the Pontiac Excitement 400 at Richmond, then followed that up with a sixth-place qualifying effort at Atlanta. During the midpoint of the season, the No. 9 car was filmed for the TV movie Steel Chariots. In the Miller 400 at Michigan, Speed earned his and the team's best finish of the season, an eleventh. A few races later, Speed finished twelfth in the Brickyard 400. At Richmond in the Exide NASCAR Select Batteries 400, Speed seemed to have one of the stronger cars, leading three laps through a series of green flag pit stops. However, during the stop, the crew bolted the left side tires on the right side and the right side tires on the left, forcing Speed to make multiple pit stops and dropping him out of a chance of having a good finish. A few races later, Lake had a 14th-place run at Martinsville in the Hanes 500. The Melling team was able to get sponsorship for the last four races of the season from Advantage Camo, their best finish being seventeenth at Rockingham's AC Delco 400. Speed finished 35th in the points standings.

1998 was Speed's final Winston Cup season. Having secured sponsorship from the Cartoon Network, Speed's best finish of the season was 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. The 1998 season proved to be a challenge for Lake and the Melling Racing team. It appeared as if the team was struggling with the new Ford Taurus bodies, and that translated to some poor results. At Sears Point Raceway, Speed appeared to have a chance to turn his season around. 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 that had gotten 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. However Speed was caught up in a wreck not of his own making and aggravated his injury. Following the New Hampshire race, Speed felt it best for the team to find another driver. With no sponsors or ride he effectively retired from NASCAR racing.

After retirement

In 2006, the International Kart Federation established the Lake Speed Achievement of Excellence karting award in honor of the 1978 World Karting Champion. The award was presented for the first time at the IKF 2-Cycle Sprint Grand Nationals August 3–6 at Fontana, California. The inaugural recipient was Matt Johnson of Las Vegas, Nevada. Nick Johnston of Northridge, California was awarded the honor in 2007. The award went to Taylor Miinch in 2008 and Mike Botelho Jr. in 2009. And youngest winner of the award went to Ryan Schartau of Chino, California in 2013. The recipient of the award could be a driver, team, kart shop or any combination thereof, and the winner is determined primarily on sportsmanship, driving achievement and professionalism during the race event.

On occasion, Speed still drives karts, and has four wins in Historic Stock Car Racing Association events on Daytona's 3.56-mile road course in 2002 and 2003 driving one of his old 83 Purex-sponsored Ford vehicles.

Speed currently races in the World Karting Association's National Road Racing Series schedule, in the Spec 125 TaG 1 and 2 classes. On July 30, 2010 Speed was inducted into the Mississippi Sports Hall of Fame. Since 2016, he has been an avid follower of the RHPK kart series. In November 2023, he went to Virginia International Raceway and raced his 1993 stock car at the age of 75.

Motorsports career results NASCAR (key) (Bold – Pole position awarded by qualifying time. Italics – Pole position earned by points standings or practice time. * – Most laps led.)

Winston Cup Series NASCAR Winston Cup Series results Year Team No. Make 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 Pts Ref 1980 Gordon Racing 24 Olds RSD29 22nd 1853 Speed Racing 66 Chevy DAYDNQ RCH CAR ATL11 BRI DAR8 NWS MAR TAL7 NSV DOV CLT TWS12 RSD26 MCH17 DAY38 NSV POC30 TAL8 MCH16 BRI DAR27 RCH Nelson Malloch Racing 7 Chevy DOV11 NWS21 MAR20 CLT7 CAR28 ATL24 ONT6 1981 Speed Racing 66 Chevy RSD34 18th 2817 Olds DAYDNQ RCH12 BRI9 NWS23 DAR MAR7 CLT28 TWS8 RSD NSV22 POC27 BRI7 RCH20 NWS27 CAR31 Buick CAR9 ATL35 TAL18 MCH16 DAY33 TAL6 MCH15 DAR13 DOV27 MAR22 CLT34 ATL14 RSD16 Pontiac NSV24 DOV 1982 Buick DAY41 20th 2850 Hamby Motorsports 17 Buick RCH19 BRI29 ATL33 CAR34 DAR17 NWS24 MAR24 TAL34 CLT12 POC20 RSD31 MCH34DAY9 NSV13 POC33 TAL21 MCH12 BRI13 DAR6 CLT21 Pontiac NSV30 DOV10 RCH10 DOV22 NWS8 MAR29 CAR33 ATL29 RSD32 1983 Ellington Racing 1 Chevy DAY25 RCH15 CAR4 ATL15 DAR28 NWS8 MAR23 TAL3 NSV DOV BRI CLT6 RSD POC12 MCH19 DAY29 NSV POC TAL26 MCH8 BRI DAR15 RCH DOV MAR NWS CLT11 CAR28 ATL12 RSD 27th 2114 1984 DAY37 RCH12 CAR3 ATL9 BRI NWS DAR22 MAR TAL33 NSV DOV21 CLT6 RSD POC10 MCH5 DAY42 NSV POC TAL8 MCH16 BRI DAR14 RCH DOV MAR CLT32 CAR29 ATL7 26th 2023 Hamby Motorsports 17 Pontiac NWS25 Chevy RSD17 1985 RahMoc Enterprises 75 Pontiac DAY2 RCH10 CAR4 ATL40 BRI7 DAR9 NWS9 MAR8 TAL10 DOV24 CLT6 RSD25 POC12 MCH14 DAY34 POC11 TAL8 MCH16 BRI10 DAR16 RCH11 DOV10 MAR11 NWS12 CLT12 CAR29 ATL7 RSD9 10th 3507 1986 DAY10 RCH17 CAR10 ATL22 BRI DAR NWS MAR TAL DOV 40th 608 Morgan-McClure Motorsports 4 Olds CLT14 RSD POC MCH DAY POC TAL GLN MCH BRI DAR RCH DOV MAR NWS CLT CAR ATL RSD 1987 Speed Racing 83 Olds DAY26 CAR12 RCHDNQ ATL35 DAR31 NWS BRI MAR TAL9 CLT3 DOV POC RSD MCH10 DAY40 POC TAL7 GLN MCH16 BRI DAR30 RCH DOV MAR NWS CLT7 CAR RSD ATL41 31st 1345 1988 DAY37 RCH6 CAR2 ATL38 DAR1* BRI30 NWS26 MAR28 TAL15 CLT21 DOV4 RSD26 POC23 MCH29 DAY9 POC32 TAL13 GLN37 MCH5 BRI20 DAR12 RCH36 DOV9 MAR28 CLT34 NWS15 CAR24 PHO15 ATL37 17th 2984 1989 DAY30 CAR8 ATL21 RCH12 DAR10 BRI25 NWS27 MAR11 TAL18 CLT24 DOV18 SON5 POC11 MCH7 DAY24 POC29 TAL GLN MCH BRI DAR RCH14 DOV36 MAR22 CLT38 NWS25 CAR19 PHO22 ATL10 27th 2550 1990 DAY16 RCH CAR ATLDNQ DAR BRI NWS MAR TAL38 CLT38 DOV SON POC MCH33 DAY POC TAL11 GLN MCH BRI DAR32 RCH DOV MAR NWS CLT CAR PHO ATL 42nd 479 1991 Cale Yarborough Motorsports 66 Pontiac DAY RCH CAR ATL DAR40 BRI25 NWS13 MAR18 TAL31 CLT29 DOV22 SON12 POC17 MCH18 DAY38 POC30 TAL36 GLN33 MCH15 BRI11 DAR34 RCH17 DOV35 MAR32 NWS CLT CAR PHO ATL 32nd 1742 1992 Speed Racing 83 Chevy DAYDNQ CAR RCH ATL34 DARDNQ BRI NWS MAR TAL 38th 726 Ford CLT19 DOV SON POC MCH DAY POC36 TAL GLN MCH34 BRI DAR26 RCH DOV MAR NWS CLT26 CAR36 PHO18 ATL18 1993 DAY14 CAR RCH30 ATL28 DAR BRI29 NWS MAR TAL34 SON CLT27 DOV30 POC27 MCH30 DAYDNQ NHA35 POC TAL18 34th 1956 Yates Racing 28 Ford GLN27 MCH7 BRI16 DAR RCH Bud Moore Engineering 15 Ford DOV33 MAR24 NWS17 CLT11 CAR16 PHO13 ATL26 1994 DAY14 CAR21 RCH14 ATL6 DAR5 BRI3 NWS12 MAR30 TAL7 SON32 CLT14 DOV12 POC23 MCH40 DAY10 NHA15 POC20 TAL14 IND15 GLN13 MCH13 BRI25 DAR40 RCH21 DOV9 MAR34 NWS25 CLT5 CAR10 PHO14 ATL4 11th 3565 1995 Melling Racing 9 Ford DAY14 CAR32 RCH14 ATL15 DAR29 BRI17 NWS25 MAR26 TAL16 SON40 CLT8 DOV34 POC28 MCH11 DAY21 NHA24 POC22 TAL35 IND34 GLN20 MCH17 BRI29 DAR9 RCH21 DOV32 MAR20 NWS35 CLT21 CAR24 PHO22 ATL19 23rd 2921 1996 DAY14 CAR25 RCH18 ATL41 DAR25 BRI35 NWS35 MAR11 TAL42 SON16 CLT35 DOV26 POC34 MCH19 DAY29 NHA24 POC8 TAL30 IND13 GLN17 MCH32 BRI16 DAR10 RCH31 DOV13 MAR28 NWS25 CLT12 CAR35 PHO28 ATL19 23rd 2834 1997 DAY24 CAR15 RCH12 ATL22 DAR36 TEX16 BRI36 MAR25 SON TAL21 CLT24 DOV POC MCH11 CAL20 DAY29 NHA POC IND12 GLN MCH21 BRI29 DAR18 RCH36 NHA18 DOV MAR14 CLT38 TAL36 CAR17 PHO37 ATL26 35th 2301 1998 DAY17 CAR27 LVS32 ATL28 DAR25 BRI31 TEX20 MAR20 TAL25 CAL32 CLT27 DOV36 RCH26 MCH25 POC25 SONWth† NHA41 POC IND GLN MCH BRI NHA DAR RCH DOV MAR CLT TAL DAY PHO CAR ATL 43rd 1297 † - Injured in practice and replaced by Butch Gilliland

Daytona 500 Year Team Manufacturer Start Finish 1980 Speed Racing Chevrolet DNQ 1981 Oldsmobile DNQ 1982 Buick 32 41 1983 Ellington Racing Chevrolet 16 25 1984 16 37 1985 RahMoc Enterprises Pontiac 14 2 1986 36 10 1987 Speed Racing Oldsmobile 33 26 1988 10 37 1989 39 30 1990 14 16 1992 Speed Racing Chevrolet DNQ 1993 Ford 13 14 1994 Bud Moore Engineering Ford 22 14 1995 Melling Racing Ford 16 14 1996 32 14 1997 35 24 1998 16 17

Busch Series NASCAR Busch Series results Year Team No. Make 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 Pts Ref 1983 Speed Racing 66 Pontiac DAY RCH CAR HCY MAR NWS SBO GPS LGY DOV BRI CLT SBO HCY ROU SBO ROU CRW ROU SBO HCY LGY IRP GPS BRI HCY DAR RCH NWS SBO MAR ROU CLT6 HCY MAR 104th 150 1984 83 DAY2 RCH CAR HCY MAR DAR25 ROU NSV LGY MLW DOV CLT3 SBO HCY ROU SBO ROU HCY IRP LGY SBO BRI DAR26 RCH NWS CLT29 HCY CAR MAR 37th 584