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March 2nd , 2006 - David Scott

This week we got The Slow Ride! David Scott recently traveled to Florida for East Bay's Winternationals run under the Lucas Oil banner. David scored a top 10 and made a few of the highly contested A Mains while enjoying strong runs all week. So sit back and enjoy the read as David talks about the trip and reminisces a bit as well. Our questions are in black, Dave's in white.

1. You just returned from Florida where you had a top 10 and a handful of solid runs against car counts approaching triple digits that included some of the best talent in the country. How would you evaluate your performance down south?

We had a good run in Florida for only having been there one other time a few years ago (not for the Winter Nationals though, went down at the end of the year for a show once). We should have probably made 4 of the 5 shows we were there for but it just didn’t work out that way. 

Monday:  I adjusted the carb wrong on the new motor (in the new car) & didn’t get it figured out until the B main.  In that I came from last (17 or 18 cars) to 5th and ran out of time to get any further, unfortunately they were only taking the top 2. At that point though we had the motor figured out pretty good & could start focusing on the car set-up.

Tuesday:  We had a good night winning the heat race & finishing 7th in the feature. We were up battling for 5th once but also fell back to like 13th also so recovered for a top 10 finish.

Wednesday:  Got into the show through the last transfer spot in the last B main. Starting last in the feature we decided to use it for a test session and if the ideas worked we would go to the front, if not we had nothing to lose.  It wasn’t the best setup and I pulled in after 10 laps to save the car for the other shows.

Thursday:  Unfortunately I actually qualified too fast (11th quick) which put us mid pack starting in the heat and B Main. Ended up finishing 4th in both the heat & the B and didn’t make the show.

Friday: We weren’t quite on in the heat but were really coming in the B. While going for 3rd I got tangled with Korte, spun out and had to go tail. Raced back up to 7th but again ran out of time to get further.

Saturday:  Unfortunately the rain came & we had to head for home.
Overall the trip was very successful, we didn’t tear anything up (good for running hard 5 nights in a row!) and took the new car down and learned a lot for the new season coming up.

2. Now in your second year together, how is your relationship with Rick Peterman and what can we expect from the team in 2006?

Rick and I have become very close in a short time, he has the same desire to win that my team and myself have.  Together we will get even stronger as things go forward.  We are going to try to travel more to some bigger shows this year.

3. How long have you been in a racecar now and what are some standout memories from your first few years?

I started racing 1987 in the cadet division at Stateline, then took the ’89-’90 season off.  Came back in ’91 again to the cadets and have been at it ever since.  The first couple of years were learning experiences for sure but I did win on the 4th of July my 1st year which is also my birthday so that was cool.

4. What was it like growing up the son of local legend Jim Scott? Was it always a no-brainer that you would be behind the wheel someday?

I was 6 when Dad quit racing so I only remember a hand full of his races, but racing was all I wanted to do growing up. Big Jim as we all call him at the shop, has always encouraged me to race and has been very supportive all along the way and continues to be today.

5. Once and for all, who came up with the nickname ‘Slow Ride’ and what is the story behind it?

Well the “Slow Ride” name came about in the 1992 season.  I used to run tiltbed for the salvage business and on one of my runs I had stopped into one of my competitor's shop to see how his ride was coming along for the ’92 season.  He had just gotten his car finished up and had a new big motor and was jacking me a little about how he was going to have me covered pretty good that up coming season (since in the ’91 season I wasn’t too quick).  He asked me, "so are you going to get that “Slow Ride” back out to run this season?" That had me going a little bit and on the way home “Slow Ride” came on the radio and it just stuck. I knew I wanted to put that on the back of the car. I had it lettered on the tail panel of my Trans Am car that ’92 season.  Luckily we proceeded to have a very hot season that year and it just stuck from there.  We did actually try to retire it the 1st year in Late Models when we tried the Mud Kicker but it just didn’t work and the team actually pushed back for the “Slow Ride” or maybe it was because they kept calling me that in the shop?  They are brutal sometimes.  Now it just wouldn’t be the same without it.

6. Rumor has it you are not allowed to ride a bicycle around the shop any more. Could you please explain?

Ha, Ha how’d you find that out?  Well Kyle and some of his friends were outside the garage one night riding their bikes and practicing wheelies, bunny hops etc. I had to go out of course and show them how it was done.  Well I did great at all the wheelies and what not and was just riding back from the end of the driveway normally (fast of course) and some how I got crossed up pedaling and crashed out in the driveway.  I ended up with some stitches in my ear & chin and a lot of road rash.  So since then they haven’t let me get on any bikes at the shop and for sure not without a helmet.

7. Please give us your three best and your three worst memories in a race car.

Well my 3 best would have to be:

1. My 1st 100 lap feature win in the Limited Late Class in 1993. It was my Rookie season and no one really had me as having a chance at a race that long and it was also the first 100 lap race for limiteds.

2. My 100 lap feature win in the Late Model Class in 1995. Again my Rookie season and we had taken some flack for moving up that year so quick from Limited Lates and that win was really good for me and the team. As was going on to win the points title that season also at Stateline.

3.Next would have to be my feature wins at Lernerville (2000) in both the Late Model and Sprint Car on the same night.  I was getting a lot of exposure that season by running both classes and having strong runs and if I could become the first person to win a feature in both classes on the same night.

My worst would have to be:

1. My first flip in the sprint car at Lernerville in 1999. I had been begging Denny Chase the car owner, to take it down there.  Didn’t work out like planned.

2. Flipping my Late Model at Marion Center in 2001.  That one hurt a little bit also.

3. Flipping my Late Model at Lernerville in 2004, the week before the World of Outlaw show.  We had just freshened the car up for the big show the following week, new body and some other parts including a rear end.  I wanted to run it to make sure nothing would go wrong with the new rear end before the next week.

Seems to be a pattern there. Hopefully that’s over.  It definitely costs a lot when you flip!

8. Your son Kyle recently started his own racing career competing in the sportsman division at McKean County Raceway. What was it like being on the other side of the fence and watching him take to the track?

It’s very hard for me to watch him run. I’m yelling instructions at him from the stands and being nervous all at the same time.  I Guess I know how my wife & crew all feel watching me now.  Seeing him do good though is more fulfilling than winning myself. (But I don’t want to stop winning either ha, ha).  He works very hard at the shop on the cars and is a very big part of my success now and I want the same for him in the future.

9. In 2000 you became the first ever driver to win in both the late model and sprint division in the same night at Lernerville Speedway. You also captured the sprint points title that year, your first full time season in a sprint car at Lernerville. What was that experience like and why don’t we see the Slow Ride in a sprinter today?

That was a great year for both teams!  I do great my rookie years it seems... I need to figure out how to be a rookie again I guess.  We had a lot of press coverage that season and it helped get my name out that’s for sure.  We tried very hard to get both wins in the same night and we finally got it.  We also came up just short of winning both points championships that season. Came up short by 4 points to Nick Jones.  We even got tangled together at the start of the feature on the last night to decide the title and some of my guys went to help Nick’s crew out to ensure he could get back out in time.  Unfortunately I had a Mag fail on my car & couldn’t get it refired on a caution and we didn’t finish.  Came in leading by 7 points and went out shy by 4.  Oh well, I was glad for Nick, we had a good season and nothing to be ashamed of. We pulled off the Sprint title as a Rookie.

The Sprint Car was owned by Denny Chase. I was running my own Late Model and unfortunately there just wasn’t enough money to keep running both teams the right way to stay up front.  I will always be thankful to Denny for giving me the chance to do both, it was a great ride! As for doing it again, if the right team asked me to run there again for points who knows?  It would be something I would really like to do, winning both points championships in the same season after coming so close before.

10. Finally, what is the biggest win of Dave Scott’s career?

At this point in my career it would have to be the MACS win at Potomac in 2004.  The car was fast from the time we unloaded. I set fast time (with a new track record) lead every lap of the dash and went on to win the feature!  That was pretty cool for sure, there were some strong guys there and it felt great to be able to have that kind of run. (Hopefully this changes in 2006 and a new one replaces it!)
 
Well guess that covers them all – Thank you guys for giving me the chance to be a part of this new segment on the board.  It’s amazing how much exposure drivers can get now on the net!  Thanks to Matt Gleason for getting our website back up & going last year (www.slowride3.com)  Thanks to all my fans out there and see you all soon!

As always, major thanks go to Dave for humoring us and taking the time to respond with some good stories. Also thanks to Shaun Nasman for hooking us up with Dave. The Slow Ride Team is a class act, be sure to visit their website at www.slowride3.com to find out where they'll be in 2006.