Speed scores first Truck series win at Dover Speedway

DOVER, Del. -- Scott Speed celebrated his win as if he was ready to paint the town red. Should work out fine for a driver who already had painted his toenails blue.

Speed made it three straight first-time winners in the Craftsman Truck Series, pulling away to win his first career race Friday night at Dover International Speedway. Speed won in only his sixth career start.

"We had good strategy and an awesome truck," Speed said. "We got everything we could out of it."

Speed had nearly as much fun celebrating the victory as he did driving in the AAA Insurance 200.

When told there was never a repeat winner at Dover, he quipped, "I haven't been back yet." Then he plopped his cap on the head of the Monster trophy.

Later, Speed revealed he had his toenails painted blue on the plane ride to Delaware.

"You've obviously never experienced the joy of having someone take care of your feet," he said, laughing. "My feet were very, very soft, very beautiful for my standards."

Speed followed Donny Lia at Mansfield (Ohio) Motorsports Park and Matt Crafton at Lowe's Motor Speedway as first-time winners in the series. Speed, the former Formula One driver, and Lia are Truck Series rookies.

"Whether we win or not, it doesn't affect my confidence," Speed said. "I don't let results control how I feel about myself."

Of course, a trip to the spa helps him feel good, too.

Kyle Busch looked like he was going to dominate another series race, holding a 5.5-second lead at one point until transmission trouble sent him to the garage. The transmission was changed and the No. 51 returned to the track. Busch led a race-high 96 laps, but finished 27th.

Jack Sprague was second and Ron Hornaday Jr. third. Travis Kvapil and Crafton rounded out the top five.

Hornaday said Speed's quirky personality made him a unique fit in the garage.