FAST FIVE; Scott Speed.(NEWS)

AUTOWEEK: You won the pole for the Nationwide race (and finished 21st in the Cup race) in Las Vegas. Are you becoming more accepted as a NASCAR driver?

SCOTT SPEED: It's a boost to my confidence, absolutely. The Nationwide cars are different to drivethey have more gripbut when you outqualify Kevin Harvick and Kyle Busch and Greg Biffle in the front of the Nationwide Series field, it's a good thing. But then again, qualifying has obviously not been a weak spot. I don't know that I'll ever really fit into that whole NASCAR system as well as most, but I think out of everyone I've met and been around, I've gained their respect, and that's important to me.

AW: Have you picked up NASCAR faster than you thought you would?

SS: No. We won a truck race at Dover last year, but were we the best truck driver out there? By no means, but I'm way better now than then. We've been in good equipment and had good results, and I'm certainly better now than at the end of last year. I'm improving every time by a fair step. Some things have come easier, and some have been more difficult.

AW: How are driver relationships different in NASCAR from Formula One?

SS: They're different because we spend more time with each other. In F1, for the most part, everyone got along, but we never had the opportunity to socialize much, because teams are separated and everyone had so much of their time taken up. Because they close the NASCAR garage at 5 and you ...