After a number of years away from the cockpit of a single seater, Scott Speed makes his open-wheel race return in this weekend's Miami ePrix.
The 32-year-old Californian has joined Andretti Autosport for Formula E's highly anticipated debut on U.S. soil, which sees the Global Rallycross star as the only American driver in the 20-car field.
For Speed, who hasn't competed in an open-wheel race since his two-year stint in Formula One in 2006-07, coming back to grips with his roots hasn't been the challenge. Instead, it's adjusting to the unique nature of electric racing that he anticipates being the biggest difference.
"It will be a very cool homecoming," Speed said. "Having driven it already, that was the main thing. The racing is much like riding a bike. Everything came back super quick when I tested so I don't think everything's going to be so much different from that aspect.
"I think the biggest difference is going to be conserving energy and how the race plays out in that regard. Because obviously this is something different than any kind of open-wheel racing I've done."
The former NASCAR driver said he had about a day's worth of running with the Spark-Renault SRT_01E in a preseason test a Donington Park last year, but other than that heads into tomorrow's event with a relatively clean sheet of paper compared to majority of the competition.
"It's certainly better than nothing," he said. "It's better than someone like Tonio [Liuzzi] coming in. But to be honest, what's more important is getting used to the racing and the idea of driving to a number, per se.
"Certainly it's going to be a big learning curve to race with the conservation methods that are required to not run out of battery. But having driven the car already, it's definitely a good foundation. I do still hold some pretty good expectations.
"So I'll constantly have to adapt during the race to meet my number. If i go over, then I won't have enough energy to finish the race. It is different. You can't come into [the pits] with fuel left in the tank [figuratively speaking], otherwise that's just speed you're giving up."
While Speed becomes the sixth different driver to represent Andretti in the championship this season, he spent 2014 driving for the team in Global Rallycross, having finished third in the championship with three wins.
This season will see his focus primarily on Rallycross again, with the full-season debut of the new VW Beetle although Speed is hopeful to do additional Formula E races if his schedule allows.
"A lot would have to do with my schedule in Rallycross," he said. "That's my main focus. It's great to be able to do this with Andretti, obviously with our open-wheel pedigree. It's great to combine forces there. It will be great [to continue] but we'll see."
