Reigning Indycar Series and Indianapolis 500 winner Dario Franchitti and Formula One convert Scott Speed both survived their stock car baptism in Friday's ARCA race at the fearsome Talladega Superspeedway.

With Franchitti now confirmed for the full Nextel Cup schedule in 2008 and Speed for a mix of ARCA and Cup races both drivers got their first taste of Superspeedway racing at the 2.66-mile Talladega Superspeedway on Friday as fellow open-wheel convert Juan Pablo Montoya did one year ago.

In qualifying for the ARCA/Re-Max 250, the penultimate racing of the ARCA season, Franchitti and Speed qualified sixth and seventh respectively and both survived an invaluable lesson in restrictor plate racing during the 94-lap event.

Despite several scrapes and near-misses both stayed out of trouble to see the chequered flag in one piece with Speed bringing his Red Bull backed Toyota home in seventh place and Franchitti finishing a lead lap 17th in his Chip Ganassi Racing Dodge.

The event, won by Michael Annett, was notable for Toyota's first ARCA win in the 55-year history of the series and for Frank Kimmel tying up his record ninth series title.