Player Management International Media Release
Mexico City, Mexico (April 20, 2008) – Mike Wallace and the Gecko spent their weekend South of the border in Mexico City, Mexico, making the trip for NASCAR’s first road course race of the 2008 season. Haunted by memories of a year ago when Wallace was assured a Top 10 finish until another car ran into him with 9 laps remaining, he was looking to return to Mexico City and secure a top finish for the #7 GEICO team.
Practice would be a struggle for Wallace, as he sat 26th on the speed charts at the end of the 1st practice, and 27th at the end of the final practice. Regardless of the posted practice speeds, Wallace and the GEICO team felt as though they had a competitive race car that would run up front.
Qualifying would prove their point, as Wallace would tour the 2.5-mile road course in 89.561 seconds, at a rate of speed of 101.214 MPH. When the #7 GEICO Camry lined up for the start of the race, it would sit just ahead of road course ace Michel Jourdain in the 19th position.
When the green flag waved at Autodromo Hermano Rodriguez, Wallace would immediately lose positions, however it would not last long. Wallace would spend little time in the back of the field before making a charge to the front where he would reside for the remainder of the afternoon.
On Lap 10, Wallace and the #7 GEICO Camry moved into the Top 10 before undertaking a green flag pit stop to take on tires and fuel. Consequently, the #7 GEICO Camry would find itself at the rear of the field awaiting the pit stops to cycle through. Once the entire field had visited pit road and had their necessary green flag pit stops, Wallace would once again begin his journey to the front.
The #7 GEICO Camry would move at a torrid pace and Lap 49 would find Wallace once again in the Top 10, running in the 10th position. It became smooth sailing for Wallace and the Gecko when only two laps later they found themselves in the 8th position. Despite a bevy of caution flags, Wallace and the GEICO Camry would remain consistent, and on Lap 58 moved into the Top 5.
As the race began to wind down, Wallace found himself outside of the Top 10, but still at the front of the field in the #7 GEICO Camry. On the final laps, Wallace and the Gecko would withstand a series of taps to the rear bumper by Max Papis’s heavily battered race car and go on to record a 12th place finish in the first of three road course races of the season.
“We were able to go out and run really well today and get a decent finish down here,” Wallace said. “It was a fun race and it was nice to be able to have the #7 GEICO Camry running up front and competing with the best road course racers in the business. Max Papis and I battled hard during the final laps and I appreciate him not turning me around when he probably could have.”
This week, the Germain Racing team heads to Talladega, Alabama, for their second restrictor plate race of the 2008 season. Mike Wallace is well known as a restrictor plate specialist and he looks forward to arriving at the 2.66-mile high-banked race track.
“I’ve always experienced great success at restrictor plate tracks and I look forward to getting to Talladega and putting the #7 GEICO Camry up front all weekend,” Wallace said. “We’ve worked really hard on our cars and I am sure it will pay off and we’ll have a good chance of putting GEICO, Sport Clips and Smith Transport in Victory Lane. Talladega is always a fun atmosphere, so we’re going with the notion of having fun and running up front.”
Mike Wallace and the #7 GEICO Camry will hit the track at Talladega Superspeedway for their first practice on Thursday, April 24th, at 4:00 PM (ET). Final practice is also on Thursday at 6:00 PM (ET), followed by qualifying on Friday afternoon at 5:05 PM (ET).
The Aaron’s 312 is on Saturday, April 26th, and it will be televised live on ABC beginning at 2:30 PM (ET), while the Motor Racing Network (MRN) will carry the live radio broadcast.
Visit the new innovative, interactive GEICO Racing web site at: www.geicogarage.com .
To learn more about the GEICO Racing program, please visit: www.GEICOracing7.com.
To learn more about the Sport Clips Racing program, please visit: www.SportClips.com .