Mike Wallace Wraps Up Season with Top 20 Finish

Player Management International Media Release


Homestead, FL (November 15, 2008) – After the last two years in the #7 GEICO car, Mike Wallace arrived in Homestead in hopes of ending his run with GEICO on a positive note.  He was on track to record his best points finish in his NASCAR career, so he was eager to unload and get to work when practice began on Friday at Homestead-Miami Speedway.
 
Practice found Wallace touring the 1.5-mile facility in sporty fashion.  He would sit 17th in the opening practice, however he would drop off a bit in the final session when he rested 19th on the speed charts.  Qualifying would only cause frustration, as Wallace would wheel around the track in 33.059 seconds at a rate of speed of 163.344 miles per hour, which was good enough for the 34th starting position.
 
When race time arrived, Wallace would waste little time charging to the front.  When the green flag was displayed for the final time this season, the #7 GEICO Camry immediately began making progress.  Within 7 laps, Wallace and the Gecko had penetrated the Top 25, and by Lap 15 they were sitting in the 20th position.  As the race began to approach green-flag pit stops, he had moved into the 9th spot on Lap 55 before finding himself in 7th as he traveled down pit road for the first green flag pit stop of the day on Lap 56.
 
After the Germain Racing pit crew refreshed Wallace’s GEICO Camry with four fresh tires and a tank of a Sunoco racing fuel, he was able to run eight laps under green before the event’s first caution flag was displayed. Fortunately for Wallace, the #7 GEICO Camry was the first car a lap down, allowing him to receive the ‘Lucky Dog award’ and get back on the lead lap.
 
Lap 76 would find Jeff Burton spinning and connecting with the wall, which would bring out a caution flag and allow Wallace to bring the #7 GEICO Camry down pit road to top off with fuel.  After entering the pits in the 17th position, he would restart the race in the 6th position on Lap 82.  Unfortunately, he would lose ground quickly and fall to the 11th position before the next caution flag was displayed on Lap 89.  Restarting 11th on Lap 94, Wallace and the GEICO Camry would find themselves in the 17th position when the race reached the halfway point at Lap 100.
 
The back half of the race found Wallace running solidly in the Top 15.  Lap 144 would be his final pit stop of the day in which he would take on tires and fuel. Wallace would continue his Top 15 run and then survive a late-race caution on Lap 191.  Battling hard during the closing laps, he aimed to score a solid finish and bring home the #7 GEICO Camry in good condition.  
 
Despite a caution-riddled race, Wallace narrowly avoided several crashes and registered an 18th place finish after a solid run in his final outing in the #7 GEICO Camry.  Having recorded the best season of his NASCAR career, Wallace rests in the 8th position in the final driver point standings for the 2008 season. Accordingly, Wallace will make his first trip to the NASCAR banquet in Orlando, Florida, on November 22nd.  
 
“I’ve enjoyed my time with GEICO and Sport Clips and I was glad we could end the season with a solid run and a Top 10 points finish,” Wallace said.  “I’m looking forward to attending the banquet next week and then enjoying some downtime with my family.  It’s been an exciting year and I appreciate the hard work of these guys on the GEICO Racing team.”
 
Visit the 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.