CASEY MEARS AND GEICO CAPTURE SEASON-BEST FINISH AT MARTINSVILLE
Mears’ GEICO Toyota Camry features decal honoring the life of longtime GEICO associate
Player Management International Media Release
RIDGEWAY, Va. (October 30, 2011) – Martinsville Speedway is known for some of the best short-track racing on the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series circuit. Tempers flare and patience is crucial in order to have a good finish at the end of 500 laps at the ‘paperclip’.
Casey Mears and the No. 13 GEICO Racing team knew that Sunday’s Tums Fast Relief 500 could be the day for their best finish of the 2011 season and as the sun set in Ridgeway, Virginia, the team was right where they hoped they would be. After running as high as fourth and consistently clocking laps inside the top-20, Mears crossed the finish line in the 12th position. This was the best finish for the driver-team pair since being united in August of the 2010 Sprint Cup Series season.
“I’m so proud of all the guys on this GEICO Racing team,” said Mears. “We’ve known all year that we could run this well and it’s a nice feeling to have two weeks in a row where we have run up front. I want to thank Bob Germain (owner) for giving us the chance this afternoon and we are making great strides as a team. Bootie (Barker, crew chief) and the guys deserve a lot of credit for the preparation they put in every week. I think we can keep gaining momentum and growing.”
In a race that saw 18 cautions accounting for a total of 108 laps, Mears and spotter Jason Jarrett were two busy men maneuvering through many accidents all over the .526-mile paved racetrack. Qualifying was washed out thanks to a day and a half of rain in Martinsville, causing the starting grid to be set according to the Owner Point standings. Mears would roll off from the 33rd position when the green flag waved on Sunday.
The first caution came on lap eight for a multi-car accident. The No. 13 GEICO Toyota received minor damage, forcing Mears to pit road so the GEICO pit crew could pull the fenders away from the tires. Through smart driving and pit strategy, Mears was scored inside the top-five by lap 72, which is where he stayed until coming to pit road on lap 107 for fresh tires and fuel.
Over the next 150 laps, Mears continued to compete inside the top-25 and the GEICO team worked on the handling each stop when the cautions presented the opportunity to visit pit road. One of the few green flag runs began on lap 264 and lasted for 100 laps. During this period, Mears radioed to his Germain Racing crew that the car just wouldn’t turn through the corners and the No. 13 fell one lap down to the leaders.
However on lap 399, Barker decided to let Mears take the wave around to return to the lead lap and hoped for a quick caution which would allow the team to pit for enough fuel to make it to the end of the race. The GEICO team got their wish as another yellow flag was displayed just three laps later.
Once Mears returned to the track, the GEICO machine began its final charge to the front of the field. With 50 laps to go, Mears kept his nose clean on the track, missing numerous wrecks in front of him. By lap 475, the California native was scored in the 16th position and as the checkered flag flew, Mears brought home a 12th-place finish – a season-best for the No. 13 GEICO team.
Aside from the normal GEICO livery on the No. 13 car this weekend, Casey Mears also carried with him the remembrance of Jackie Thomas, a 43-year GEICO associate who passed away last week en route to the Talladega race. She was also scheduled to attend the Martinsville race this weekend, as she had done for the previous 20-years. In recognition of Miss Thomas’ service to GEICO and her unwavering support of the sport of NASCAR, the Germain Racing team placed a decal that included her photo on the C-post of the No. 13 GEICO Camry. She traveled to the races with her brother Steve, who joined the GEICO team for the Tums Fast Relief 500.
“It was really special to be able to honor someone such as Jackie who was obviously deeply loyal to GEICO and also to NASCAR,” Mears said after the race. “Hearing her story broke my heart and I’m really glad we were able to recognize her and help comfort her family during such a difficult time.”
The Sprint Cup Series returns to action this Sunday, November 6th at Texas Motor Speedway. The AAA Texas 500 can be seen live on ESPN, beginning at 3pm ET. The Performance Racing Network (PRN) and Sirius XM NASCAR Radio Channel 90 will carry the live radio broadcast.
To learn more about the GEICO Racing program, please visit: www.geicogarage.com
You can also follow GEICO Racing on Twitter: www.twitter.com/geicoracing
Please visit the Casey Mears Facebook fan page: www.facebook.com/caseymearsracing