MEARS TAKES GECKO FOR FAST RIDE IN TEXAS

Player Management International Media Release

Fort Worth, TX (April 14, 2012) – A week of rest always does the body good.  This has never been more evident than it was in the Lone Star State on Thursday when Casey Mears took the #13 GEICO Ford Fusion on a tear around Texas Motor Speedway.  He ended up 13th on the speed chart at the end of the opening practice session before providing an encore performance on Friday when he was 12th in Happy Hour and later qualified 22nd.
 
When Mears took the green flag on a humid, breezy Saturday evening, he started 22nd, but quickly began navigating the #13 GEICO Ford Fusion to the front of the field.  Mears was the class of the field and routinely turned lap times faster than the leader.  His efforts landed him in the top 10 before crew chief Bootie Barker ordered the #13 GEICO Fusion down pit road for a scheduled green flag pit stop on lap 46.  The Germain Racing pit crew quickly outfitted Mears with four fresh tires and a full tank of fuel before returning him to the racing surface to continue his mission. 
 
As the skies darkened and the winds picked up, track conditions were drastically altered causing sudden changes in Mears’ #13 GEICO Fusion.  Aside from atmospheric conditions, a lap 66 pit stop would also put the team further behind.  Despite the challenges, Mears and the GEICO team continued on in resilient fashion, making up ground and hustling to a 25th place finish.  Mears’ effort accounts for Germain Racing’s fourth consecutive Top 25 finish of the 2012 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series season.
 
“Our first run was great, the #13 GEICO Ford Fusion was definitely one of the best cars on the racetrack,” Mears said.  “But then the track changed so much and we began battling the car.  The key is how well we did on that first run because it shows how good of a team we are and the potential of our program.  We had a few people from different teams stop by before the race and comment on our improvement.  We’re getting there.  Each race gets better.”
 
The GEICO Racing team will next visit the Heart of America when they travel to Kansas City, KS, for race number eight of the 2012 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series season. 
 
Mears and the #13 GEICO Ford Fusion will hit the track at Kansas Speedway for the opening practice session on Friday, April 20th, at 1:30 PM (EDT).  Qualifying will follow on Saturday, April 21st, at 12:10 PM (EDT).
 
The STP 400 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race is on Sunday, April 22nd, and it will be televised live on FOX beginning at 12:30 PM (EDT).  The Motor Racing Network (MRN) will carry the live radio broadcast.
 
To learn more about the GEICO Racing program, please visit: www.geicoracing13.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