MEARS AND THE GEICO TEAM OFF TO FAST START IN 2013

Team shows up 10th and 3rd on speed charts at Daytona and Charlotte tests

Player Management International Media Release

Mooresville, NC (January 21, 2013) – Time flies, but the Germain Racing team maximized each moment that’s passed since departing Homestead in November.  Casey Mears and his GEICO team took few days off in the off-season and instead committed themselves to being prepared for the 2013 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series season.  No sooner than the team arrived home from last season’s finale, they found themselves working feverishly to build new racecars, as the 2013 season will see a new bodystyle enter NASCAR.  The new #13 GEICO Ford Fusion will look more similar to the Ford Fusion found at local dealerships, bringing about excitement with fans and teams alike. 

A single car team with just 30 employees, Germain Racing’s hard work and diligence paid dividends.  When the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series took to Charlotte Motor Speedway for a preliminary test in December, Mears and his GEICO team were one of the only organizations to arrive at the track with a fully built, steel-bodied racecar.  In January, the team was expected to be challenged by back-to-back tests at Daytona and Charlotte, but the speed charts indicated otherwise.  Daytona’s 2.5-mile superspeedway saw Mears and his #13 GEICO Ford Fusion in the top ten before Charlotte’s 1.5-mile quad-oval found them third when the off-season’s final test concluded. 

Most notably, Germain Racing is quickly becoming a destination point for NASCAR talent.  Even the Sprint Cup Series’ top teams experience employee turnover in the off-season, but Germain was immune to it.  Instead, they added team members, including a shop foreman and mechanic.  They also retained their pit crew and have a pit crew coach and consultant on staff. 

The team’s continuity, combined with the wisdom of veteran driver Casey Mears and its six-year relationship with GEICO, has been the greatest cause of its success and bright prospects.  Both GEICO and Mears are signed on through the end of 2014, providing a level of stability that will allow Germain to experience continued growth. 

Mears was pleased with the progress made in the off-season, as well as at the 2013 tests.

“We have a great team and the guys have passion about what they do in the shop each day and their hard work has paid off,” Mears said.  “It was fun to go to the front at the Daytona test, and encouraging to make changes, work hard and keep digging to end up third at the Charlotte test.  We’re happy to continue with Ford and have the Roush Yates horsepower again this season.”  He continued, “I can’t thank GEICO and Bob Germain (team owner) enough for the support and commitment they have given our program.  Our program shows that you don’t have to be the biggest team; you just have to work harder than everyone else.  Our team has strength of character and remains focused on the process, which are two of the biggest reasons for our success.”

Mears and his GEICO team now turn their attention to the Daytona 500 and the opening 2013 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series practice session on Saturday, February 16th.  A seasoned restrictor plate racer, Mears has led laps in the GEICO car at both Daytona and Talladega, causing hope and excitement heading into February’s season opener. 

To learn more about the GEICO Racing program, please visit: www.caseymearsracing.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