Player Management International Media Release
Richmond, VA (May 4, 2007) – A week ago in Talladega, Mike Wallace and the GEICO Racing team would lead five laps and run a perfect race only to have the motor break and send them packing with 40 laps to go. When the team packed up to go to Richmond on Thursday they figured the motor issues were behind them and they would be able to make up ground in the points chase. That would not be the case for the Phoenix Racing entry as motor issues would once again plague a team that has been nothing less than consistent in their run to the front of the field each week.
During the first practice session, Wallace and the Gecko were fast, as he wheeled the #7 GEICO Chevrolet around the ¾-mile track in 21.298 seconds at a speed of 126.772 MPH. During the second practice session, the car would fall off a bit and land in the 20th position.
When the sun set on the D-shaped .75-mile oval, Wallace would find himself starting in the 26th position. A short-track specialist of sorts, he would cautiously move to the front of the field where he narrowly avoided multiple wrecks and found himself once again running up front. Unfortunately, on Lap 125 Wallace would radio in to crew chief Marc Reno that his motor was down a cylinder. Wallace’s voice was a tone of frustration, as this would be the second consecutive week that the Phoenix Racing team would be running at the front of the field and be haunted by a motor problem.
Wallace would manage to stay on the track and carefully drive the #7 GEICO Chevrolet a cylinder down for the sake of earning points until late in the race when he would, for the second time in two weeks, fall victim to a motor failure. Consequently, Wallace would be recorded in the 36th position when the checkered flag waved on Friday night under the lights in Richmond.
“This is very disappointing to say the least,” Wallace said. “This is the second week in a row that we had a good car and then the motor sends us home. I don’t even know what to say. One thing is for sure and that is we’re going to get this motor situation figured out pretty quick. Every week we’re running up front and putting ourselves in position to win a race, so we will continue to show up and do that.”
This week, Mike Wallace and the GEICO Racing team head to Darlington, SC, for the Diamond Hill Plywood 200 on Friday, May 11th.
“We’re excited to get to Darlington and get on the track and put Richmond and Talladega behind us,” Wallace said. “Darlington is a historic race track and it is always fun to go there. We have a good team with a good attitude and we are going to continue to be successful on the race track and keep GEICO and Sport Clips up front each week.”
Wallace and the #7 GEICO Chevrolet Monte Carlo SS will hit the track at Darlington Raceway for their first practice on Thursday, May 10th, at 4:20 PM (ET), with final practice at 6:30 PM (ET). Qualifying is set for Friday evening at 5:05 PM (ET).
On Friday night, the Diamond Hill Plywood 200 NASCAR Busch Series race will be televised live on ESPN2 with coverage beginning at 8:00 PM (ET) with green flag action coming at 8:30 PM (ET). Motor Racing Network (MRN) will carry the live radio broadcast.
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.