Player Management International Media Release
Contact: Doug Barnette
Homestead, FL (November 17, 2007) – When the NASCAR Busch Series descended on Homestead-Miami Speedway for its season finale it was with a heavy heart, as the series bid farewell to Busch, its sponsor of 26 years. However, that would not sidetrack the Gecko, as he and Mike Wallace would stay focused on both recording a Top 10 finish in the race, as well as finishing in the Top 10 in the point standings.
Heading into Saturday’s Ford 300 NASCAR Busch Series race, Wallace was sitting 10th in the point standings, holding just a 14-point lead over Matt Kenseth. He hoped to maintain his position when the checkered flag would wave later that evening.
When the opening practice session began on Friday, Wallace and the #7 GEICO Chevrolet would show promise and ultimately wind up 21st on the speed charts when practice concluded. While the GEICO Racing team had hoped to improve on the time they recorded in the first practice, they would instead drop to 33rd when the red flag closed the final practice session on Friday evening.
Qualifying on Saturday would not get much better for Wallace, as he turned a lap of 32.295 seconds, at a speed of 167.209 MPH. The #7 GEICO Chevrolet would find itself starting from the 32nd position, just behind Mike Bliss.
When the green flag waved over the final Busch Series race of Busch’s 26-year involvement in NASCAR, Wallace would quickly move forward. Before his tires were warm he would find himself in the Top 20, and before it was all said and done he would visit the Top 10. Unfortunately, Wallace would become part and parcel of a mid-race wreck that caused light damage to the #7 GEICO Chevrolet. While a Top 10 finish would elude Wallace, he would battle hard and still manage to record a 24th place finish in the Ford 300.
Unfortunately, Matt Kenseth would record a 3rd place finish in the race and bump Wallace out of the Top 10 in the final point standings. Wallace ends up 11th in the point standings, just 55 points out of the ever coveted Top 10.
“It was a sentimental weekend with it being the final ‘Busch’ Series race and it was an honor to be a part of it, even though we didn’t finish where we wanted to,” Wallace said. “It has been a long year and I’m very thankful for the support of GEICO, Sport Clips and Smith Transport. I have also enjoyed the relationship with James Finch and Phoenix Racing and I appreciate everything they have done for me this season. I will take some time off to spend with my family and then get to work and get ready to go out and try to win a championship in 2008.”
He continued, “Now that the season has ended we will slow down a bit and enjoy Thanksgiving and think about the things in life that are truly important. Our country is at war and there are a lot of families who will be having Thanksgiving dinner without their loved ones and we will think of them and keep them in our Prayers. Racing is very important, but there are people putting their lives on the line each and every day so we can go do our jobs, and we can never forget that.”
Mike Wallace and the GEICO Racing team will take a couple of months off before traveling to Daytona in January for pre-season testing. A month later, as history would have it, Wallace will head to Daytona for the first race of the season on February 16, 2008. 2008 will mark NASCAR’s 60th anniversary, and will be GEICO’s 8th year of involvement in the sport.
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.