RESTLESS MEARS EAGER FOR DAYTONA
Player Management International Media Release
Mooresville, NC (February 3, 2012) – Casey Mears is coming off of a season that saw him put the Germain Racing team and the GEICO car comfortably in the Top 35 in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Owner Point standings. While this feat indicates exponential improvement for a virtual upstart Sprint Cup Series team, it also serves as a ticket to the 2012 Daytona 500. Mears has experienced considerable success in the past at Daytona International Speedway, including a July 2011 race that found him as the leader on two different occasions, but it has been since 2009 that he has started a Daytona 500.
This year, Mears enters the season as the undisputed driver of Germain Racing’s Sprint Cup Series entry, and also rolls into Daytona with a new paint scheme, a new manufacturer in Ford and a sponsorship extension that will see GEICO adorning the hood of the #13 Ford Fusion through 2014. Two engine failures in two days sent Mears and his Germain Racing team packing in 2011, but they are guaranteed a starting position for this year’s 500-mile race.
The stars are aligned and Mears is eager to hit the track on February 18th for the opening practice session.
He has attempted to escape the madness and seek refuge everywhere from Phoenix to Aspen to the country of Mexico. But, it is to no avail. He cannot clear his mind of what he felt at the Daytona test in January; the horsepower that rumbled beneath him during his first days in the new #13 GEICO Ford Fusion. Just a week ago, Mears’ sponsor GEICO held a television commercial production at the Germain Racing shop in Mooresville, NC, and the energy was evident. The team and its driver frequently commented on their desire to move quickly through the month of February and get to Daytona.
“I am tired of twiddling of my thumbs, I can only do it for so long,” Mears said. “We’re very excited about our new relationship with Ford and having Roush-Yates power, and it gave us a boost in confidence when GEICO announced their extension. It’s a totally different atmosphere around here and the new blue and green paint scheme has freshened everything up and gave us the chance to relaunch our program. It’s hard to hide my excitement and I’m sure Trisha (wife) and other people close to me are starting to get tired of hearing me talk about it. We’re going to be fast and I’m counting the days until first practice.”
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