Mooresville, N.C. (February 23, 2011) - After watching a promising season opening performance get crashed in Daytona, NASCAR Camping World Truck Series veteran Brendan Gaughan is anxious to put his No. 62 South Point Hotel & Casino Tundra on track in familiar racing territory—Phoenix International Raceway.

“Anytime we go west, I love it. Phoenix, California, Vegas – all that is where I grew up. All that is where I started racing.  I raced an off-road car inside Phoenix International Raceway – I grew up watching Walker Evans race inside Phoenix. I guess I always have a different swagger when I go to the West Coast. It’s a little more intense because you are ‘local’ to the area,” explained Gaughan who holds to NKNPSW titles but has not yet been to the winner’s circle of PIR.

Gaughan and crew chief Bryan Berry agree that the off-season testing the team did at Disney World’s speedway should factor in favorably when the team unloads their Toyota in the desert.

“Turn one is where we learned the most at Disney and a lot of what we learned will apply to turns one and two at Phoenix. Brendan loves the track. The biggest challenge is for us to help him get the truck free enough that he can roll the centers of the corner, but not too free so that it hurts his entry into the corners,” explained Berry.

Gaughan loves his race truck for Phoenix, which will be chassis TRD-026.

“Phoenix is a track that I love as a driver. We’ve already tested the Phoenix South Point Hotel & Casino Tundra twice at Disney World so I feel really good about what we’re taking there,“ said Gaughan. “Our truck at Daytona was one of the best trucks I’ve driven there in years. And it doesn’t come close to how good our truck is for Phoenix. I couldn’t be more excited.”

While heading west is fun and familiar for Gaughan, who grew up in Las Vegas and raced off-road in the area for several years. The westward trip also makes him consider the upcoming talent in the Truck Series field—a few fellow Tundra drivers that are fellow Vegas natives...

“The Truck Series is awesome racing. It always has an interesting blend of young, upcoming talent and wiley veteran racers. This year, Vision Aviation Racing has Justin Johnson and Dusty Davis racing – they are two fellow Vegas guys. Here’s a fun fact. I emceed Dusty Davis’ go-kart banquet when he won the championship when he was eight years-old,” said Gaughan with a pause and grin. “It’s cool to see a couple more Vegas boys coming up in the Toyota ranks, but, it’s sad to say…I feel a bit older because of it!”

Watch Gaughan in the No. 62 South Point Hotel & Casino Tundra on Friday, February 25th, at Phoenix International Raceway. Watch PIR excitement on SPEED starting with practice at 11:00 AM ET on Friday followed at 5 PM with qualifying and racing action at 8 PM. Or, tune your radio to your local MRN affiliate.

Germain Racing has earned two championship titles in the Truck Series. The Toyota team owns 22 victories and 9 pole awards in the series that continues to grow ratings on SPEED. For more information on Germain Racing, visit www.GermainRacing.com or follow the team on Twitter @GermainRacing.

Brendan Gaughan holds eight Truck Series victories to go along with his two K&N Pro Series West championship titles. He currently ranks 21st in the 2011 NASCAR Camping World Truck Series driver’s points standings following his 26th-place finish at Daytona.  Follow Gaughan at www.BrendanGaughan.com or on Twitter @Brendan62.

About South Point…The South Point (http://www.SouthPointCasino.com) is a 2,200-room resort in Las Vegas, Nevada providing affordable luxury while catering to visitors and locals alike. This casino destination features a world-class spa, bowling center, eight restaurants, showroom, equestrian arena, convention center, exhibit hall, bingo and all of the casino games that made Las Vegas famous. The South Point opened in December 2005.

###

 Media Contact: Lori Smith - Germain Racing - prlorismith@gmail.com

Justin Lofton, No. 77 Lofton Cattle Toyota Tundra

Track: Phoenix International Raceway

Event: Lucas Oil 150

When: Friday, February 25th 8:00 PM (Eastern)

Broadcast information: 7:30 PM (Eastern), SPEED

Last Time Out: Justin Lofton had an eventful run at Daytona last week. First, he had to qualify on time in order to make the 250-mile Friday night event. On Thursday, Lofton did just that and nabbed the 17th starting position. The race however, was a bit of a challenge, with Lofton and the No. 77 Lofton Cattle Toyota Tundra team falling victim to the tight racing on the 2.-5 mile superspeedway, suffering damage to their Tundra due to a lap 76 multi-truck wreck. Despite a few lingering issues, the team banded together and drove home to an 18th place finish.

Lofton at Phoenix: Born and raised in southern California, Lofton climbed the racing ladder throughout the Southwest.  From late models to lower-tiered NASCAR touring series, including the K&N Pro Series West, Lofton has visited PIR many times. To date, he has logged nearly 600 miles on the 1-mile track. In 2010 in Camping World Truck Series competition, Lofton had a stellar run in front of many family members and friends that made the trip from California. He started the event last November from the seventh position and finished and impressive ninth.

Off Week Plans: The Camping World Truck Series schedule sees a break in competition next weekend, allowing Lofton time to shift his focus to the production company, Weekend Warriors TV, that he co-owns. The three-person organization will head to Lofton’s home town in Brawley, California and shoot a music video for the Los Angeles-based rock band Paperback Hero.

Truck Information: Lofton will race chassis GR010 this week in Phoenix. Lofton and the No. 77 team recently tested the truck at the Walt Disney World Speedway in Orlando, Florida. Last year, teammate, champion Todd Bodine raced the machine numerous times, notching several top-fives and a visit to victory lane.

Lofton on Phoenix: “I am excited about Phoenix this week. I love racing there. I consider it my home track. It is always a lot of fun to go there because family and friends from back home can make the trip. For some of them, it is the only trip they make all year. I had a good finish for them last year and I’m really excited about our chances this week. We tested this truck during the off season and it was really fast.”

Amanda Brahler

Justin Lofton Media Relations

Email: mandy@justinloftoninc.com

LoftonRacing.com - twitter.com/jlracing 

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (February 19, 2011) – The 2011 NASCAR Camping World Truck Series season kicked off Friday night, under the lights of Daytona International Speedway. Max Papis and the No. 9 GEICO Toyota team prepared for battle as 36 competitors eyed the prestigious trophy at the track that is known for hard racing and big wrecks.

On Thursday evening under cool temperatures, Papis completed his two-lap qualifying attempt and placed his GEICO Tundra in the 36th starting position for the 100-lap race. The buzz around the 2.5-mile superspeedway on Friday night, prior to the green flag waving, was electric as the Truck Series began one of the most competitive seasons in its history of existence. Mad Max pulled the belts tight in his Germain Racing truck and was ready to draft to the front of the field.

The first lap of the race saw Papis gain 13 positions, to 23rd-place on the grid. The field settled in a single-file draft, while remaining caution-free. Crew chief Randy Goss called Papis to pit road under green flag conditions on lap 30 for right-side tires and fuel. Unfortunately, the Toyota didn’t get full of fuel, sending the No. 9 GEICO truck off sequence with the rest of their fellow competitors. A much-needed break for the team came when the first caution was brought out on lap 39. Papis returned to pit road to top off with fuel and restarted on lap 43 from the 25th position.

Papis patiently completed laps, keeping up with the draft but working to stay out of looming trouble. A second caution slowed the field on lap 55 as the Italian was scored in 24th-place. Goss once again brought Papis to the attention of his GEICO crew for Sunoco racing fuel. When the race went back to green on lap 58, Papis was inside the top-20 and the action started to heat up. By lap 65, the Gecko broke into the top-10 on the track.

The third caution came out on lap 67 and Papis returned to pit road for one additional can of fuel. A small issue on pit road with the new fueling system pushed Papis back to the 21st position for the restart on lap 70. The first “big one” happened a short six laps later and the GEICO Tundra received some damage to the right-rear quarter panel. A series of pit stops over the next few laps allowed the team to repair the damage, change four tires, and top off with fuel.

Restarting from 18th-place on lap 82, Papis only had three short laps before the yellow flag was waved for the fifth time. Remaining on the track and keeping his position, Mad Max was lined up in the draft with fellow Germain Racing teammate Todd Bodine. The two Toyotas hooked up nose to tail and worked their way back into the top-10 by lap 90. The drafting dance continued to shuffle with the laps quickly counting down.

The final caution and the second “big one” took place on lap 98, which collected Bodine and Papis. Bodine was unable to continue but Papis came to pit road for repairs and four fresh Goodyear tires. Once the debris and wrecked trucks were cleared from the track, the stage was set for a green-white-checkered finish on lap 102. In the final two laps, Papis gained four spots to bring home a 12th-place finish in the season opener.

“I’m very proud of everyone who works on this GEICO Toyota,” said Papis after the race. “All the guys never gave up and kept working on the truck when we would get some damage from the wrecks. We kept going and I’m very happy with a 12th-place finish, when you consider what type of finish we could have had. I feel very confident that we will contend for a win before this season is over.”

Papis and the No. 9 GEICO team will head to Phoenix International Raceway for the second race of the 2011 Camping World Truck Series season. The race can be seen live on SPEED, Friday, February 25, at 8 p.m. Eastern Time.

-PMI-

Contact: Samantha Jones, Player Management International

Email: sammjones1@gmail.com

Justin Lofton celebrated his 25th birthday on Friday at the Daytona International Speedway, coinciding with the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series' season opener, the NextEra Energy Resources 250.

"Friday was a lot of fun. It's always cool to celebrate my birthday the week of Daytona, but it was really special this year to have the race fall on my birthday," Lofton said.

After months of anticipation, the event marked the debut for the 2009 ARCA Racing Series champion with his new team Germain Racing. Lofton and crew chief Ryan Fugle showed instant chemistry, as the duo had no problem securing a starting spot for the 100-lap Friday night race after Lofton grabbed the 17th starting position in his No. 77 Lofton Cattle Toyota Tundra.

Once the green flag fell Lofton needed only six laps to move into the top-10. By lap 20 however, Lofton radioed Fugle that his Tundra was running a bit hot, causing him to have to move around in the draft in order to get more air into the nose of his machine in order to cool down the rising temperatures.

Under green on lap 28, Lofton drove the No. 77 Toyota down pit road for his first pit stop of the night. The crew got to work, changing right side tires and adding fuel.

10 laps later, the first caution flag of the event waved, allowing Lofton to make another stop. This time the crew swapped out all four tires, added fuel, and made an adjustment under the rear end of the No. 77. The additional work cost Lofton a lap, but by the next caution on lap 55, Lofton was given the free pass, putting him back on the lead lap.

Fugle then made the call on lap 56 and again on lap 67 to bring Lofton down pit road in order to top off on fuel. With 33 laps remaining, he informed his driver, "Use long gears. We're good to lap 101, but save all you can for a green-white-checkered."

Just 10 laps later however, a multi-truck wreck broke out in turn 1. Over a dozen trucks were involved, including Lofton. With damage to the Lofton Cattle machine, the newly 25-year-old drove to pit road for repairs.

Lofton returned to the track, but a bent truck arm left Lofton with a challenge behind the wheel. On lap 85, the truck broke loose, sending Lofton spinning through the tri-oval. After additional repairs, Lofton rejoined the race.

With just two laps remaining, the caution fell following a 10-truck accident across the front stretch. Luckily, Lofton missed the melee.

After waiting out a 10-minute red flag for clean-up, Lofton took the restart from the 24th position for a race-extending green-white-checkered finish.

With the help of spotter Mark Green, Lofton maneuvered his way through the draft on the 2.5-mile superspeedway, wheeling his way to a solid 18th place finish.

"We had a tough race but the guys did a great job working on the truck and we pulled out a solid result. We have a great group of guys here and it feels good to get our first race together under our belts. I'm real excited about heading to Phoenix next. It is one of my favorite tracks," Lofton added.

Lofton and the No. 77 Toyota Tundra team will next hit the track on Friday, February 25th at the Phoenix International Raceway for the Lucas Oil 150.

###

________________________________

Amanda Brahler

Justin Lofton Media Relations

Email: mandy@justinloftoninc.com

LoftonRacing.com - twitter.com/jlracing

Mooresville, N.C. (02-19-2011) – Saturday afternoon, Germain Racing driver Todd Bodine put the No. 30 Tire Kingdom Camry on the grid for the 30Th Annual Drive4copd 300 at Daytona International Speedway. After qualifying 36th for the 43-car field, Bodine showed in a few laps that the starting spot was temporary. He was 22nd in ten laps and 15th after 20. Bodine has earned two victories at Daytona in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series and he’s earned 15 wins in NASCAR’s second-ranked national division.

“The Tire Kingdom Camry was handling good today. We adjusted a little bit on the car to free it up in the corners, but that was about it,” said Bodine.

Saturday’s race was a 120 lap event, and with less than 15 laps remaining, it seemed that Bodine’s patience in hanging in and around the top-ten for the majority of the event was lined up to pay off. Instead, that patience was thrown a penalty flag as Bodine became part of the final caution of the race at lap 106.

“That’s just Daytona. Sometimes the hard work, long hours and research from the off-season pays off when you get here. Other times, it ends up in the fence,” said Mike Hillman Jr., who called the race for Bodine and serves as his crew chief in the Truck Series. “We have really enjoyed working with the folks at Tire Kingdom to put this Daytona weekend together. We are looking forward to another opportunity in the future to get them back to the track with us again soon.”

Bodine finished Saturday’s race in 18th-place. It was the first time the two-time Truck Series champion had raced in the NNS at Daytona since 2003.

Follow Germain Racing on Twitter @GermainRacing or on the web at Germainracing.com or become a fan on Facebook: Facebook.com/pages/Germain-Racing/198863890135.

ABOUT SERVICE CENTRAL:

Service Central® is the automotive service offering available exclusively at Tire Kingdom®, NTB-National Tire and Battery®, Merchant’s Tire and Auto®, and Big O Tires®. Available at nearly 1,300 locations nationwide, its trained and certified ASE technicians use state-of-the art equipment to provide quality service on cars or trucks. The nationwide warranty provides peace of mind while it protects consumers and their investment in over 40 states. (http://www.facebook.com/ServiceCentralRacing)

ABOUT TBC RETAIL GROUP

Headquartered in Juno Beach, Florida, TBC Retail Group, Inc., a subsidiary of TBC Corporation, operates more than 800 tire and automotive service centers under the brands: Tire Kingdom®, NTB - National Tire and Battery®, and Merchant’s Tire and Auto Centers®, along with nearly 500 franchised Big O Tires® locations. The contingent of nearly 1300 stores has trained and certified ASE technicians who use state-of-the-art equipment to provide quality service on cars and trucks.  The nationwide warranty provides peace of mind while it protects consumers and their investment in over 40 states.  TBC Retail Group employs more than 300 associates at its Juno Beach, Fla. headquarters and approximately 10,000 associates nationally.  To locate a store near you, call 800-NEW-TIRE. TBC Corporation, headquartered in Palm Beach Gardens, Florida, is one of the nation's largest marketers of automotive replacement tires through a multi-channel retail and wholesale strategy.

Mooresville, N.C. (02-19-2011) In Friday night’s 2011 NASCAR Camping World Truck Series season opener at Daytona International Speedway, Brendan Gaughan may have had the biggest smile of all his competitors. The 8-time Truck Series winner was racing at Daytona again, in the No. 62 South Point Hotel & Casino Tundra, with friend Bryan Berry calling the shots from the pits. Gaughan, a native of Las Vegas, understood his odds were good joining Germain Racing over the off-season that he would have fine equipment to race. He knew after two days on track at Daytona that the odds were spot on.

“The South Point Hotel & Casino Tundra was by far the best truck I’ve ever raced at Daytona. We knew when we went into this deal that Germain Racing has an incredible history at Daytona. The Toyota they gave me to run tonight was a really great race truck,” said Gaughan with all the enthusiasm that makes his fans love him.

Gaughan started and ended Friday’s 100-lap race in the 26th position. He said that’s just Daytona and it shouldn’t take the focus off of the real racing that will happen next week in Arizona.

“I wanted to run with my teammate, Todd Bodine, tonight. We were able to do that. We worked together with (Ron) Hornaday and we just got caught up in a wreck from someone having a tire go down. That’s just Daytona. It happens. But, the good news is that I’ve tested my Phoenix race truck twice and I can tell you that as good as my Daytona truck was, the South Point Hotel & Casino Tundra we have for Phoenix is even better. I’m looking forward to getting there so we can do some real racing,” said Gaughan.

The South Point Hotel & Casino driver is a two-time NASCAR K&N Pro Series West champion, so he will be happy to make the westward flight next week.

Germain Racing has earned two championship titles in the Truck Series. The Toyota team owns 22 victories and 9 pole awards in the series that continues to grow ratings on SPEED. For more information on Germain Racing, visit www.GermainRacing.com or follow the team on Twitter @GermainRacing.

Brendan Gaughan holds eight Truck Series victories to go along with his two K&N Pro Series West championship titles. Follow Gaughan at www.BrendanGaughan.com or on Twitter @Brendan62.

About South Point…The South Point (http://www.SouthPointCasino.com) is a 2,200-room resort in Las Vegas, Nevada providing affordable luxury while catering to visitors and locals alike. This casino destination features a world-class spa, bowling center, eight restaurants, showroom, equestrian arena, convention center, exhibit hall, bingo and all of the casino games that made Las Vegas famous. The South Point opened in December 2005.

###

Mooresville, N.C. (02-19-2011) – Friday night, under the lights at Daytona International Speedway, Todd Bodine fired up the No. 30 Tire Kingdom Tundra for its maiden voyage. The sponsor is new to Germain Racing and the team was geared up to give Tire Kingdom a great night in the season opener for the 2011 NASCAR Camping World Truck Series. Unfortunately, the luck that had been so keenly on the side of Bodine and the No. 30 team at Daytona seemed to have run out. The No. 30 Tire Kingdom Tundra had a starring roll in two big crashes in the 100-lap event that resulted in a 23rd-place finish, four laps shy of the scheduled race distance.

“It’s not how we wanted to start this relationship with Tire Kingdom and Service Center or how we wanted to start the season with Valvoline. They’ve been a great sponsor for our team,” said Bodine who hadn’t finished worse than fifth in Trucks at Daytona prior to Friday night. “We’ll come back again, we’ll get them at Phoenix. It’s a new points system, so we’ll see how it shakes out.”

After the first crash, the Tire Kingdom pit crew did a repair job that should make the Service Center crowd cheer. The No. 30 Tire Kingdom Tundra suffered several hits to the nose and rear of the truck, but was able to go back on track and even work back toward the front of the field.

“Never give up is not just a saying for our pit crew, it’s truly how we feel. If the Tundra is still running, and has all four wheels on the ground, we’ll do whatever it takes to get the truck back out on the race track,” said crew chief Mike Hillman Jr.

Just before the SPEED broadcast booth announcers were marveling that there were only five race trucks left late in the race that had not yet been crashed, they were commenting on how aggravating it had to be to watch the beat up Tire Kingdom Tundra passing your truck, if you were one of the undamaged vehicles left in the fray.

“Our driver doesn’t quit until we tell him there’s no way the truck is safe to race. We put the Tire Kingdom Tundra back on track, and Todd did the best he could with it,” said Hillman Jr.

“It took two crashes today to finish us off. Travis had a tire go down and we had no where to go. At the end, there, it was just a big mess. It was good tight racing tonight, but the finish certainly isn’t what we’d like to have seen for our Tire Kingdom Toyota Tundra,” said Bodine.

Follow Germain Racing on Twitter @GermainRacing or on the web at Germainracing.com or become a fan on Facebook: Facebook.com/pages/Germain-Racing/198863890135.

ABOUT SERVICE CENTRAL:

Service Central® is the automotive service offering available exclusively at Tire Kingdom®, NTB-National Tire and Battery®, Merchant’s Tire and Auto®, and Big O Tires®. Available at nearly 1,300 locations nationwide, its trained and certified ASE technicians use state-of-the art equipment to provide quality service on cars or trucks. The nationwide warranty provides peace of mind while it protects consumers and their investment in over 40 states. (http://www.facebook.com/ServiceCentralRacing)

ABOUT TBC RETAIL GROUP

Headquartered in Juno Beach, Florida, TBC Retail Group, Inc., a subsidiary of TBC Corporation, operates more than 800 tire and automotive service centers under the brands: Tire Kingdom®, NTB - National Tire and Battery®, and Merchant’s Tire and Auto Centers®, along with nearly 500 franchised Big O Tires® locations. The contingent of nearly 1300 stores has trained and certified ASE technicians who use state-of-the-art equipment to provide quality service on cars and trucks.  The nationwide warranty provides peace of mind while it protects consumers and their investment in over 40 states.  TBC Retail Group employs more than 300 associates at its Juno Beach, Fla. headquarters and approximately 10,000 associates nationally.  To locate a store near you, call 800-NEW-TIRE. TBC Corporation, headquartered in Palm Beach Gardens, Florida, is one of the nation's largest marketers of automotive replacement tires through a multi-channel retail and wholesale strategy.

First Daytona NNS Race for Bodine Since 2003

 - Bodine is the Reigning Truck Series Champion after earning his 2nd title in 2010

 - Bodine is Third Driver in Truck Series History to Win Multiple Titles, and Clinch Early

 - Bodine Owns 21 Truck Series wins with Germain Racing and 36 NASCAR career wins

 - At Daytona, Bodine has finished 5th or better in each of six NCWTS races

 - The Chemung, NY, driver owns 15 NNS victories and seven Pole awards in 324 career starts

 - Bodine owns Germain Racing's first NNS Top-five and Top-ten finishes
 

Mooresville, N.C. (February 18, 2010) - Germain Racing driver and reigning NASCAR Camping World Truck Series driver Todd Bodine is giving Tire Kingdom as well as team sponsor Valvoline double exposure in Daytona this weekend. Bodine races the No. 30 Tire Kingdom Tundra tonight at Daytona International Speedway and tomorrow he will compete in his 12th race in NASCAR’s number two series at the famous race track behind the wheel of the No. 15 Tire Kingdom Camry.

“Tire Kingdom has been in racing -- they do a lot of other things in NHRA and drag racing, and they partnered with Valvoline to come up with this program for Speed Weeks. We’re really proud to be able to be with them in NASCAR. Hopefully we can grow the program and make it bigger and better down the line,” said Bodine, who scored a victory sporting the Valvoline logo last season in the Truck Series at Texas Motor Speedway.

Germain Racing and Bodine were hoping to make it a trifecta weekend for Tire Kingdom’s debut run with the team, but Bodine was caught up in a late race crash in the Gatorade Duels on Thursday afternoon which spoiled his bid for a spot in the Daytona 500 starting lineup. Still the driver affectionately known as “The Onion” will do his best to make the competition cry and the fans cheer wildly on two different broadcast networks this weekend at Daytona.

Watch Bodine on ESPN2 on Friday at 4:00 PM ET as he qualifies the No. 15 Tire Kingdom Camry for Saturday’s race which airs on ESPN2 at 1:00 PM ET.

On SPEED, watch Bodine in the No. 30 Tire Kingdom Tundra on Friday, February 18th, at Daytona International Speedway on SPEED with race coverage beginning at 7:30 PM Eastern. Or, tune your radio to your local MRN affiliate.

Follow Germain Racing on Twitter @GermainRacing or on the web at Germainracing.com or become a fan on Facebook: Facebook.com/pages/Germain-Racing/198863890135.

ABOUT SERVICE CENTRAL:

Service Central® is the automotive service offering available exclusively at Tire Kingdom®, NTB-National Tire and Battery®, Merchant’s Tire and Auto®, and Big O Tires®. Available at nearly 1,300 locations nationwide, its trained and certified ASE technicians use state-of-the art equipment to provide quality service on cars or trucks. The nationwide warranty provides peace of mind while it protects consumers and their investment in over 40 states. (http://www.facebook.com/ServiceCentralRacing)

ABOUT TBC RETAIL GROUP

Headquartered in Juno Beach, Florida, TBC Retail Group, Inc., a subsidiary of TBC Corporation, operates more than 800 tire and automotive service centers under the brands: Tire Kingdom®, NTB - National Tire and Battery®, and Merchant’s Tire and Auto Centers®, along with nearly 500 franchised Big O Tires® locations. The contingent of nearly 1300 stores has trained and certified ASE technicians who use state-of-the-art equipment to provide quality service on cars and trucks. The nationwide warranty provides peace of mind while it protects consumers and their investment in over 40 states. TBC Retail Group employs more than 300 associates at its Juno Beach, Fla. headquarters and approximately 10,000 associates nationally. To locate a store near you, call 800-NEW-TIRE. TBC Corporation, headquartered in Palm Beach Gardens, Florida, is one of the nation's largest marketers of automotive replacement tires through a multi-channel retail and wholesale strategy.

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (February 18, 2011) – Entering Daytona Beach, Florida, Casey Mears and the No. 13 GEICO Toyota team had high hopes of getting their 2011 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series season off to a quick start. Unfortunately, the stars weren’t lined up as two engine failures in two days created a very disappointing week for the GEICO Racing crew at Daytona International Speedway.

On Wednesday afternoon during final practice before the Gatorade Duels, the first engine expired on Mears, causing the driver to sit out the remaining practice time and the team to change engines in the No. 13 Camry.

The start of the second Duel on Thursday afternoon saw Mears starting from the rear of the field, because of the engine change on Wednesday. After three quick laps on the 2.5-mile legendary superspeedway, the second engine failure occurred, putting Mears and the GEICO team in the garage permanently and ending their hopes of making Sunday’s running of the Daytona 500.

“I don’t know, we didn’t even get a shot,” said Mears, after the second engine expired. “We’ll see, we have a good team and I know we are going to do good at some of the other races but you know the fact that we couldn’t run through practice on Wednesday and then run a few laps before the Duel didn’t help us. I don’t have to say what this feels like; obviously it feels terrible. But we will keep digging, look forward to next weekend and hopefully have a good day in Phoenix.”

Mears and the GEICO team will head to Phoenix (Ariz.) International Raceway next weekend, to attempt to make the second race of the 2011 season on February 27, 2011. Qualifying will take place on Saturday afternoon at 2:05 p.m. Eastern Time. Live coverage of the race can be seen on FOX, Sunday afternoon at 3 p.m. Eastern Time.

-PMI-

Contact: Samantha Jones, Player Management International

Email: sammjones1@gmail.com