Brooklyn, Mich. (August 16, 2010) – Michael Annett returned to the Irish Hills looking to improve his standing in the NASCAR Nationwide Series championship point race. Heading into Saturday’s Carfax 250 at Michigan International Speedway, Annett stood 11th in points, just 53 markers away from the top-10. With his 16th place finish in this weekend’s 125 lap event, the young driver positioned himself even closer to the top-10 with just four points now separating him from tenth place.

Driving the Nationwide Series new car for the second time in NASCAR history, Annett made a 17th place qualifying effort, starting on inside of the ninth row. The Germain Racing driver steadily raced in the top-15 fighting a tight handling racecar before the team’s first pit stop on lap 36. Under green flag conditions, the No. 15 pit crew changed tires and refueled in addition to making air pressure adjustments to alleviate the tight condition.

After the first cycle of pit stops, Annett was riding 13th when the first of only two cautions was thrown on lap 61. Still fighting a tight condition, Annett came to pit road for another set of tires, fuel, track bar and air pressure adjustments before restarting 13th.

The No. 15 Germain.com Toyota Camry was on the move and broke into the top-10 on lap 77. With clean air to his advantage under green flag conditions, Annett continued to gain track position, moving into seventh on lap 103.

With only 14 laps remaining, the second and final caution came out.

Visiting pit road for a two tire pit stop, the No. 15 team looked to restart in the top-10 and make their way to a top-10 finish in the final laps of the Carfax 250. Confronted with a penalty issued by NASCAR for a tire violation on pit road, the No. 15 was forced to reenter pit road on the following lap. Annett was regulated to the end of the field to restart the final laps and drove through the checkered flag in 16th.

Leaving Michigan International Speedway behind him, Annett will now head to the home track of his sponsor, Pilot Travel Centers, at Bristol Motor Speedway, just miles from Pilot’s headquarters in nearby Knoxville, Tenn. The Nationwide Series hits the high banked .533 mile track for the Food City 250 under the lights on Friday night at 8 p.m. ET. Live race coverage airs on ESPN beginning at 7 p.m. ET.

For more information on Michael Annett and Germain Racing’s No. 15 Nationwide Series team, check out www.MichaelAnnett.com and www.GermainRacing.com. Get live updates on Twitter @MichaelAnnett.

For more information on sponsors of the No. 15 Toyota Camry, please visit www.pilottravelcenters.com and www.Germain.com.

###

Contact: Maggie Martin, Rising Star Management Group, mmartin@risingstarmg.com

Mooresville, N.C. (08-13-2010) - Germain Racing is adding more international flair to the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series with Brazilian racer and two-time Porsche GT3-Cup champion Miguel Paludo to its Truck Series lineup. Paludo has driven this year in NASCAR’s K&N Pro Series East for Hattori Racing Enterprises. While he looks forward to the final three races of the K&N Pro Series East with HRE, Paludo will now broaden his NASCAR experiences. He will race the No. 77 Stemco Duroline Toyota Tundra in four Truck Series events and the No. 77 Stemco Duroline Camry in one ARCA RE/MAX Series event for Germain Racing.

"Since I was a little boy, I have dreamed of being a professional race car driver, and my goal has been to race in NASCAR. I often get asked about driving in open-wheel competition, but, for me, my love is truly stock car racing. It’s what I’ve done for many years and it’s what I want to do for my career. I’m very fortunate to have Stemco Duroline on this journey with me to drive for Toyota and Germain Racing in the Truck Series and ARCA,” said Paludo, a native of New Silver, Brazil, who’s first NCWTS race will be Bristol Motor Speedway, Wednesday, August 18th.

Germain Racing has actively watched Paludo develop this season, as the team maintains a technical partnership with HRE. Crew chief Mike Hillman Jr. leads Germain Racing’s championship-winning No. 30 Germain.com Tundra team. Hillman has spent some time in the NASCAR K&N Pro Series East garage this year, and in years past, he has worked with Formula 1 champion Jacques Villeneuve. Hillman says that Paludo displays a natural, raw driving talent.

"When accomplished race car drivers come to NASCAR from road racing, communication and driving style are usually their biggest challenges. Miguel has been very quick to adapt to the oval race tracks. He has been consistent and competitive each time he is behind the wheel of his Toyota and his communication with his crew has gotten better each race. We look forward to continuing to see his NASCAR career develop with Germain Racing,” said Hillman.

For Paludo, adding five events with Germain Racing to his 2010 racing schedule has been another great step toward his goal of being the first full-time Brazlian race car driver in NASCAR’s highest level.

“I’m really excited to take these next steps in my career. I am preparing to race full-time in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series. I hope that we can do a good job for Stemco Duroline and Toyota in these five races this year to build a good foundation for the 2011 racing season. My goal is to learn something new with every single lap,” said Paludo.

Follow Miguel Paludo at miguelpaludo.com or on Twitter @mpaludo77. Follow Germain Racing at www.germainracing.com or on Twitter @germainracing.

###

 - Bodine Leads Truck Series Championship Battle by 174-point margin

 - Has Earned More Top-10 Finishes at Darlington than Any Other NASCAR Track

 - Collected Germain Racing’s First NNS Top-Five Finish at Darlington (2008)

August 11, 2010 (Mooresville, N.C.) - The return of the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series to Darlington Raceway has more than just a few folks very excited. Germain Racing has a driver that has nothing but respect for the race track that is “Too Tough to Tame.” With one win at Darlington, Bodine has collected more top-ten finishes there than at any other NASCAR track.

“Darlington isn’t like other tracks. Every corner is different. It’s fast, it’s aggressive…it’s Darlington. I love it,” said Bodine, who has been atop the Truck Series points since May and has 16 top-ten’s at the historic SC track. “Darlington is a driver’s track. It takes a lot of patience and at the same time you’ve really got to get after it. I’ve always enjoyed Darlington from the first race I ever ran there and finished 5th in a (Nationwide Series) race car.”

Bodine also finished in the top-five in his last NNS race at Darlington—he started 15th and finished fourth, earning Germain Racing’s first NNS top-five.

“A lot has changed since the Truck Series raced at Darlington last. The track has been repaved, which means you should see a race with fewer pit stops. Tires won’t wear out like they used to but it’s still not a regular race—it’s Darlington,” said crew chief Mike Hillman Jr., who has chosen chassis TRD-122 to race at the “Lady in Black.”

Bodine has raced Darlington in each of NASCAR’s three national divisions. He has led laps in the two highest divisions, and in his one Truck Series race there, he spent most of the 150-lap event running in the top-five before finishing 20th. The points leader says every moment at Darlington is thrilling.

“There’s never a corner, a straightaway, not a single moment when you are under green at Darlington that you can forget about that race track. You race it every lap and you are racing the 35 trucks around you. It’s as thrilling for the drivers as it is for the Truck Series race fans watching from the grandstands and seeing the action on SPEED,” said Bodine.

Watch Bodine race 147 laps/200.8 miles at Darlington on Saturday, August 14th at 7:30 PM Eastern. Buy a ticket, watch the action live on SPEED or tune in to your local MRN affiliate.

Follow Germain Racing on Twitter @GermainRacing or on the web at Germainracing.com or become a Facebook fan.

When shopping for your new or used car or truck, head directly to Germain.com to find the perfect vehicle or visit your local Germain dealer in Ohio, Florida, or Arkansas. Germain.com is part of Germain Motor Company, a top-25 automotive retail network with 21 dealerships and more than 60 years of experience.

###

Brooklyn, Mich. (August 11, 2010) – Nestled in the Irish Hills in the southeastern region of the Great Lakes State, Michigan International Speedway will host the second race in the NASCAR Nationwide Series new car this weekend before the car’s full integration into the series in 2011. With a four leaf clover affixed to the back of his helmet, Germain Racing’s Michael Annett will make his second ever appearance on Michigan International Speedway’s two mile D-shaped oval in Saturday’s Nationwide Series Carfax 250.

The Carfax 250 serves as the second of four Nationwide Series new car races this season after its debut race at Daytona International Speedway in July where Annett earned a 12th place finish. The Nationwide Series new car will have two more races this year at Richmond International Speedway in September and Charlotte Motor Speedway in October.

“I got a lot of seat time in the new car at Daytona during our test in May and throughout the race week there in July. I’m really excited about the direction NASCAR is taking on safety with these new cars. Not only have they made improvements in making our competition safer, but they are fun to drive and look really sporty too,” said Annett.

Currently sitting 11th in Nationwide Series points, just 53 markers outside of the top-10, Annett looks to improve his standing in the points race with another respectable finish in this weekend’s Carfax 250. Annett finished 13th at Michigan International Speedway in 2009 and has good results at Auto Club Speedway which is comparable to the Brooklyn, Mich. track. The 24-year-old driver has an average finish of 13th at Auto Club Speedway and notched his career best Nationwide Series finish of sixth there in October 2009.

Adding to the on-track excitement in the new car at Michigan International Speedway, race fans will be given the opportunity to meet Annett during an autograph session on Thursday. He and several of his Nationwide Series competitors will participate in an autograph signing from 4:30-5:15 p.m. outside the Turn One Grandstand Pavilion.

Nationwide Series track activity will begin with an extended day of practice in the new car on Thursday from 9 a.m. until 12 p.m. and 1 p.m. until 4 p.m. Practice on Friday runs from 2:30-3:30 p.m. with live coverage on SPEED. Saturday kicks off with qualifying at 10:10 a.m. on SPEED, and the green flag waves signaling the start of the Nationwide Series Carfax 250 at 2 p.m. Tune to ESPN and MRN Radio for live race coverage beginning at 1 p.m. on Saturday. All times are ET.

For more information on Michael Annett and Germain Racing’s No. 15 Nationwide Series team, check out www.MichaelAnnett.com and www.GermainRacing.com. Get live updates on Twitter @MichaelAnnett.

For more information on sponsors of the No. 15 Toyota Camry, please visit www.pilottravelcenters.com and www.Germain.com.

Contact: Maggie Martin, Rising Star Management Group, mmartin@risingstarmg.com

#13 GEICO Camry ends up 22nd in NASCAR’s final road course race of the 2010 season

Watkins Glen, NY (August 8, 2010) – A year ago, Max Papis left Watkins Glen smiling ear-to-ear after recording an 8th place finish in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race. He was all business when he arrived back in the Finger Lakes region of upstate New York for practice on Friday, hoping to once again put the #13 GEICO Toyota Camry up front.  
 
In addition to his attention to racing, he also carried a heavy heart, as he honored United States Marine Corporal Jason Dunham, who was awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor for diving on a grenade in Iraq to save members of his unit in 2004.  The Marine’s name appeared on a decal located on the C-Post of Papis’ #13 GEICO Camry.  Corporal Dunham’s father was also in attendance during the entire weekend and when Papis saw him, he immediately gave him a hug and thanked him for what his son had done for our country.
 
Papis showed visible emotion when speaking of Corporal Dunham.
 
“What we’re doing this weekend is just racing, but what these guys are doing in Afghanistan and Iraq is life or death.  It is serious and it affects so many of our families in the U.S., and it moves me to see this man be so strong after his son gave his life to protect our country.” Papis said.
 
The NASCAR Sprint Cup Series’ opening practice session found Papis shooting straight to the top of the speed charts.  By its conclusion, the #13 GEICO Camry rested 24th on the chart, and third among the ‘go or go home’ cars.  The GEICO team would experience a setback when a transmission issue forced the team to rebuild a transmission in the middle of the final practice session.  The Germain Racing team masterfully returned Papis to the racetrack in record time.  Despite the setback, Papis put the #13 GEICO Camry 16th on the speed chart, and fastest among the ‘go or go home’ cars, when the session ended.
 
After qualifying 28th, Papis quickly picked up four positions before the close of the opening lap of the race.  Papis then made his way into the 23rd position before he radioed to crew chief Bootie Barker that the car was tight and that he had some ‘wheelhop’.  Barker assured Papis they would make adjustments to the #13 GEICO Camry during the first pit stop.
 
Papis brought the #13 GEICO Camry down pit road under green flag conditions on Lap 26 for the team’s first stop of the day.  The Germain Racing pit crew quickly provided Papis with four fresh Goodyear racing tires, a tank of Sunoco racing fuel and adjustments before returning him to the racing surface.  Unfortunately, just two laps later, the event’s first caution flag of the day would be displayed, causing the GEICO team to go a lap down. Barker would order Papis to take advantage of the ‘wave around’ rule and the #13 GEICO Camry quickly returned to the lead lap.
 
The adjustments must have favored Papis and the #13 GEICO Camry because by Lap 61 they had moved into 10th position, while just a lap later they were sitting in 7th.  On Lap 70, Jimmie Johnson and Denny Hamlin found themselves tangled up, bringing out the caution flag.  Papis received rear end damage to the #13 GEICO Camry in the melee. Consequently, he was relegated to restarting 19th on Lap 75.  With just 15 laps remaining, Papis fought hard to hold his position, but would ultimately record a 22nd place finish under perfect skies in upstate New York.  
 
“Our GEICO team worked really hard this weekend and we were competitive, but we battled a few issues,” Papis said.  “All things considered I’m happy to get out of here with a 22nd place finish.  I can’t thank Bootie (Barker, crew chief) and the guys on this Germain Racing team enough for all of their support and hard work this weekend.  We kept fighting and never quit, so I’m proud of what we accomplished.”
 
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
 

# # #

Contact: Doug Barnette, Player Management International
  Email: dbarnette@pmifirm.com  

Watkins Glen, N.Y. (August 9, 2010) – In their second of three road course races on the 2010 NASCAR Nationwide Series schedule, Michael Annett and Germain Racing’s No. 15 team fought for a 19th place finish at Watkins Glen International after battling transmission issues throughout the second half of the 200 mile race.

Annett started the Nationwide Series Zippo 200 at the Glen 24th and made his first pit stop of the day on lap 10. Livonia, N.Y. native, crew chief Ryan Fugle, called for the No. 15 Germain.com Toyota Camry to take four tires and fuel on their visit to pit road before the first caution of the 82 lap event occurred on lap 19.

Before his second stop on pit road, Annett reported a tight handling condition when he was free-rolling and back to the gas. In addition to a new set of Goodyears and fuel, air pressure adjustments were made to help ease the car’s tight condition. The No. 15 Germain.com Toyota restarted 24th on lap 23, but after the drop of the green a multi-car pileup brought out the red flag for over 25 minutes. With help from his spotter, Annett was able to avoid the incident to keep his car damage-free.

As the race ended early for several cars involved in the accident, Annett was boosted to 12th for the restart on lap 26. He continued to ride in the top-15 before reporting a loose handling condition on lap 30, along with transmission issues.

Although plagued with transmission trouble the second half of the race, Annett maintained a top-20 position to pull off a 19th place finish in the 82 lap Nationwide Series Zippo 200 at the Glen. He moved 53 points closer to the top-10 in the Nationwide Series championship point race with his finish at Watkins Glen, leaving him just 48 points outside of the top-10 in 11th.

Leaving road course racing behind, Annett and Germain Racing will now head to Michigan International Raceway for the Nationwide Series Carfax 250.

Annett returns to Michigan after finishing 13th there last year and looks to follow through with another respectable finish in Saturday’s race.

Tune to ESPN for live coverage of the Carfax 250 at 1 p.m. ET.

For more information on Michael Annett and Germain Racing’s No. 15 Nationwide Series team, check out www.MichaelAnnett.com and www.GermainRacing.com. Get live updates on Twitter @MichaelAnnett.

For more information on sponsors of the No. 15 Toyota Camry, please visit www.pilottravelcenters.com and www.Germain.com.

Contact: Maggie Martin, Rising Star Management Group, mmartin@risingstarmg.com

Mooresville, N.C. (08-08-2010) – After starting from the pole position at Nashville Superspeedway for the second time in his NASCAR Camping World Truck Series career, Todd Bodine moved promptly backward through the 36-truck field. From the drop of the green flag, the No. 30 Germain.com Tundra that had been second and third in the practice sessions and topped the qualifying charts was suddenly extremely loose. Bodine nursed the truck along knowing the Germain Racing team would fix it as soon as he could get to pit road. The problem was easily resolved and Bodine then sliced his way back to the front of the field where he spent 91 of 150 laps before earning his first Nashville Superspeedway victory

“I’ve been so close so many times at Nashville Superspeedway. Even at the (Nashville) fairgrounds I was close. We were close with the No. 30 Germain.com Tundra before. The Germain team is awesome -- these guys are the ones that do this every week. I have to thank all the guys in the motor shop, JD (Jon Dysinger) and everyone at TRIAD, this was an awesome Toyota motor again,” exclaimed Bodine after he climbed from his truck in victory lane. “I’d like to thank all the fans, all those sitting in the grandstands and watching it on SPEED, we appreciate the support. It’s about time I got this. The Gibson guitar trophy by Sam Bass is awesome.”

The No. 30 Germain.com Tundra took the long way to victory lane because of a cut tire in the early going. From first place at the start of the race, Bodine fell to 16^th and got stuck behind some slower race trucks. It took forty laps, but “The Onion” was able to claw his way back to the front of the field at lap 62 and stay there until end of the race.

“We didn’t know what was wrong with the truck, but, we all knew it was something that had happened suddenly because the Germain.com Tundra was perfect all weekend. It turned out to be a flat right rear tire. We had nine pounds of air left in it when we got the break and were able to come to pit road under caution,” said Bodine, who pitted during the second caution of the Nashville 200 and restarted in 16^th position on lap 22.

The victory was “by order of Bob Germain,” one of three Germain brothers who serve as owners of Germain Racing, but, the prize, the custom Gibson Les Paul guitar painted by reknowned motorsports artist Sam Bass, didn’t end up where Germain had planned.

“I practically begged the team to get me the guitar when they left for Nashville. And guess what, they did it! But they locked the guitar up in the trophy case at Germain Racing and told me I have to wait for a copy to arrive because they want the original to remain on display,” chuckled Germain. “I couldn’t be more proud of the No. 30 Germain.com Tundra team for getting the win. We’ve been so close at Nashville - we definitely felt this win was ‘overdue.’”

Adding Nashville Superspeedway to Germain Racing’s extensive win column, 20 in total in the Truck Series, moves the team into an elite club. Germain Racing has earned multiple wins in seven consecutive seasons in Trucks, tying the only other team with such a stat: Ultra Motorsports. Germain Racing operates out of the former Ultra Motorsports buildings. The team has owned the campus since 2006.

Bodine, with 19 Truck Series wins and six pole awards, leads the Truck Series championship standings for the eighth-straight weekend.

Watch the No. 30 Germain.com Tundra race next at the track ‘Too Tough to Tame,’ Darlington Raceway, on Saturday night, August 14^th. The live coverage begins on SPEED at 7:00 PM Eastern or tune in to your local MRN affiliate.

Follow Germain Racing on Twitter @GermainRacing or on the web at Germainracing.com or become a Facebook fan.

When shopping for your new or used car or truck, head directly to Germain.com to find the perfect vehicle or visit your local Germain dealer in Ohio, Florida, or Arkansas. Germain.com is part of Germain Motor Company, a top-25 automotive retail network with 21 dealerships and more than 60 years of experience.

 ###

Watkins Glen, N.Y. (August 4, 2010) – Following a seventh place finish last week at his home track, Iowa Speedway, Nationwide Series driver Michael Annett will be modifying his on-track technique this weekend by not only steering left, but making right hand turns as well. In their second road course race of the 2010 NASCAR Nationwide Series season, Annett and Germain Racing’s No. 15 Pilot Travel Centers team will compete at Watkins Glen International’s 11 turn course in Saturday’s Zippo 200 at the Glen.

Annett won’t be the only team member altering his routine, the No. 15 Pilot Travel Centers pit crew will have to make an unfamiliar change on pit road. With cars entering pit road from the left side rather than the normal right side, crew members have used daily pit practices to rehearse pitting on the opposite side. Watkins Glen is one of two races this season where the pit stop is reversed, with the other being Road America.

As the team travels to Watkins Glen International located in upstate New York, two members of the Germain Racing family will visit their home state. Crew chief Ryan Fugle and general manager Mike Hillman Sr. both hail from the Empire State.

Fugle grew up in Livonia, N.Y. before moving to North Carolina to get his bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering from UNC Charlotte and to pursue a career in racing. The 26-year-old crew chief quickly climbed the ranks, being named crew chief of the No. 15 Pilot Travel Centers Toyota Camry in 2009. Annett and Fugle are in their second season together in the Nationwide Series after finishing 10th in the championship point standings in 2009.

Hillman Sr. is a native of Lockport, N.Y. and has served as general manager for the Germain Racing organization since it’s inception in 2004. He prides himself in the team’s 2006 championship victory in the Camping World Truck Series and the growth of Germain Racing to include all three of NASCAR’s top-ranked series.

In his second career start on Watkins Glen International’s 11 turn, 2.45 mile road course, Germain Racing driver Annett will hit the track for practice on Friday from 2-4 p.m. Road course qualifying gears up on Saturday at 9:10 a.m., and the green flag drops for the Zippo 200 at the Glen at 2 p.m. For live race coverage, tune to ESPN and MRN Radio at 1:30 p.m. Practice and qualifying can be seen live on ESPN 2. All times are ET.

For more information on Michael Annett and Germain Racing’s No. 15 Nationwide Series team, check out www.MichaelAnnett.com and www.GermainRacing.com. Get live updates on Twitter @MichaelAnnett.

For more information on sponsors of the No. 15 Toyota Camry, please visit www.pilottravelcenters.com and www.Germain.com.

Contact: Maggie Martin, Rising Star Management Group, mmartin@risingstarmg.com

• Bodine Leads Truck Series Driver’s Points by 149-point margin
• Has One Pole Award, Four Top-Five and Five Top-Ten Finishes at Nashville

August 3, 2010 (Mooresville, N.C.) - As the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series heads into race No. 14 on the schedule, Todd Bodine and the No. 30 Germain.com Tundra are focused on the same goals they always are...making better, faster race trucks and winning races. Bodine and the oldest team in the Germain Racing stable have led the Truck Series points since May and plan to keep that streak alive following Saturday night’s racing action at Nashville Superspeedway.

“I enjoy racing at Nashville. There the truck has to be free enough to go fast, but not too loose. In the Spring at Nashville, we got the Germain.com Tundra too loose. Mike Jr. and the crew have worked hard to figure out some things and we are all looking forward to returning to Nashville to race,” said Bodine, the 2006 Truck Series champion who has led four of six races at Nashville.

Mike Hillman Jr. says chassis TRD-131, which made its track debut at Nashville in the spring and has since earned one victory, two runner-up finishes and six top-five’s in six races, should be even better this trip to Tennessee than last.

“Every time we go to the track, whether it’s to race or test the 30 or to work with any of our other teams in Cup, Nationwide or K&N Pro Series East, our goal at Germain Racing is to continue learning how we can improve the cars and trucks we are putting on the track. We’ve learned some things to help Todd have a little more fun at Nashville this weekend,” said Hillman.

Bodine, a racer to the core, loves competing on the concrete banking of Nashville Superspeedway. He also loves the opportunity he usually gets to visit with a dear friend, Bo Bice, when he’s in Music City area.

“My wife and I love going to Nashville for the racing, and we also love getting a chance to visit with Bo. This trip, we won’t get to see him because he’ll be at The Glen singing the national anthem,” said Bodine.

Bodine has finished fourth or better in five consecutive, full-time seasons in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series. He holds a 149-point lead over fellow Tundra driver Aric Almirola in this year’s championship battle. Watch Bodine battle Almirola in Saturday’s 150 lap/200 mile Truck Series race at Nashville Superspeedway at 9:00 PM Eastern. SPEED coverage begins at 8:30 PM, or fans can tune in to their local MRN affiliate.

Follow Germain Racing on Twitter @GermainRacing or on the web at Germainracing.com or become a Facebook fan.

When shopping for your new or used car or truck, head directly to Germain.com to find the perfect vehicle or visit your local Germain dealer in Ohio, Florida, or Arkansas. Germain.com is part of Germain Motor Company, a top-25 automotive retail network with 21 dealerships and more than 60 years of experience.

Mooresville, NC (08/02/2010) – Germain Racing’s rookie driver, Zach Germain, put in hours and hours of preparation before heading to Lee USA Speedway. It showed. Germain had the No. 24 Germain.com Camry in very competitive form at the New Hampshire short track where he turned in his best qualifying effort to date and spent many of the 125 laps of Friday night’s race dicing it up among the top-ten race cars and picked up a spot in the series points standings when the checkered flag waved.

“I have to say that Lee USA Speedway was a pretty good combination of the two tracks we used for testing. The banking was similar to Hickory, but the shape was a little more Caraway. I was prepared for the worst as far as grip, and it was good because I felt like the track had more grip than I expected it to,” said Germain who moved up to 14^th in the K&N Pro Series East standings following his 17^th-place finish at Lee.

When one thinks of a 3/8-mile short track, beating and banging are much more top of mind than finesse and accuracy. Germain learned that he actually was going to have to have a perfect blend of all of these at Lee.

“The track was the most line-sensitive track I’ve raced yet. Even more so than the road course. And while you’re trying to focus on the line, there are cars running into the back of you, the side of you, you are running into cars ahead of you. It was intense. We’ve raced short tracks this year, but, I think Lee was the most exciting race this year,” said Germain, who wished the team could’ve finished in the top-ten, where he had spent much of the 125 laps racing.

Qualifying was a big victory for Germain and the No. 24 Germain.com Camry. With a previous best in qualifying coming at New Hampshire Motor Speedway, the Columbus, OH, native posted a 12-place time in qualifying which was 3/10s off of the pole speed.

“What I’m learning is that qualifying is about who has the most confidence, and at Lee, I felt a lot more confident. I think I made a lot of progress, overall. My car control is better and I’m feeling more confident in the car. We tried to put the car on the edge and we got 12^th. We have room for more improvement, of course, but as a team we are definitely moving in the right direction,” said Germain.

Germain’s biggest fans, mom, Kim, and dad, Steve, agreed Lee was a huge transformation for their son.

“My mom and dad actually watched the race from the grandstands at Lee. My mom sent me a ton of text messages afterward telling me how excited she was – that she was screaming ‘go Zach go’ and that it was really fun for her watching how are team performed at Lee,” said Germain.

Watch the Lee USA Speedway action on Thursday, August 5^th, on SPEED at 6:00 PM Eastern.

Germain Racing is a championship-winning organization competing in all three of NASCAR’s national series. The team adds the K&N Pro Series East No. 24 Germain.com Camry to its lineup this year, and may add K&N Pro Series West and late model races. Sponsorship and branding opportunities are available. Visit GermainRacing.com for more information.  

When shopping for your new or used car or truck, head directly to Germain.com to find the perfect vehicle or visit your local Germain dealer in Ohio, Florida, or Arkansas. Follow Zach Germain or Germain Racing on Twitter @ZachGermain, @GermainRacing, or on the web, Germainracing.com or become a Facebook fan.

###