Eighteen year old Joey Logano started from the pole for the second consecutive week in the No. 20, in only his third start in the Nationwide series. The race ended with Logano making history as the youngest Nationwide Series winner ever. Scott Wimmer garnered a second place finish; Mike Wallace and the Gecko came in third!!
”Dave and the guys worked on the car from the minute we unloaded," Logano said. "I didn’t know what we would have going into lap one. We never gave up…loosening up, loosening it up…about the last pit stop, we got it about right. Overall it was a good night. “ Dave (Crew Chief Dave Rogers) told me we were going to win this thing tonight one way or another and I believed him. ..so, with the last twenty laps to go, I was praying for it to stay green. I expected to win at Dover…I’m getting in one of the best cars out there-I have to win races.”
Wimmer, the second place finisher added “We were just free at the end after the last pit stop. We had tight conditions all night long until then. Seems like the only way we could get close to the No. 18 and the No. 20 was to run free. I just stayed free that whole run.”
Coming off of two consecutive Top 10’s, the GEICO Racing team entered the Bluegrass state looking to extend a run that has them rapidly moving towards the Top 5 in the point standings. Success has become a habit for Mike Wallace and the Germain Racing team and the last few weeks have shown that they both expect to win. Unfortunately, as the race wound down, Wallace suffered a couple setbacks during pit stops. When the checkered flag waved over the Meijer 300, Mike Wallace and the GEICO Racing team recorded a 3rd place finish in a hard fought battle that challenged both Wallace and the Germain Racing team.
” The car was really good," said Wallace. "We had a few obstacles on pit road. I’m really happy with the whole Germain Geico team- the best run I’ve had all year; the best run in a couple of years. It’s nice to know you can go out there as a driver and compete with everyone. We found some things in our race cars that have made them run better and we finished third. Wish we could have had a caution with about five to go, so we could have challenged Scott and Joey.”
Concord, NC (June 4, 2008) – As the first half of the NASCAR season begins to wind down, Mike Wallace and the GEICO Racing team find themselves in a good place. The driver is sitting 9th in the point standings and is coming off a string of good runs, which most recently included his 8th place finish at Dover last weekend.
Sure, it would be easy to point out that Wallace and the #7 GEICO Camry finished 25th at Darlington and 22nd at Charlotte, however it would not be indicative of his actual performance. In Darlington, he was sitting in position to record a Top 5 finish before a melee under a green, white, checker finish found the GEICO Camry more resembling a pinball than a race car. Charlotte would be more of the same story. While the finishes were less than desirable, Wallace ran both of those races solidly around the Top 10, even in the Top 5 at Darlington, before disappointment set in on the final laps.
“We’ve worked really hard to run well every week and put ourselves in position to win races, and I feel as though we’ve been successful at that,” Wallace said from his North Carolina home. “This Germain Racing team has worked really hard week in and week out to prepare the #7 GEICO Camry and I think you can see that it’s really paying off. We’re showing what the driver and team can do and we will continue to do it until we’re all standing in Victory Lane.”
Next up for the Gecko? Nashville Superspeedway on Saturday Night. 7:00 p.m. Eastern, on ESPN2.
“We had a good run today and we’re glad to bounce back after having two tough races where the GEICO Camry was taken out on the final laps at Darlington and Charlotte,” Wallace said. “We had a consistent weekend and ran well in the practice sessions and the race. The driver probably got a little bit conservative in qualifying, but when the green flag waved we showed how good the GEICO Camry was. I’m happy to record another Top 10 for GEICO, Sport Clips and Smith Transport.”
He continued, “This Germain Racing team did a great job and we’re looking forward to getting to Nashville next week. We’ve got a good run going and Nashville is going to give us the opportunity to make up ground in the points chase.”
Wallace started his race week off by visiting GEICO’s corporate office, which is located just 100-miles from Dover, on Thursday afternoon. He met with GEICO’s top executives and presented them with his driver helmet from the 2007 season and thanked them, as well as GEICO’s 20,000 employees, for their support over the years. After all, Wallace and the Gecko have shared a lot together, including a trip to Victory Lane at Daytona in 2004.
Wallace must have enjoyed his visit to GEICO’s office and whatever they said he must have liked because when he arrived in Dover he wanted to go fast. And he did.
This week, the Germain Racing team heads to Nashville, Tennessee, where Mike Wallace and the GEICO team will attempt to pick up ground in the point standings, where they currently reside in the 9th position.
Mike Wallace and the #7 GEICO Camry will hit the track at Nashville Superspeedway for their opening practice session on Friday, June 6th, at 6:00 PM (ET), with the final practice session being held at 7:45 PM (ET). Qualifying will be held on Saturday afternoon at 3:35 PM (ET).
The Federated Auto Parts 300 presented by Dollar General is on Saturday, June 7th, and it will be televised live on ESPN2 beginning at 7:00 PM (ET), while the Motor Racing Network (MRN) will carry the live radio broadcast.
The preliminary Nextel Cup entry list for Saturday's Sharpie 500 at Bristol Motor Speedway includes 48 teams and marks the return of driver Sterling Marlin. Marlin, a popular veteran and Tennessee native, returns to the track this weekend as the driver of the No. 78 Furniture Row Racing Chevrolet. He has not driven since Ginn Racing sold his team's points to Dale Earnhardt Inc. as part of a merger, leaving Marlin without a team.
WTVF-TV Nashville reported at 6:00pm/et newscast that Sterling Marlin will drive the #78 Chevy at Bristol, Martinsville, Richmond, Dover and possibly Talladega. Marlin is also negotiating to drive the #78 for about half the 2008 season.(WTVF-TV Nashville)(8-21-2007)
Furniture Row Racing has a seat ready for Sterling Marlin
Marlin will try to qualify the No. 78 Chevrolet for Saturday night's Sharpie 500 at Bristol Motor Speedway as Furniture Row continues its search for a driver or two.
It's tough," Marlin said of qualifying. "I don't wish it on anybody to get in that position. One little slip and you go home. We'll go to Bristol, and the whole field will probably be within three-tenths of each other."
Marlin, who was in town last week to have a seat fitted, has been talking with FRR about possibly driving a second car next season if a sponsor can be found.
"They wanted me to run a second car for them, 15 to 18 races next year," Marlin said. "We talked about that. Then the deal came along with Kenny. They parted company."
Sterling Marlin again will be driving a Colorado-sponsored Cup car. Marlin drove the Coors Light Dodge for years, and he will try to qualify the No. 78 Chevrolet for Denver- based Furniture Row Racing this week at Bristol, Tenn. He recently spoke with Rocky NASCAR reporter Jim Benton.
- Biggest NASCAR achievement?
Probably winning the Daytona 500 (twice). That's what you want to win.
- If you change something about NASCAR today, what would it be?
NASCAR has some trouble with costs. It has just gotten so expensive for the teams. They've got to get it down to where more people can get in it. The COT might help, over time.
In one quick motion, the hopes of Bobby Hamilton went down the drain at Lowe’s Motor Speedway. Early in the 200 lap race, the driver of the McDonald’s Ford was forced to pit under green flag conditions for a tire issue. The untimely pit stop costs Hamilton two laps to the leaders and placed the Tennessee native in a bad position he would never recover from. The trouble led him to a 33rd place finish and a drop of 5 positions in the Busch Series Point’s Championship. Four of the five drivers to pass in the point’s race were full-time Nextel Cup drivers.
“We will put this entire weekend in the rearview mirror and head to Dover next weekend,” Hamilton said. “I have come close to winning on the Monster Mile before, and hope we can put the McDonald’s Ford up front on Saturday afternoon.”
The Busch Series will take the green flag in Saturday afternoon at 3:00pm on ESPN.
Most Interesting Blog, June 16, 2008 (unofficially ) and six other occasions (probably if they still did this). Lisa awarded him Best "breaking news" blogger March 31, 2008. Blog of The Day, Christmas Day, 2007. edhardiman wrote, "Falco's tribute to Rocket Richard reminds us all the stars of today stand on the shoulders of giants..." October 23, 2007. Three Golden Swirrly p00p Awards (Hockey, NASCAR and Use of Graphics), FlyingPig, July 18, 2007. 2007 Memorial Day Weekend Trifecta sponsored by williamwilman . Featured on WFORacingFans April, 2007. "Stylin'" award, Dusty, February 07. "One of ten new bloggers to watch" Dudski, January 2007.
