File this in the Makes No Sense Department. The co-owner of one of the top teams in NASCAR's Craftsman Truck Series has hired Paul Tracy to run later this season but the 2003 CART champion still can't get a ride in an Indy car.
A few weeks ago, P.T. tested Todd Bodine's truck at Chicagoland Speedway and impressed Bob Germain enough to get a one-off deal.
"Paul did a nice job so we got a little bit if support and decided it would be fun to run him in his hometown," said Germain, who along with his two brothers owns 19 car dealerships in Ohio and Florida. "He's our style, very aggressive, and he and Todd are a lot alike."
Tracy, who had a few rides in the old Busch series with mixed results, looks at his truck debut as something bigger.
"I figure it's an audition for 2009 with those guys, because I think Todd wants to go to the Nationwide series," said Tracy.
Currently, Germain runs Mike Wallace in the Nationwide series, plus Justin Marks and Bodine in the trucks (along with Chrissie Wallace, Mike's daughter, in selected events), and may be looking to expand.
"We're going to run Chrissie full-time in the trucks next year and we've got another year for sure with Mike (sponsored by Geico)," said Germain. "I know Todd would like to run the Nationwide series and we've got about a dozen different possibilities we'll be looking at. "And running Paul full-time in the trucks is one of those."
Mike Wallace said Friday at Kentucky Speedway that sponsor GEICO has indicated what it wants to do after next season, and it appears it won’t be sponsoring Wallace. GEICO, an insurance company, is not allowed in the Nationwide Series in 2010 as part of a non-competing sponsor agreement with the series sponsor. Nationwide began sponsoring NASCAR’s No. 2 series this year. Wallace drives the No. 7 Toyota for Germain Racing.
“We have an indication of what they’re going to do,” Wallace said of NASCAR. “Who really knows? I’ll just leave it at that.”
GEICO has been one of the most visible sponsors in the series, with its popular commercials featuring fictional Wallace relative Lauren Wallace.
I just can't seem to catch a break. I guess that's what I get for sticking with my Tennessee and Missouri boys. It's tempting to jump on a band wagon. But how much fun would that be? No, don't expect me to be hollering "Joooooonyer!," anytime soon.
Hopefully Mike will find a sponsor and I'll be able to stay with him.
Here Crocodile. Here's your chance to eat a gecko.
Pay attention Construct. Here is your chance to build something.
Not that I have anything against Justin Marks, but these two Germain Racing sponsors might get more mileage out of Mike.
"Day 1 AM Testing at Daytona: #99-Erik Darnell was the fastest in Day 1 AM Testing at Daytona Int'l Speedway with a speed of 177.420 followed by #6-Colin Braun, #09-Joey Clanton, #7-Andy Lally, #18-Stacy Compton."
18 Stacy Compton, hey hey, way to go. Nice run in Dennis Setzer's ride.
Or is it Setzer's ride? It begs the question. Does a number on a team truck driven by a teammate constitute the other driver's ride? I guess it might if indeed they were two distinct teams with two distinct crew chiefs. But I am not even sure if this is the case at BHR at this point in the year and this jucture in their merger with Arrington. I don't even know if they are operating out of Tennessee or Virginia at this point.
"Day 1 PM Testing at Daytona: #10-Brendan Gaughan was the fastest in Day 1 PM Testing at Daytona Int'l Speedway with a speed of 184.638 followed by #7-Andy Lally, #09-Joey Clanton, #11-David Starr, #30-Todd Bodine. The fastest Dodge [20th] #18-Stacy Compton. "
20th! 20th?
What the heck happened over lunch. How much did Stacy eat for Pete's sake. Did a cloud come over the track? Something changed. Did it snow?
"Day 2 AM Testing at Daytona: #99-Erik Darnell was the fastest in Day 2 AM Testing at Daytona In'tl Speedway with a speed of 178.547 followed by #29-Scott ####, #5-Mike Skinner, #9-Justin Marks, #4-Stacy Compton. "
O.K. Maybe Stacy just needed to rest. Back to fifth just like that.
My point? I guess it is this. While I enjoy looking at test speeds for a little info. They really don't mean that much necessarily. You don't know what the situation was.
Were they single truck runs? Were they drafting? Were they in qualifying trim? Were they in Racing Trim. Were they on new tires? Were they on old tires? Were they simulating a race run? Were they adjusting this? Were they tinkering with that?
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