Mike Wallace moved into the Top 5 and ran in the 4th position on just Lap 9. As the race wore on, the caution flag would wave and allow the GEICO Racing pit crew to shine, when they completed a tremendous pit stop on Lap 64 and returned the #7 GEICO Camry to the race track in the 4th position. Wallace and the Gecko would narrowly avoid a major crash on Lap 71. While he took a slight hit as he slivered through the colossal crash, it would not be enough to slow the #7 GEICO Camry. Wallace would run in the Top 5 for the majority of the afternoon, and even lead briefly when he overtook Dale Earnhardt, Jr. late in the race.
“I felt I was a car to beat", said Wallace. "(Greg) Biffle helped me dramatically -- he got us to where I almost had (Tony) Stewart cleared and I was just half a car length from clearing him. I didn’t want to force the issue."
Following a late-race caution flag that would provide the fans with an exciting green/white/checkers finish, Wallace restarted the race in the 5th position. Wallace jumped out of line with the #7 GEICO Camry in an effort to win the race, however a commitment made from a fellow driver would not be honored and, consequently, Wallace was ‘hung out to dry’.
"On the final restart the 38 (Jason Leffler) said they would work with us and we had a run and we went. I should have been smarter than that, I’ve been through this rodeo before."
Falling back as far as 17th position on the final lap, Wallace would hustle back to the front and record a 10th place finish.
"We were fortunate to hang onto a top-10. We had a good car, it drove really good -- we had no problems all day long.A Top 10 finish is great, but we had a car to win the race and we put ourselves in position to win, but unfortunately we got hung out to dry there on the final lap,” Wallace said. “We picked up some ground in the point standings and we also got great coverage for GEICO and Sport Clips. It was a fun race and we were lucky enough to barely miss the big crash.”
He continued, “This week will be special because we head to Richmond which sits only about 90 miles from GEICO’s corporate office. We always have a lot of GEICO guests in Richmond, so we’re hoping to take them to Victory Lane with us.”
This week, the Germain Racing team heads to Richmond, Virginia, for a Friday night short track battle. Richmond International Raceway provides the Gecko a chance to visit home, as the ¾-mile race track sits less than a hundred miles removed from GEICO’s corporate office. The Lipton Tea 250 is on Friday, May 2nd, 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.
"I was going to ease out not wanting to be three wide and I think the 14 hit me from behind. He had been acting impatient there before. I will damn sure pay him back I promise you that," stated Burton after the Jim Stewart 300 in Richmond Virginia on Sunday.
Uh NASCAR, have you sent an invitation to Mr. Burton to visit you in the big yellow trailer? I'll be looking to see that you did. I mean, Tony Stewart didn't threaten anyone did he? This sure sounds like "actions detrimental to the sport of auto racing" to me.
Meanwhile Sterling Marlin was all class, "Well he's excited. We raced hard all day and hardly touched all day. I got loose and when you get loose you correct and the front end goes up. If that's what he thinks that's what he thinks."
How about this Mr. Burton, the next time Dave Blaney has a little trouble and needs to slow up, don't stick your nose in the middle of a three wide situation and you will not have a problem. When you stuck your nose in there you should have gone on with it. Sterling thought you were and he was going behind you. When you decided you had screwed up and checked up Sterling was committed. You lost. Stick to your commitment next time. Or check up yourself next time and Sterling won't be trying to follow you through. But if you yes, no, wait, maybe, next time, you'll get hit again.
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