Martinsville Speedway is known for some of the best short-track racing on the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series circuit. Tempers flare and patience is crucial in order to have a good finish at the end of 500 laps at the “paperclip.” With only four races remaining in the 2012 season, the stakes for every team were that much higher.
Casey Mears and Germain Racing set high hopes entering the weekend, as the GEICO team had endured a tough few weeks. Team morale was lifted quickly during Friday’s NASCAR Sprint Cup Series qualifying session when Mears clocked a lap of 19.586 seconds (96.681 mph) to place the No. 13 GEICO Ford Fusion 22nd on the starting grid. His effort accounted for the team’s best starting position at the ½-mile racetrack since Mears’ arrival in the car in late 2010.
With overcast skies and cool temperatures, Mears consistently ran inside the top-25, on the lead lap, for the bulk of the race. Throughout the first half of the race, the California native reported a tight handling condition. When a caution flag was displayed on lap 151 for a spin in turn four, crew chief Bootie Barker brought Mears and his No. 13 GEICO Fusion to pit road for four tires, fuel, wedge and spring rubber adjustments, putting the Ford in 27th for the lap 156 restart.
Three quick cautions slowed the pace from lap 200 – 235, but the GEICO team capitalized on every opportunity that was presented to help improve the handling on the No. 13 Ford Fusion. A long green-flag run, spanning over 160 laps, forced Mears to come to the attention of his pit crew for multiple scheduled green flag pit stops. Despite the caution-free period, Mears continued to work his way through the field and by lap 400, the No. 13 Fusion was scored in 23rd-place.
While the on-track action picked up as the laps counted down, Mears kept all the fenders on his GEICO Ford during three late-race cautions to bring home a 25th-place finish. This is the driver’s 16th top-25 effort of the 2012 season.
“We had a good, solid day and it’s what we needed to get everything headed in the right direction as the season winds down,” Mears said. “Bootie (Barker, crew chief) and the GEICO crew did a nice job today of making adjustments and using strategy to keep us competitive. We’re looking forward to getting the GEICO Fusion on-track in Texas. I’m also looking forward to visiting with GEICO associates at the GEICO regional office in Dallas this week. It’s always great to see the people who support you face-to-face. GEICO has been very supportive of our team, so it’s nice to be able to thank them in person.”
Casey Mears PR
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