Mears and Geico Military team escape Texas with 26th place finish

Germain Racing and Casey Mears anxiously entered the Lone Star State looking to continue their significant improvement on intermediate racetracks. 2015 has seen the team make considerable progress at these facilities and Mears’ effort in Friday’s practice and qualifying sessions would serve as indication that they remain on the right path.

 
GEICO took this weekend to honor our nation’s service members with their special GEICO Military paint scheme that featured camouflage accents on the No. 13 entry. The GEICO Military livery will also be featured at Phoenix International Raceway in celebration of Veteran’s Day.
 
Mears and his No. 13 GEICO Military Chevrolet SS were a deceiving 25th in the weekend’s opening practice. If not for a series of bumps that wreaked havoc on his lap, the Bakersfield, CA, native would have been eyeing the top-15. Qualifying provided affirmation that Mears and Germain Racing were on-track with their set-up when he paced the 1.5-mile oval in a prompt 27.718-seconds at a speed of 194.819-miles per hour, landing the GEICO Military Chevy 17th on Sunday’s starting grid. His result was a three-position improvement over his starting spot in April, where he rolled off of pit road from the 20th position.
 
Unfortunately, a wet racetrack would cause the cancellation of Saturday’s practice sessions, leaving Mears and company without valuable practice time as race day approached.
 
Armed with associate sponsors Pints & Quarts and Barcadia on-board the No. 13 GEICO Military Chevy, Mears started Sunday’s race from the 17th position. When the green flag turned the field loose for 334-laps of racing, Mears experienced an early handling issue. The event’s first caution flag of the day waved on lap 10, allowing the Germain Racing team to bring the GEICO Military Chevy to pit road and make adjustments. Before the race returned to green, crew chief Bootie Barker would order Mears to return to pit road so the crew could inspect the splitter, as well as check the tires, as the No. 13 Chevy drove through debris on the track. All was clear and Mears returned to the race in the 41st position after making two stops under yellow. While the loss of track position was a setback, the multiple stops would ensure that the GEICO Military machine was clear of any potential splitter or tire issues.

When the green flag restarted the race on lap 17, Mears began recovering lost real estate and was up to 28th by the time the day’s third caution flag flew on lap 35, allowing the team to continue its work on the No. 13 entry. The GEICO Military crew did not disappoint and turned in an expedient 12.2-second pit stop before returning their driver to the racing surface to continue gathering positions. And, that he did, as he worked his way into the top-25, while also confirming over the team’s radio frequency that the changes being made to the car were heading in the proper direction. Unfortunately, on lap 109, a loose wheel would force Mears to travel down pit road under green flag conditions, which would cost him 14 spots and leave him two laps down in the 39th position.
 
The team would work feverishly throughout the afternoon, gambling with strategy and pit stops to make up lost ground. Tires would prove challenging at Texas Motor Speedway on Sunday afternoon and as the race entered the final laps, Mears would begin experiencing heavy vibrations on the No. 13 GEICO Military Chevy, one of which sent him to pit road under green on lap 305 of 334. When the checkered flag ended a hard fought day for the GEICO Military team, Mears managed to hustle back to a 26th place finish, salvaging an otherwise challenging afternoon.
 
“It was a long day for our GEICO Military team, for sure,” Mears said. “The guys worked hard all day and we had a couple of tough breaks that set us back, so it became challenging. We are looking forward to getting the GEICO Military Chevy to Phoenix, where we have historically performed well. Our focus is on finishing the season strong and putting up solid finishes in the final two races.”

PMI PR