MEARS HUSTLES GEICO MILITARY FORD TO 12TH PLACE FINISH AT PHOENIX

Player Management International Media Release

Avondale, AZ (November 11, 2017) – Veterans Day always provides for a moving weekend at Phoenix International Raceway, where teams and the sport alike celebrate our nation’s heroes. Driver Casey Mears has carried a season-long salute, piloting the No. 98 GEICO Military paint scheme in each of his Xfinity Series races this season. The Bakersfield, CA, native was focused on delivering a solid result from the time the Biagi-DenBeste Racing team unloaded his Ford Mustang for the weekend’s opening practice session.

Mears posted the 19th and 13th fastest times in the respective practice sessions, indicating the team had speed heading into Saturday’s qualifying session and subsequent race. Mears advanced to the second round of qualifying after pedaling the GEICO Military Ford around the one-mile oval in just 27.388-seconds, at a speed of 131.444-miles per hour. His effort was good enough to land him 18th on the Ticket Galaxy 200 starting grid.

When the green flag signaled the start of 200-miles of racing, Mears had little time to settle in before he was forced to narrowly avoid a spinning car just in front of him in the opening laps. He had moved up two positions and restarted the race from 16th. Mears battled a handling condition early, but continued to pick up spots, moving the No. 98 GEICO Military Ford into the 12th position by lap 23. Just after the halfway point of the race, he entered the top-10, where he ran solidly for much of the back half of the event before breaking into the top-5 as the race neared its end.

Five caution flags would slow the field over the course of the afternoon and the Biagi-DenBeste pit crew used each one to make helpful adjustments to the GEICO Military Ford. As tire strategies varied during the closing laps, Mears took off from the fifth position when the race restarted for the final time with just 13 laps to go. He would be forced to give way to cars with fresher tires, but would still hold on to sail the No. 98 GEICO Military Ford across the finish line in the 12th position, capping off a successful weekend for Biagi-DenBeste Racing.

“We were able to have a little fun today and it was nice to get a good finish on Veterans Day, which means a lot to us because we get to celebrate our veterans and also because we get to carry the GEICO Military paint scheme all year,” Mears said. “The Biagi-DenBeste crew made good adjustments during the race and it helped me stay at the front of the field all day. The car felt good and we were able to deliver a solid result. We’re looking forward to getting down to Homestead and having another strong run for GEICO to close out the season.”

Biagi-DenBeste Racing will now load up Mears’ Ford Mustang for the final time this season and head south to Homestead, FL.

Casey Mears and the No. 13 GEICO Military Ford Mustang will hit the track at Homestead-Miami Speedway for the weekend’s opening practice session on Friday, November 17th, at 2:30 PM (ET). Qualifying will follow on Saturday at 11:15 AM (ET).

The Ford EcoBoost 300 NASCAR Xfinity Series race is on Saturday, November 18th, and it will be televised live on NBCSN beginning at 3:30 PM (ET). The Motor Racing Network (MRN) will carry the live radio broadcast, along with SiriusXM NASCAR Radio, channel 90.

Please visit www.GEICO.com to learn how you could save money on more than just auto insurance.

You can also follow GEICO Racing on Twitter: www.twitter.com/geicoracing

To learn more about Biagi-DenBeste Racing, please visit: www.biagidenbesteracing.com

 

MEARS PREVAILS AT THE MONSTER MILE WITH 18TH PLACE FINISH

Player Management International Media Release 

Dover, DE (September 30, 2017) – With the NASCAR Xfinity Series season beginning to wind down, Casey Mears and the GEICO Military team arrived in Dover looking to score a solid finish.  GEICO’s corporate office sits less than 100-miles removed from Dover International Speedway, leaving the team excited to put on a good show for the hometown crowd.

The Biagi-DenBeste Racing team was optimistic heading into Saturday’s Drive Sober 200 after Mears posted the 14th and 19th fastest times in the weekend’s two practice sessions.  He would later qualify 18th when he hustled the No. 98 GEICO Military Ford Mustang around the high-banked one-mile oval in just 23.577-seconds, at a speed of 152.691-miles per hour.

Starting 18th, Mears quickly moved the GEICO Military Ford into the top-15 in the opening five laps of the race.  High-speed door-to-door racing action at the Monster Mile can often result in bent sheet metal, but Mears kept his car clean, save for a single incident where he received only minor contact as he served as collateral damage from an adjacent two-car crash.  Over the course of the 200-lap event, he would deal with varying handling issues, but the Biagi-DenBeste Racing pit crew took advantage of each pit stop, where they made adjustments and helped him maintain his track position.

When the checkered flag closed out 200-miles of racing, Mears hustled his No. 98 GEICO Military Ford across the finish line in the 18th position and netted a solid result for Biagi-DenBeste Racing.

“We had a solid day and the GEICO Military crew did a nice job on pit road of making adjustments and getting me back on the track quickly,” Mears said after the race.  “It was nice to get out of here with a decent finish and with our racecar intact.  I always like racing in Dover because of its close proximity to GEICO’s corporate office and the opportunity to meet GEICO associates who are at the track for the race.  They’re a great partner and I’m honored to wear their name across my chest.”

Please visit www.GEICO.com to learn how you could save money on more than just auto insurance.

You can follow GEICO Racing on Twitter: www.twitter.com/geicoracing

To learn more about Biagi-DenBeste Racing, please visit: www.biagidenbesteracing.com

MEARS AND THE GECKO NOTCH NINTH PLACE FINISH AT ROAD AMERICA

Player Management International Media Release

Elkhart Lake, WI (August 27, 2017) – While the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series enjoyed its final off-weekend of the 2017 season, the NASCAR Xfinity Series visited the beautiful Elkhart Lake area of Wisconsin for their final road-course race of the year.  Casey Mears and the Biagi-DenBeste Racing team were impressive when they hit the track with the No. 98 GEICO Military Ford Mustang.  While it was Mears’ first-ever race at the famed road-course, he quickly made himself at home.

Mears opened up the weekend 16th in the first practice session before picking up speed in final practice, where he finished up as the ninth fastest racecar on the board.  Unfortunately, Mother Nature would prevail when qualifying rolled around and Mears and the No. 98 GEICO Military Ford would be relegated to a 28th place starting position after weather forced the cancellation of qualifying.

Despite starting from the 28th position, Mears immediately began charging forward when the green flag signaled the start of the Johnsonville 180 on Sunday.  The GEICO driver made quick work of the field, as he hustled around the 4.048-miles that make up the scenic Road America racing circuit.  By the conclusion of stage one, Mears had the GEICO Military Ford up to 12th place.  After pitting for four tires and fuel during the stage break, he returned to the racing surface, where he continued his trend of passing cars.  His efforts were rewarded and when stage two came to a close, the No. 98 GEICO Military Ford was up to the ninth position, marking a 19-position march from Mears’ starting position.

On lap 27, just four laps after the final stage of the race got underway, Mears indicated that he received heavy right-side contact from a fellow competitor while running in the seventh position.  Undeterred, the Bakersfield, CA native stayed on the gas and just six laps later the GEICO Military Ford posted the fastest lap on the track.  As the race wound down, Mears never departed the top-10 and remained focused on securing a solid finish for Biagi-DenBeste Racing.

When the checkered flag closed out 182.2-miles of racing, Mears and his No. 98 Ford Mustang crossed the finish line in the ninth position, posting a strong run for the GEICO Military team.

“I had a lot of fun out there today; Road America is a blast,” a smiling Mears said after the race.  “We needed a solid weekend and I’m glad we were able to make it happen and get a top-10 finish.  The GEICO Military Ford was strong today and the Biagi-DenBeste guys did a good job on pit road.  We are looking forward to getting to Richmond, which is just down the road from the GEICO corporate office, making it a special race for us.”

Mears’ next start in the Gecko adorned No. 98 Ford will come when the NASCAR Xfinity Series visits Richmond, VA.

Casey Mears and the No. 98 GEICO Military Ford Mustang will hit the track at Richmond International Raceway for the weekend’s opening practice session on Friday, September 8th, at 8:00 AM (ET).  Qualifying will follow at 4:15 PM (ET).

The Virginia529 College Savings 250 NASCAR Xfinity Series race is on Friday, September 8th, and it will be televised live on NBCSN beginning at 7:30 PM (ET).  The Motor Racing Network (MRN) will carry the live radio broadcast, along with SiriusXM NASCAR Radio, channel 90.

Please visit www.GEICO.com to learn how you could save money on more than just auto insurance.

You can also follow GEICO Racing on Twitter: www.twitter.com/geicoracing

To learn more about Biagi-DenBeste Racing, please visit: www.biagidenbesteracing.com