Casey Mears Racing

MEARS AND GEICO MILITARY TEAM HUSTLE TO 14TH AT FONTANA

Player Management International Media Release

Fontana, CA (March 25, 2017) – While the 2017 NASCAR Xfinity Series season got underway at Daytona International Speedway in February, Casey Mears and his No. 98 GEICO Ford Mustang made their debut this weekend in southern California.  Just before the start of the season, Mears and GEICO announced a 12-race schedule with Biagi-DenBeste Racing that commenced in Fontana.  A native of Bakersfield, CA, Mears had many family members on-hand, including his legendary father Roger Mears, when he took to the track to turn his first laps in his new ride.

When practice got underway on Friday, Mears climbed into the No. 98 GEICO Military Ford looking to build the relationship with his new team.  This weekend would be Mears’ first opportunity to work with the Biagi-DenBeste Racing organization, but one couldn’t tell, as the group showed speed immediately and finished up the first practice session in the 15^th position.  In qualifying, they continued to be quick and Mears toured the 2-mile oval in just 40.375-seconds, at a speed of 178.328-miles per hour, landing him 19^th on Saturday afternoon’s starting grid.

When the green flag signaled the start of Saturday’s Service King 300, Mears made immediate progress.  Starting 19^th, the GEICO driver quickly gained five spots and was in the 14^th position by the close of lap five.  Mears continued his charge by breaking into the top-10 by the tenth lap of the 150-lap event.  Throughout the race, the Biagi-DenBeste pit crew worked efficiently, returning the GEICO Military Ford Mustang to the racing surface in prompt fashion after each stop, allowing Mears to remain in a competitive position as the race began to wind down.

When the race’s final caution flag waved with only eight laps to go, crew chief Jon Hanson gambled and ordered Mears and his No. 98 GEICO Military Ford to pit road for four fresh Goodyears, while a large of group of cars stayed out and opted to take their chances against a track that is especially hard on tires.  Mears would be relegated to starting 26^th when the race returned to green, but Hanson’s gamble paid off.  Mears and his GEICO Military machine made an almost effortless assault on the field when they began charging to the front, collecting positions in bulk.  By the time the checkered flag closed out a busy day of racing just a few laps later, the Bakersfield native had gathered up 12 spots and crossed the finish line in 14^th place.

“We had some fun out there today and the GEICO Military Ford was strong there at the end and we were able to get to the front pretty quick,” Mears said after the race.  “We have some work to do, but this was our first race together, so we’ll be stronger as the season goes on.  Jon (Hanson, crew chief) and the crew did a nice job on pit road today and made good adjustments as the race went on.  I’m looking forward to getting back in the car at Texas and continuing to build something here.”

Mears will drive the No. 98 GEICO Military Ford Mustang in at least 11 more NASCAR Xfinity Series races this season.  Below is the current 2017 schedule:

Texas               4/ 8

Richmond        4/29

Charlotte           5/27

Kentucky          7/7

Indianapolis    7/22

Watkins-Glen    8/5 (Road Course)

Mid-Ohio         8/12 (Road Course)

Road America  8/27 (Road Course)

Dover               9/30

Phoenix           11/11

Homestead       11/18

Casey Mears and the No. 98 GEICO Military Ford Mustang will hit the track at Texas Motor Speedway for the weekend’s opening practice session on Friday, April 7^th, at 2:30 PM (ET).  Qualifying will follow on Saturday at 10:35 AM (ET).

The My Bariatric Solutions 300 NASCAR Xfinity Series race is on Saturday, April 8^th, and it will be televised live on FOX beginning at 1:30 PM (ET).  The Performance Racing Network (PRN) 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 RETURNS HOME FOR 2017 NASCAR XFINITY SERIES DEBUT

GEICO Military and Biagi-DenBeste Racing Announce 2017 Schedule

Player Management International Media Release

Fontana, CA (March 23, 2017) – After announcing in February that he would run 12 NASCAR Xfinity Series races in the No. 98 GEICO Military Ford Mustang for Biagi-DenBeste Racing, the time has come for Casey Mears to hit the track.  His first race of the 2017 season is this weekend in Fontana, CA, and the Bakersfield native will make his first laps in his new ride when the first practice session gets underway at 3:30 PM (ET) on Friday.

Mears, a 14-year NASCAR veteran, last competed in the Xfinity Series in 2010.  He has one win, 16 top-5 and 32 top-10 finishes in just 93 starts in the series.  The GEICO driver also captured four pole awards, while leading 361-laps.

This weekend, Mears takes aim at the 2-mile southern California oval, piloting an entry fielded by the team that first delivered a GEICO car to Victory Lane when, on July 2, 2004, the Biagi-DenBeste group departed Daytona International Speedway with trophy in-hand.  The pair looks to continue their success as they again partner, this time with Mears as the wheelman of the No. 98 GEICO Military Ford, which will pay tribute to our nation’s military and its service members and families.

“I’m excited to get on-track this weekend and see what the GEICO Military Ford can do.  It will be fun getting behind the wheel and driving a racecar that honors our military for all they do for our country,” Mears said.  “These guys on the Biagi-DenBeste team work really hard and are a great group, so I feel like we’ll be successful this year.  It’s nice that I get to run the first race here in California, where a lot of my family resides.  We’ll have a big group of people at the track this weekend, so it’ll be special and I’ll do all I can to get the GEICO Military car up front.”  He continued, “I want to thank both Biagi-DenBeste Racing and GEICO for this opportunity.  I am proud to be associated with a sponsor and team that support our military service members and their families.  It says a lot about the character of both organizations.”

Mears will drive the No. 98 GEICO Military Ford Mustang in at least 12 NASCAR Xfinity Series races this season.  Below is the current 2017 schedule:

Fontana           3/25

Texas               4/ 8

Richmond        4/29

Charlotte           5/27

Kentucky          7/7

Indianapolis    7/22

Watkins-Glen    8/5 (Road Course)

Mid-Ohio         8/12 (Road Course)

Road America   8/27 (Road Course)

Dover               9/30

Phoenix           11/11

Homestead       11/18

Casey Mears and the No. 98 GEICO Military Ford Mustang will hit the track in Fontana, CA, for the weekend’s opening practice session on Friday, March 24^th, at 3:30 PM (ET).  Qualifying will follow on Saturday at 12:30 PM (ET).

The Service King 300 NASCAR Xfinity Series race is on Saturday, March 25^th, and it will be televised live on FS1 beginning at 4:00 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

GEICO AND BIAGI-DENBESTE RACING REUNITE FOR 12-RACE XFINITY SERIES DEAL WITH CASEY MEARS

Player Management International Media Release

Mooresville, NC (February 20, 2017) – NASCAR veteran Casey Mears and sponsor GEICO will partner with Biagi-DenBeste Racing for 12 races in the 2017 NASCAR Xfinity Series season.  Mears will pilot the #98 GEICO Military Ford Mustang, which will pay tribute to our nation’s military and its service members.

This partnership reunites a sponsor and team who previously experienced success together in the Xfinity Series from 2002 to 2006, where Biagi-DenBeste Racing handed GEICO their first NASCAR win on July 2, 2004, at the Winn-Dixie 250 at Daytona International Speedway.  11-years later, they are back together and looking to achieve similar results with Mears behind the wheel, beginning in Fontana, CA, on March 26^th.

A winning Xfinity Series team, Biagi-DenBeste Racing visited Victory Lane during the 2016 season and team owner Fred Biagi aims for continued success with Mears and GEICO in 2017.

“It’s great to have GEICO back on-board after experiencing success together early on,” Biagi said.  “GEICO is a first class company that has high standards and cares about its customers.  Our philosophies line up well and we look forward to working together to have a successful year with Casey and the GEICO Military Ford.”  He continued, “I’ve always had a lot of respect for Casey and his family and it excites me to have him in our racecar.  I believe this new partnership will not only help us improve our race program, but also result in elevated awareness and generate the interest of potential sponsors.”

Aside from being the longtime sponsor of Germain Racing’s #13 Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series entry, GEICO has become synonymous with the sport of auto racing, establishing itself as an entitlement sponsor at Talladega Superspeedway with the GEICO 500, while also blanketing racetracks across the country with the GEICO logo, including campgrounds where fans make their home during each race weekend.

“We are excited to expand our footprint in the NASCAR community with our sponsorship of Casey Mears and Biagi-DenBeste Racing in the Xfinity Series,” said GEICO vice president of marketing, Ted Ward.  “We enjoyed our relationship with the team in years past and are happy that Casey will continue to be part of the GEICO family.  This program is a nice complement to our Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series sponsorship of Germain Racing and will help broaden our presence during race weekends.  The military is an important component of our business and we are looking forward to honoring our service members with the #98 GEICO Military Ford.”

Casey Mears carries with him one of the most recognized names in the sport of auto racing.  He has experienced success at each of NASCAR’s top two levels, winning races in both the NASCAR Xfinity Series and Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series. In 2006, he became the first full-time NASCAR driver to achieve an overall victory at the Rolex 24 at Daytona.

Since making his NASCAR debut at Homestead-Miami Speedway on November 10, 2001, Mears has been employed by NASCAR’s elite, including Chip Ganassi Racing, Hendrick Motorsports and Richard Childress Racing.  He spent the last seven seasons as the driver of the #13 GEICO entry for Germain Racing, where he helped expand a grassroots Monster Energy NASCAR Cup program into a competitive top-25 team that continues to experience success.

“I’m thankful for GEICO’s continued support and I’m happy we were able to get this deal put together with Biagi-DenBeste Racing,” Mears said.  “Fred Biagi and Bill and Lori DenBeste are great people and I’ve always respected them and how committed they’ve been to NASCAR and building their team over the years.  I’m honored to be able to drive the #98 GEICO Military Ford and pay tribute to our military and their families.  GEICO does a terrific job of supporting the military and I appreciate the opportunity to play a small role in honoring our service members.”

About GEICO

GEICO (Government Employees Insurance Company) is a member of the Berkshire Hathaway family of companies and is the second-largest private passenger auto insurance company in the United States. GEICO, which was founded in 1936, provides millions of auto insurance quotes to U.S. drivers annually. The company is pleased to serve more than 15 million private passenger customers, insuring more than 24 million vehicles (auto & cycle).

Using GEICO’s online service center, policyholders can purchase policies, make policy changes, report claims and print insurance ID cards. Policyholders can also connect to GEICO through the GEICO App, reach a representative over the phone or visit a GEICO local agent.

GEICO also provides insurance quotes on motorcycles, all-terrain vehicles (ATVs), boats, travel trailers and motorhomes (RVs). Coverage for life, homes and apartments is written by non-affiliated insurance companies and is secured through the GEICO Insurance Agency, Inc. Commercial auto insurance and personal umbrella protection are also available.               

For more information, go to www.geico.com.

About Biagi-DenBeste Racing

Biagi-DenBeste Racing is owned by Fred Biagi and Bill DenBeste, with Lori DenBeste serving as President.

Fred Biagi owns Biagi Bros Transportation with his brother Greg in Napa, CA.  Though racing is their passion, their careers have been driven by 18-wheels instead of four.  They started in 1978 as a transportation company, but have evolved over the years into a full service transportation, warehousing and logistics company offering expert 3PL services to clients across North America. You can find out more by visiting: www.biagibros.com

Bill and Lori DenBeste established DenBeste Transportation, Inc. in 1988. The company specializes in the transportation of hazardous and non-hazardous (contaminated) soils and is the largest transporter of hazardous and non-hazardous materials in California.  The company later evolved into DenBeste Water Solutions (DWS). DWS is an environmental rental company dedicated to providing cost-effective, state of the art turnkey liquid storage solutions and equipment to a wide variety of industries, including environmental, engineering, Oil and Gas.