DAYTONA BEACH, Florida – Even though a core of veteran drivers made up the top-five of the 57th annual Daytona 500, there were still a host of drivers and teams that deserve some credit for their efforts in the “Great American Race.”
Truth be told, while the top-three finishers were the contenders in the Chase for the Sprint Cup, several performances by underdogs teams deserve some recognition too.
Not only do strong performances in their first race bring momentum in the season opening event, but top-15 runs also give the teams a welcomed financial boost heading into a congested season of 35 more races.
From Back To Front:
Germain Racing’s Casey Mears sat on pins and needles Thursday after losing a motor in the first Budweiser Duel at Daytona. While losing an engine during Thursday’s qualifying races is better than the race, the security net was left teetering not knowing if Mears’s No. 13 GEICO Chevrolet would be in Sunday’s field.
Through the tumultuous wait, Mears would be in the field, 41st of 43rd.
No big deal.
With the draft as your tug-of-war for positions, Mears knew if he played the game right, he would be okay. Mears played a cautiously aggressive approach early, a strategy that kept him out of trouble. Steadily, the blue and white No. 13 Chevrolet made his climb through the field during the last quarter of the event and when it was time to shuffle the deck and bring some new players into the spotlight, the GEICO Chevrolet appeared.
While Mears didn’t earn the win, he did record his second consecutive top-10 finish for Germain Racing in the Daytona 500. Last year, Mears finished 10th after qualifying a distant 28th.
“It was a really solid day,” said Mears. “We have run up front at a lot of these things now or towards the front. We are getting a little bit greedier. We definitely want to win one of these races. I think our standards are getting a lot higher.
“From going from possibly not being in the show to finishing sixth that is definitely a good spread and a good way to start the season for sure.”
Like last year, Mears is starting the season with a top-10 run, however, the key to success will be keeping their consistency alive and utilizing their team alliances to their advantage.
It goes without saying, Mears’ time in Sprint Cup may be winding down, but there’s still more left to be achieved. Wouldn’t it be awesome if Mears perseverance and the knowledge from crew chief “Bootie” Barker found themselves in a position to capitalize and make the Chase?
Somehow. Someway.
After all, Mears hasn’t won a Sprint Cup Series race since 2007.
