Never Give Up Philosophy of Germain Racing Has 24 Team Looking Forward to Racing at South Boston on Saturday and Raising Awareness for Red Cross Efforts in Japan

Mooresville, N.C. (04-12-2011) – Sophomore driver Zach Germain has learned since joining Germain Racing that it’s nearly impossible to find anyone in the garage, driver or crew member, who has more competitive spirit than his Germain Racing teammates. After the NASCAR K&N Pro Series East season opener in Greenville-Pickens, Germain Racing made the handling of the No. 24 Camry a team project. The young driver knew how rich with talent Germain Racing was, but, the team’s depth of information and the drive to succeed still surprised the Columbus, OH, native.

“I am excited to get to South Boston. For the past two weeks, my team, and really everyone at Germain Racing, has just put a ton of effort into improving our No. 24 Camry. We have talked about ways to use the design of this chassis to our advantage when we get to South Boston and I think it will give us an excellent opportunity to showcase the team’s depth and to promote the ongoing efforts by the Red Cross to aid the disaster victims in Japan,” said Germain.

Germain will sport a Red Cross disaster relief message on the hood of the No. 24 Camry. This was initiated by fellow Toyota team owner Shigeaki Hattori, a former Germain Racing driver in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series.

“Shige was in Japan when the earthquake hit. He was actually visiting Toyota headquarters and it was far enough away that they didn’t immediately understand the severity of the situation. Since then, we have all learned how serious the disaster is. My family has a relationship with Toyota that dates back more than 40 years, and Germain Racing has earned two championships for Toyota. It’s important for us to use our resources to promote ongoing Red Cross efforts for the victims of the earthquake and tsunami,” said Germain.

General manager Mike Hillman Sr. adds that it’s important to keep the Red Cross efforts top of mind as this disaster isn’t one that can be overcome overnight.

“It’s very easy to lose focus on the tragedy in Japan because it’s so far away and it isn’t as big of a story in the news. Conditions really are not better. It’s important for Germain Racing to help support the Toyota family and all those affected by this disaster in Japan,” said Hillman.

Hattori was in Japan for the events.

“I have seen so much of this tragedy from being there when it happened. I am fortunate my family is safe, but I really want to do what I can to coordinate with my friends in Japan to bring aid to the victims. I appreciate Zach and Germain Racing and the Toyota Racing associates here in the U.S. for helping raise awareness for what the Red Cross is doing for Japan,” said Hattori, who resides in Tokyo.

The No. 24 Camry will be on track Saturday, April 16th at South Boston Speedway. Practice begins at 12:05 PM Eastern, qualifying is at 4:30 PM with 150 laps of racing scheduled for 7:00 PM. Germain is scheduled to sign autographs for fans at 5:15 PM.

Zach Germain is on Twitter @ZachGermain and Facebook (facebook.com/pages/Zach-Germain-Racing/117537741607395). Follow Germain Racing on Twitter @GermainRacing or on the web at Germainracing.com or become a fan on Facebook: Facebook.com/pages/Germain-Racing/198863890135.

###

Media Contact: Lori Smith, Germain Racing 704-651-0606 (M) or Lsmith@germain.com

Germain Wanted Better Results at Greenville but Team is Inspired for Future

Mooresville, N.C. (04-04-2011) – When Zach Germain put his personal Toyota Camry in gear and drove toward Greenville, South Carolina, he had an idea of how he wanted the NASCAR K&N Pro Series East season opener to go. Last year, he had a plan for the 150-lap event, and the plan worked. This year, from the first trip to Greenville to the return trip for the rain-postponed event, Germain concedes his plans seemingly had no bearing on the weekend’s outcome.

“We had a plan for this weekend, but, it didn’t work out at all. Still, for me, for my team and several of the NASCAR K&N Pro Series drivers, the visit to Shriners Hospital was the highlight. We were fortunate to have one of the children attend Greenville-Pickens Speedway to visit with us and it put things into perspective. I enjoyed seeing our new friend Andrew Gregory come out to the track. His positive outlook inspired me to take my ‘bad day at the race track’ in stride and to really look forward to racing at South Boston,” said Germain, who left Greenville with no damage to his No. 24 Camry despite the 11 caution flags that flew in the 150-lap event.

Germain explained that from practice, through qualifying, through the start of the race what he and his team learned in Greenville was to remain flexible so they can adapt to changing circumstances.

“Our car wasn’t very good in practice. My qualifying run didn’t go well and at the start of the race, the No. 24 Camry absolutely wouldn’t turn left leaving turn four. In short, that tells the story. What it doesn’t say is that Jamie Jones and the crew never gave up on me or our car. We pitted several times, including under green, to address the lack of front grip. That put us some laps down, but, we were able to make adjustments that kept us on the same pace with the race leaders for the remainder of the event. The car really got better as the race was in its last 50 laps or so,” said Germain.

Crew chief Jones says he knows his car needs to be different and better when they unload at South Boston.

“Zach did an excellent job, but, unfortunately, we needed to have our Camry better before we went to Greenville. We learned some things that we will take with us to test at South Boston. For race number two, we have to have a car that turns better for Zach,” said Jones.

Zach Germain started 27th and finished 25th in Saturday’s race. He ranks 25th in the K&N Pro Series standings after one event. His next race is April 16^th at South Boston Speedway.

Follow Zach Germain’s racing season at the team website or become a fan of Germain Racing on Facebook or @GermainRacing on Twitter.

Germain Racing will field the No. 24 Germain.com Camry for the entire K&N Pro Series East season. In addition, there is the possibility of adding West or late model races to the schedule. Sponsorship and branding opportunities are available with the No. 24 Germain.com Camry. Visit www.GermainRacing.com for more information.

###

Gaughan Survived Martinsville with Ninth-Place Finish

Mooresville, NC (04-03-2011) Brendan Gaughan steered the No. 62 South Point Hotel & Casino Tundra to a ninth-place finish after starting deep in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series field in Saturday afternoon’s Kroger 250. Gaughan qualified 31st, led seven laps and earned his third top-ten finish at the low-banked but high-action Martinsville Speedway. 

“The only time I ever have a good finish is if I start behind 30th-place. All my top-10s at Martinsville have come from 30th or worse in qualifying and it really drives me nuts because Germain Racing is giving me great Toyotas and this Tundra was very good,” said Gaughan, who correctly stated his results – both of his previous top-ten’s at Martinsville came from starting spots in the back of the field.

Gaughan loves to hate the Virginia track because the style of racing is frustrating for a driver who cut his teeth off-road – not on short, tight ovals. He admits that Martinsville got the better of him after qualifying on Saturday morning.

“I was mad in qualifying because I kept saying that the South Point Hotel & Casino Tundra was a good race truck and I just feel or I get all flustered here at Martinsville. I don’t feel like I’m good at it, but when the race comes, I’m fine,” explained the Las Vegas native.

After the completion of the 250 lap event, Gaughan and his crew wondered if he passed more vehicles than any one else out there on route to his ninth-place finish. According to NASCAR’s Loop Data, Gaughan ranked seventh. He passed 63 trucks under green flag conditions. The racer that passed the most actually overtook 80 race trucks under the green flag.

“Germain Racing gave me good stuff. I think we definitely got the deal for passing the most vehicles today because I know I went back to 25th at least three times,” exclaimed Gaughan, who had no complaints about the tires that many others were questioning. “I like the Goodyear tires. This reminded me of the old school tire where the tires wear out and that’s where I won my race is when you had tires that were old and worn out and sliding.”

All in all, Gaughan enjoyed his 250-lap Martinsville adventure. The ninth-place effort boosted him eight places to 13th in the Truck Series standings.

“Had a great time, had a great Martinsville race and came out of here with a top-10. This is what we needed to get ourselves back on track and I can’t believe I did it at Martinsville,” smiled Gaughan.

The next race for the No. 62 South Point Hotel & Casino Tundra is Nashville on April 22nd.

Gaughan holds eight Truck Series victories to go along with his two K&N Pro Series West championship titles. Follow Gaughan at www.BrendanGaughan.com or on Twitter @Brendan62.

Germain Racing has earned two championship titles in the Truck Series. The Toyota team owns 22 victories and 9 pole awards in the series that continues to grow ratings on SPEED. For more information on Germain Racing, visit www.GermainRacing.com or follow the team on Twitter @GermainRacing.

About South Point…The South Point (http://www.SouthPointCasino.com) is a 2,200-room resort in Las Vegas, Nevada providing affordable luxury while catering to visitors and locals alike. This casino destination features a world-class spa, bowling center, eight restaurants, showroom, equestrian arena, convention center, exhibit hall, bingo and all of the casino games that made Las Vegas famous. The South Point opened in December 2005.

See Video Highlight from Greenville: Zach Germain and East Series Drivers Visited Shriners Hospital

http://www.wyff4.com/r-video/27326264/detail.html

Germain Prepared for NKNPSE Season Opener at Greenville

NASCAR Night with Charlotte Bobcats and

Shriners Hospital Visit are Highlights Leading into Race Weekend

Mooresville, N.C. (03-23-2011) – This time last year, Zach Germain was looking forward to the start of his NASCAR racing career. The Columbus, OH, native, saw the Greenville-Pickens Speedway season debut as a test on so many levels. Now he looks forward to the kick off of his sophomore season with a sense of preparation and confidence. But, he still knows he and the No. 24 Germain Racing Camry team will be tested when the green flag waves on Saturday night.

“I was able to learn a ton in the ten K&N Pro Series races last year. There certainly is a difference between going into Greenville-Pickens Speedway last year and this year. Last year, I’d never raced this car or raced the track. That said, I think Greenville is going to be an all new experience for this No. 24 Germain Racing Camry team,” said Germain.

The goals have changed for the sophomore driver, who began last season focused on finishing races. This year, he and crew chief Jamie Jones expect top-ten performances.

“Our biggest goal this year it is to become a top-ten team. If we can do that, we’ve become successful. We need to practice in the top-ten, qualify and run in the top-ten. We saw in the off-season that we can run with the best teams, and, our goal is to do that every week this year,” said crew chief Jamie Jones.

Germain tested his new No. 24 Germain Racing Camry at Greenville last week. He realized then how the work he and his team did in the off-season, and the addition of NASCAR champion David Green to the spotter’s stand, have changed his vantage point leading into Saturday’s South Carolina race.

“Before we got to Greenville for the test, I had my ideas of what I expected. I had to laugh because it was still a new experience. I didn’t remember the track surface as being that rugged and, because my laps were much more aggressive than last season, our car was pretty loose off of turns two and four,” smiled the Miami University graduate. “There was some peer pressure there with so many other K&N Pro Series teams at the track for the test session, but, over the hundreds of laps we logged, I really got to see how I’ve changed as a driver.”

Green first worked with Germain in Phoenix last year.

“David has been great at helping me become more confident and aggressive. Last year, it was all about ‘defense.’ This year, we have our cautiously aggressive team motto, and, David helps me understand the different points when I should be thinking of passes and when I should not” said Germain.

Before Germain gets to see the Greenville fans again, he’ll make a couple other appearances. Wednesday night he will sign autographs at NASCAR Night at the Charlotte Bobcats game. On Friday morning, Germain will visit Shriners Hospital for Children—aside from the waving of the green flag on Saturday night, Germain considers this stop possibly the favorite part of his race weekend.

Zach Germain is on Twitter @ZachGermain and Facebook (facebook.com/pages/Zach-Germain-Racing/117537741607395). Follow Germain Racing on Twitter @GermainRacing or on the web at Germainracing.com or become a fan on Facebook: Facebook.com/pages/Germain-Racing/198863890135.

###

Media Contact: Lori Smith, Germain Racing 704-651-0606 (M) or Lsmith@germain.com

Zach Germain Energized for His Sophomore Season in No. 24 Germain.com Camry; Earned Six Top-10’s at New Smyrna in Off-Season

Mooresville, N.C. (03-04-2011) – Germain Racing’s NASCAR K&N Pro Series driver, Zach Germain, did all the off-season things racers normally do. He tested with his team, he vacationed with family and made plans for his 2011 racing season. In February, he and his crew, led by Jamie Jones, headed to New Smyrna Speedway to shake the cobwebs off at the Annual World Series of Asphalt Stock Car Racing. The experience exceeded the expectations of Germain and his crew. The Columbus, OH, native competed in NKNPSE as a rookie in 2010. He is confident the seven days of racing in Florida were a great precursor to the 2011 season which kicks off March 26^th at Greenville-Pickens Speedway.

“The best word to describe my mindset, and that of my team’s, after our World Series experience is ‘excited.’ We are all ready to go back to the race track with our No. 24 Germain.com Camry. New Smyrna showed how much I’ve grown since my rookie season. I can’t wait to get to Greenville-Pickens to see if we can improve on last year’s season opener,” said Germain, who finished tenth in his NKNPSE debut at Greenville last March.

Germain and his crew of three had a simple goal for their New Smyrna trip this year. The plan was to shake the dust off after the two months of the off-season. The results, however, far exceeded the goal.

“The World Series was seven races over ten days. Our team worked great together. The car was awesome. We had two second-place finishes and six top-ten finishes in seven races. We had one night where we had carburetor issues and had to take some green flag laps to fix the problem. But, other than that problem, we raced competitively every night. It turned into a real confidence-builder for this Germain Racing team,” said Germain.

Continuity has played a part in the huge strides Germain feels he has made coming into his second year in NASCAR. He is starting this season with the same crew from last year. Another part of the equation has been the opportunity to learn key lessons from NASCAR champion driver David Green. Green stood in on the spotter stand for five of the seven New Smyrna races and Germain says the champion’s coaching has given him a complete sense of preparation for the 2011 racing season.

“Running all seven races gave me the opportunity to put the lessons I was learning from David to use. He really worked with me to improve my confidence in passing cars. In the crate late models, it’s similar to restrictor plate racing. It’s all about momentum and car control. The World Series schedule gave me the unique opportunity to get the lessons, apply them, then discuss the results and go back and apply them again night after night,” said Germain, who also worked with long-time spotter and coach BJ McLeod throughout the New Smyrna experience.

Looking ahead to the NKNPSE season opener in South Carolina, Germain says his perspective has changed and his goals have been altered.

“Greenville was a great way for our team to kick off our rookie year. We completed all 156 laps. I’m looking for that again, but, I want those laps to come from me racing in the top-five all night. I see 2011 as a great opportunity for the Germain.com Camry team to improve our results. We have been to many of the tracks on the schedule at least once. I’ve even raced at Columbus – it was my home track,” said Germain. “When we get to each race track, we’ll immediately be working on making our Toyota faster instead of spending time on me learning the race tracks. We’re looking at the season differently. We know we can finish races, now we want to run competitively each week.”

Of the tracks new on the NKNPSE schedule for 2011, Germain and his crew are particularly curious about how the Bowman Gray weekend will go.

“A couple of our guys have been there to watch weekly racing. I just can’t believe it’s 150 laps of racing and only 37.5 miles! It’ll be a crazy race. I’ve heard the Bowman Gray fans are awesome. I’m looking forward to that race, and, of course, I can’t wait to return to my home track fans at Columbus,” said Germain.

In addition to watching race broadcasts on SPEED this season and following updates at NASCARHomeTracks.com, NASCAR.com’s official home for touring and weekly series news and results, the NKNPSE will have several live radio broadcasts provided by the team from Speed 51 Radio, which is led by SPEED announcer Bob Dillner. The broadcasts will feature flag-to-flag coverage of many of the top events in NASCAR’s touring series, including the NKNPSE season opener at Greenville, championship season finales in the NASCAR K&N Pro Series East and West, NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour and NASCAR Whelen Southern Modified Tour.

Zach Germain is on Twitter @ZachGermain and Facebook (facebook.com/pages/Zach-Germain-Racing/117537741607395). Follow Germain Racing on Twitter @GermainRacing or on the web at Germainracing.com or become a fan on Facebook: Facebook.com/pages/Germain-Racing/198863890135.

When shopping for your new or used car or truck, head directly to Germain.com where you will find the perfect vehicle or visit your local Germain dealer in Ohio, Florida, or Arkansas. Germain.com is part of Germain Motor Company, a top-25 automotive retail network with 21 dealerships and more than 60 years of experience.

###

     The green flag has been waved and the expansion of the region’s premiere auto, truck, and motorcycle show is in high gear!  Auto Smarts presented by Germain.com moves to 95.5 The Hawk and Wink 107.1 starting Sunday, November 7^th, from 10am-12n.

     “It’s such a perfect fit to be working with two outstanding Wilks stations and to offer a lead-in to 95.5 The Hawk’s coverage of LIVE NASCAR Racing,” said Dan “Boots” Longenette, co-founder of Auto Smarts Radio.

     The band stays together as Boots is joined by Steve Germain, Lex McAllister, and Randy Rhinehart.  Host Dan "Boots" Longenette has over 20 years experience in the car business. Co-host Steve Germain owns more than a dozen dealerships in 3 different states and also owns a vehicle in all 3 major NASCAR series.  Lex McAllister is a motorcycle mama and a savvy marketing genius.  Randy Rhinehart has over 30 years of broadcast experience and tries to keep the other three in line! Together, they are ready to answer your questions!  Email the gang by going to their website at www.autosmartsradio.com.  and join them via Facebook or Twitter! 

      While the show is built around listeners’ automotive, truck, and motorcycle questions, guests ranging from Jay Leno to Richard Petty have had their say on Auto Smarts.   Plus, the show is loaded with features.  Michael Sacks is an expert when it comes to automotive recalls and defects.  He offers up some insights every week, with his own style and flair in the 1-800-LEMON LAW MINUTE.  .   Attorney Jack Moser shares his passion and seemingly endless knowledge of transportation law in his weekly busted for drunk driving.com feature.   

         For more information contact:   Randy Rhinehart

         Auto Smarts presented by Germain.com 614-795-8469     randy@autosmarts4u.com

 Mooresville, N.C. (August 25, 2010) – With three races remaining on the NASCAR K&N Pro Series East schedule for 2010, Germain Racing’s rookie driver Zach Germain and his No. 24 Germain.com Camry team are ready to put to use all they’ve learned when the series rolls into Gresham Motorsports Park for the American Fence Association 150 Presented By Mayfield Ice Creamier on Saturday night.

 “Our Germain.com Camry team was able to test at Gresham last week and it gave us all a big confidence boost. Gresham Motorsports Park is a first-class facility. The track is super fast with great banking. I think the testing we did will help our team because I’ve had a chance to figure out the line and we have a good baseline for our chassis setup,” said Germain, who captured a tenth-place finish in his first NASCAR career race at the season opener in Greenville, SC.

 Continuous improvement was a primary goal of the No. 24 team at the start of the season. After 6 races, a top-ten finish and a 14th-place rank in the championship standings, it remains the most important goal on the weekly checklist.

 “For the Germain.com Camry team to say we’ve had a good weekend at Gresham, we will want to see continued improvements in our qualifying effort and competitive racing with a strong result. We are still a young team and we’ve learned a lot together this year. We want to keep improving,” explained the 25 year-old Columbus, OH, native, who earned his best starting spot of the season in the last K&N Pro Series race at Lee USA Speedway where he lined up 12th.

 In addition to testing with the No. 24 team, Germain has been able to learn from his fellow Germain Racing teammates in the Sprint Cup, Nationwide and Camping World Truck Series.

 “Germain Racing competes in all three of NASCAR’s top divisions. During the off-weeks, I’ve been able to utilize some of the resources we have here for a rookie driver. I observed our other race teams and listened to team radio communications. My perspective has evolved,” said Germain, who will be part of Funopolis Fanfest at Funopolis Family Fun Center on Friday night in Commerce.

 Jamie Jones will call the shots for Germain and the No. 24 Germain.com Camry again this weekend. Jones is looking forward to racing at Gresham after what the team learned in last week’s test session.

 “We had a good test at Gresham last week and I feel we’ll have a good, competitive day,” said Jones, who will lead the No. 24 Germain.com Camry team for the second race this season.

 The Germain.com Camry races 150 laps at Gresham Motorsports Park on Saturday, August 28th at 8:30 PM Eastern. The American Fence Association 150 Presented By Mayfield Ice Creamier race will be broadcast on SPEED on Thursday, September 2nd at 6:00 PM Eastern.

 Germain Racing is a championship-winning organization competing in all three of NASCAR’s national series as well as the K&N Pro Series East. Sponsorship and branding opportunities are available. Visit GermainRacing.com for more information.   

 When shopping for your new or used car or truck, head directly to Germain.com to find the perfect vehicle or visit your local Germain dealer in Ohio, Florida, or Arkansas.

 Follow Zach Germain or Germain Racing on Twitter @ZachGermain, @GermainRacing, or on the web, Germainracing.com or become a Facebook fan.

 ###

Mooresville, N.C. (08-13-2010) - Germain Racing is adding more international flair to the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series with Brazilian racer and two-time Porsche GT3-Cup champion Miguel Paludo to its Truck Series lineup. Paludo has driven this year in NASCAR’s K&N Pro Series East for Hattori Racing Enterprises. While he looks forward to the final three races of the K&N Pro Series East with HRE, Paludo will now broaden his NASCAR experiences. He will race the No. 77 Stemco Duroline Toyota Tundra in four Truck Series events and the No. 77 Stemco Duroline Camry in one ARCA RE/MAX Series event for Germain Racing.

"Since I was a little boy, I have dreamed of being a professional race car driver, and my goal has been to race in NASCAR. I often get asked about driving in open-wheel competition, but, for me, my love is truly stock car racing. It’s what I’ve done for many years and it’s what I want to do for my career. I’m very fortunate to have Stemco Duroline on this journey with me to drive for Toyota and Germain Racing in the Truck Series and ARCA,” said Paludo, a native of New Silver, Brazil, who’s first NCWTS race will be Bristol Motor Speedway, Wednesday, August 18th.

Germain Racing has actively watched Paludo develop this season, as the team maintains a technical partnership with HRE. Crew chief Mike Hillman Jr. leads Germain Racing’s championship-winning No. 30 Germain.com Tundra team. Hillman has spent some time in the NASCAR K&N Pro Series East garage this year, and in years past, he has worked with Formula 1 champion Jacques Villeneuve. Hillman says that Paludo displays a natural, raw driving talent.

"When accomplished race car drivers come to NASCAR from road racing, communication and driving style are usually their biggest challenges. Miguel has been very quick to adapt to the oval race tracks. He has been consistent and competitive each time he is behind the wheel of his Toyota and his communication with his crew has gotten better each race. We look forward to continuing to see his NASCAR career develop with Germain Racing,” said Hillman.

For Paludo, adding five events with Germain Racing to his 2010 racing schedule has been another great step toward his goal of being the first full-time Brazlian race car driver in NASCAR’s highest level.

“I’m really excited to take these next steps in my career. I am preparing to race full-time in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series. I hope that we can do a good job for Stemco Duroline and Toyota in these five races this year to build a good foundation for the 2011 racing season. My goal is to learn something new with every single lap,” said Paludo.

Follow Miguel Paludo at miguelpaludo.com or on Twitter @mpaludo77. Follow Germain Racing at www.germainracing.com or on Twitter @germainracing.

###