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Sep 06
2010

Bodine Takes the Germain.com Tundra for a Spin and Win at Kentucky

Posted by lori in Valvoline , TRD , Toyota Tundra , Todd Bodine , Steve Germain , Sherwin Williams , Safety Kleen , NASCAR Camping World Truck Series , Mike Hillman , Germaincars.com , Germain.com , Germain Racing , Germain Naples Florida , Germain Motor Company , Germain Columbus Ohio , GEICOgarage , GEICO Racing , GEICO , Bombardier Learjet

 Mooresville, NC (09-06-2010) – NASCAR Camping World Truck Series points leader Todd Bodine drove the No. 30 Germain.com Tundra to the fifth-consecutive Toyota victory this season, 11th overall. The win, Bodine’s fourth after 17 races, marks the first time the Germain Racing team had been able to overcome wildly bad luck at Kentucky Speedway to pull off the win. Friday night’s win was not without its extra excitement, but, Bodine and the No. 30 crew utilized their “never give up” motto and came out on top.

 

“The first person I have to thank is Kyle Busch for getting me spun out which gave us the opportunity to get gas. That’s why we won the race. We had a great truck, don’t get me wrong, our Toyota Tundra was incredibly fast,” explained Bodine after taking his 21st Truck Series victory. “When I got up behind Kyle (Busch), we got aero tight, which that’s what happens in Truck Series racing. I backed off kind of riding there trying to keep the right front out in clean air and to wait for later. Low and behold we got sucked around, got some fuel and here we are in victory lane. This is awesome. I have to thank all the fans -- Kentucky fans here are awesome. Everybody watching on SPEED - thank you. This Toyota Tundra is awesome. I’m happy we could get the win just next to Germain Motor Company’s home state of Ohio.”

 

Kentucky Speedway is a track that has confounded the No. 30 team of Germain Racing. In the team’s last visit to the track, for example, the team was leading the race and experienced a rare rear end gear failure. The year before that, they recovered from an early flat tire only to be spun out by Ron Hornaday Jr. in a situation similar to Friday night’s incident with Busch on lap 81.

 

“I have to tell you, for a minute, when we spun, I thought we were in big trouble. To spin out in front of the field and only have minor damage was amazing. But, I was worried. I thought, ‘We’re at Kentucky, with another great Germain.com Tundra, and, in a flash, we’re right back where we have been at this track so many times.’ To come out of here with a win for Toyota, for the Germain’s, for our No. 30 crew, it feels wonderful. It truly does,” said crew chief Mike Hillman Jr.

 

Bodine led twice on Friday night for a total of 18 laps. His win marks the 22nd victory for Germain Racing and his 21st in the Truck Series. All of Bodine’s Truck Series wins have come behind the wheel of the No. 30 Tundra for Germain. He maintains the Truck Series championship points lead with a staggering 261-point margin.

 

Friday’s win marked the first time in 22 victories that all three Germain brothers, Bob, Steve and Rick, were together, trackside, for the celebration.

 

“It was fun to have both my brothers here. It was a lot of fun and I’m very proud of Todd, Mike and the whole team. We’ve got a great team this year. The pit crew does a wonderful job. To have all of us here tonight was a lot of fun,” explained Steve Germain, who hails from nearby Columbus, OH.

 

The Truck Series has a week off before heading to Loudon, NH and on to Las Vegas – two more tracks where the team has yet to score a victory. Of Bodine’s four wins this season, three have come at tracks that previously hadn’t seen a Germain Racing Tundra in their winner’s circles.

 

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

 

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. Germain.com is part of Germain Motor Company, a top-25 automotive retail network with 21 dealerships and more than 60 years of experience.

 

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Sep 01
2010

Bodine and Germain Racing’s No. 30 Germain.com Tundra Crew Look Forward to Rematch with Kentucky Track

Posted by lori in Valvoline , TRD , Toyota Tundra , Todd Bodine , Sherwin Williams , Safety Kleen , NASCAR Camping World Truck Series , Mike Hillman , Germaincars.com , Germain.com , Germain Racing , Germain Naples Florida , Germain Motor Company , Germain Columbus Ohio , GEICOgarage , GEICO Racing , GEICO , Bombardier Learjet

 - Bodine Leads the Truck Series Championship Battle by a 236-point margin
 - G

ermain Racing has 21 Truck Series Victories and Eight Pole Awards

 August 30, 2010 (Mooresville, N.C.) - Germain Racing and Todd Bodine are in rare form. After 17 races in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series season, Bodine and the No. 30 Germain.com Tundra have collected two pole awards, three victories, 12 top-five, 14 top-ten finishes and lead the championship standings by a record-setting 236 points. With any luck, there will be more of the same when the team rolls into Kentucky Speedway for Friday’s Kentucky 225.

 “We had a real good truck last year at Kentucky Speedway so we’re going back with a lot of expectations. We were leading last year and the rear end gear burned up. This Germain Racing team, our game is real good right now. We definitely feel like we can go back to Kentucky and get our Germain.com Tundra out front again,” said Bodine.

 The counter play of good trucks and rotten luck for the No. 30 Germain.com Tundra team at Kentucky is part of the reason why no other driver in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series has passed more race trucks under the green flag at Kentucky than Todd Bodine. NASCAR’s Loop Data Statistics credit this season’s points leader with 189 green flag passes at Kentucky Speedway. Bodine leads the green flag passing category overall and on the backstretch.

 “All that proves is that when we’ve gotten into trouble at Kentucky, we’ve always had a Toyota Tundra that was capable of coming back through the field. The truck has always handled well at Kentucky and that’s where it shows up,” explained Bodine, who has a win at Kentucky in the Nationwide Series and has led 53 laps in the home state of team sponsor, Valvoline, in the Truck Series.

 Mark Hillman, Rob Hunley, Chris Petit, Tom Ackerman, Mike Leitner, Justin Gardner, “PJ” Briody, Mark Kincaid, Darrell Bechy, Tony Nicholson and crew chief Mike Hillman Jr. make up the core of the crew that travels with the No. 30 Germain.com Tundra. It’s the hard work of faces like these, teamed with the guys back at Germain Racing that make it possible for the No. 30 team to race their best race truck in Kentucky.

 “We get to take our best race truck to Kentucky Speedway because we have some of the best guys in the world working for Germain Racing. We raced on Friday night in Chicago and our truck had damage. On Saturday afternoon, we had TRD-131 torn down and in the fab shop for repairs. By Monday morning it was out of the body shop and we were putting decals back onto the truck. This teamwork is what makes it possible for us to bring our best truck to Kentucky, but it’s also the backbone of our ability to turn in consistent performances at the race track,” said Hillman Jr., crew chief for Bodine and the No. 30 Germain.com Tundra for all five of the full-time seasons.

 Chassis TRD-131 has raced eight times this season, scored two wins and finished no worse than fifth. Watch Bodine drive this Germain.com Tundra chassis on Friday, September 3rd at Kentucky Speedway. Qualifying will be on SPEED at 6:00 PM ET, with race coverage starting at 7:30 PM. Follow Germain Racing on Twitter @GermainRacing or on the web at Germainracing.com or become a Facebook fan.

 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. Germain.com is part of Germain Motor Company, a top-25 automotive retail network with 21 dealerships and more than 60 years of experience.

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Aug 29
2010

Germain.com Tundra Continues Stretch of Strong Finishes While Bodine Adds to Points Lead at Chicagoland

Posted by lori in Valvoline , TRD , Toyota Tundra , Todd Bodine , Sherwin Williams , Safety Kleen , NASCAR Camping World Truck Series , Mike Hillman , Germaincars.com , Germain.com , Germain Racing , Germain Naples Florida , Germain Motor Company , Germain Columbus Ohio , GEICOgarage , Bombardier Learjet

 Mooresville, N.C. (08-29-2010) – Chicagoland Speedway hosted a repeat of its inaugural NASCAR Camping World Truck Series race on Friday night. Germain Racing’s Todd Bodine earned the Keystone Light Pole Award, and put the No. 30 Germain.com Tundra out front on three different occasions during the 154-lap EnjoyIllinois.com 225. As the laps drew to a close, Truck Series fans were treated to another outstanding showdown between fellow Toyota Tundra drivers Bodine and Kyle Busch. Bodine took the runner-up position for the second consecutive Chicagoland race and added 25 points to his lead in the Truck Series championship battle.

 “It was a pretty good race for our Germain.com Tundra tonight. We would start the runs a little loose and then get a little tight at the end of the run. On the last run we were really good. The pit crew adjusted the air pressure in the tires and got the truck handling really good. The one time I got outside of Kyle (Busch) he pinched us up in the wall. Then I got under him going into turn three and got loose. That’s just a function of the way the aero package is,” explained Bodine. “We had a great Tundra. Second-place stinks, but we’ll take it. It’s another good points night and another good run. It shows how solid this Germain Racing team is every week and what kind of trucks that they bring to the race tracks. It was just another good night.”

 Since Germain Racing’s Bodine has been atop the Truck Series points, the question from the media ranks that persists is “when will it be time to do some points racing?” Bodine hopes the hard racing with race winner Busch at Chicagoland will put an exclamation point on the answer that he and crew chief Mike Hillman Jr. have given out since May.

 “I would hope that Friday night shows we aren’t points racing. I actually had a guy say that to me outside. He said, ‘You didn’t look like you were points racing when you stuck it on the outside of Kyle (Busch).’ And we’re not. We’re here to win. That’s what we’re paid to do. That’s what burns in each one of us. Every guy that walks through that garage area wants to win and we’re no different. We come here every week, we unload that Germain.com Tundra and our goal is to win the race. If we can’t win then we evaluate the situation and do the best we can with what we’ve got and get the most points that we can. That’s points racing. Our first goal is to get to victory lane and get the checkered flag,” said Bodine, who has been atop the Truck Series championship standings since May.

 Hillman says the team’s commitment to getting the best finish possible is what has made the 236-point lead possible.

 “All the hard work from everyone at Germain Racing, Toyota and Triad showed this week in Chicago. The Germain.com Tundra was excellent and with what we learned, our team is very much looking forward to racing at Kentucky Speedway next,” said Hillman.

 Bodine, Hillman and the No. 30 Germain.com Tundra crew race next at Kentucky Speedway on September 3rd. Watch the action on SPEED, Friday night, at 7:30 PM, Eastern, or tune in to your local MRN affiliate.

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

  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. Germain.com is part of Germain Motor Company, a top-25 automotive retail network with 21 dealerships and more than 60 years of experience.

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Aug 26
2010

Germain Racing Looking for More than Second in the EnjoyIllinois.com 225 at Chicagoland Friday Night

Posted by lori in Valvoline , TRD , Toyota Tundra , Todd Bodine , Sherwin Williams , Safety Kleen , NASCAR Camping World Truck Series , Mike Hillman , Germaincars.com , Germain.com , Germain Racing , Germain Naples Florida , Germain Motor Company , Germain Columbus Ohio , Bombardier Learjet

 

- Bodine has earned Two Pole awards at Chicagoland, one in Cup, one in NNS

- He Leads the Truck Series Championship Battle by a 211-point margin

- Has Earned Three Wins this season, 20 in his Truck Series Career

- Germain Racing has 21 Truck Series Victories and Eight Pole Awards

 August 24, 2010 (Mooresville, N.C.) - As Chicagoland Speedway shows itself on the 2010 NASCAR Camping World Truck Series schedule, one race team may be more excited to see the mile and a half this weekend than the rest. Germain Racing last year had a very competitive runner-up finish in the inaugural race. Since that time, the No. 30 Germain.com Tundra has been to victory lane three times and captured two pole awards—all on intermediate race tracks.

 

 “Chicago is a mile and a half track, which is Germain Racing’s strong area as far as different tracks go. We’ve always run well at Chicago, even when we used to test there. We should be able to go back there and be even better with our Germain.com Tundra than we were last year,” explained Bodine, who says the teamwork has been responsible for his results this season. “Mike Jr., Tom Ackerman and the crew have really done a great job with the trucks this season and it shows in the results we’ve been able to get.”

 

 In the inaugural race in 2009, few would question that Bodine and his crew had hit on a winning chassis combination unless those few were within the Germain Racing circle. Bodine kept the No. 30 Tundra up front for 39 of 150 laps before finishing second.

 “Last year we still didn’t have the No. 30 Tundra driving as well as we needed to. We’ve got that part figured out and it will allow us to go even faster with the Germain.com Tundra this year. We are looking forward to putting on a good show for the Truck Series fans again at Chicagoland,” said Bodine.

 

 The NASCAR Camping World Truck Series championship points leader since May, Bodine says the record-setting 211-point lead can’t change Germain Racing’s approach to preparing their trucks.

 

 “Our performance is good, but we can’t stop doing what we’re doing. We have to just go out to win races and do the best we can to control the things that we can control. We can’t worry about what other people are doing,” explained Bodine, who is vying for his second Truck Series title in five years.

 

 Since joining the Truck Series full-time in 2005, Germain Racing has finished in the top-five in the Truck Series standings every season, including earning Toyota its first manufacturer’s title and series championship in 2006.

 

 Watch Bodine drive the Germain.com Tundra on Friday, August 27 at Chicagoland Speedway. Qualifying will be on SPEED at 4:30 PM ET, with race coverage starting at 8:30 PM.

 

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

 

 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. Germain.com is part of Germain Motor Company, a top-25 automotive retail network with 21 dealerships and more than 60 years of experience.

 

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Aug 19
2010

Papis Checks Into the Truck Series Top-Five, Finishes 14th at Bristol

Posted by lori in Valvoline , TRD , Toyota Tundra , Sherwin Williams , Safety Kleen , NASCAR Camping World Truck Series , Max Papis , Germain.com , Germain Racing , GEICOgarage , GEICO Racing , GEICO

Bristol, TN (08-19-2010) – As Bristol racing goes, Wednesday night’s O’Reilly 200 was everything it should be. The air was thick with humidity and it electrified when the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series took to the track for what ended up being a 206-lap race. Max Papis qualified the GEICO Tundra in 21st position and after 206 laps of highs and lows, finished 14th as fellow Toyota driver Kyle Busch took his third Bristol Motor Speedway win.

 

“I have to say, I am very proud of what we were able to accomplish tonight with our GEICO Tundra. At Bristol there are so many things out of your control. We managed to race the GEICO Tundra in the top-five, and we were very close to getting a top-ten finish. That was out of our hands, but, I am very proud of our performance and what we learned for the future,” said Max Papis, of Como, Italy, who will showcase the GEICO colors full-time in the Truck Series in 2011, making a run for the series championship.

 

 

The GEICO Racing team fought a tight handling condition with the racing chassis throughout both practice sessions and in qualifying. Once the O’Reilly 200 race began, the truck remained tight.

 

Papis and the GEICO crew brought the GEICO Tundra to pit road for service under the night’s second caution period to make adjustments that would combat the tight-handling condition. The lap-25 pit stop efforts paid off, as the GEICO Tundra steadily moved to the front of the field, making it as high as the runner-up position.

 

In second place just 14 laps after the pit stop, Max Papis followed veteran Truck Series racer Mike Skinner through a pair of restarts before returning to pit road at lap 54 for four fresh tires and fuel.

 

“Tonight we struggled with a tight handling condition with the GEICO Tundra, which was consistent with practice and qualifying. The truck was definitely better in clean air when we were running behind Skinner than when I was in traffic. This will be important for us when we are building our truck for Bristol next season,” said Papis, who has raced in 16 Truck Series events to date, and will add three more to his resume before next year.

 

Papis knifed his way back through traffic, flirting with the top-ten as the race was drawing to a close. Under the 12th caution flag of the night, Papis told crew chief Bootie Barker he was worried something was wrong with the GEICO Tundra.

 

“During the caution period, I told Bootie I felt something had gone wrong with the race truck. We pitted on lap 200 and it was a good thing we did. Our right rear tire was flat. After that, the GEICO Tundra was in ninth position. We thought we would finish in the top ten, but, at Bristol, there are many things you can’t control,” said Papis.

 

As the 36-truck field came to the green flag for the final time at lap 205, the GEICO Tundra was ninth, behind teammates Todd Bodine (fifth) and Miguel Paludo (seventh). It looked certain that Papis would be part of Germain Racing’s top-ten effort, but coming to the checkered flag, Papis entered turn four in the top-ten and was sent into the spin cycle. He came out in 14th-place after becoming a victim of circumstance.

 

“We are using tonight and our three remaining GEICO Tundra truck series races to prepare for a full season of racing in the Truck Series in 2011. Tonight was a great experience. We ran competitively and we learned a lot to build our team for the future,” said Papis.

 

Next up for Papis and the No. 9 GEICO Toyota Tundra will be New Hampshire Motor Speedway.

 

Papis and the GEICO Racing team will hit the 1.058-mile, low-banked oval in Loudon, NH, for the opening practice session at 10:00 AM (EDT) on Friday, September 17th.  Final practice follows at 1:15 PM (EDT), while qualifying will be on Saturday, September 18th at 10:05 AM (EDT).

 

The 175-lap/185.15 mile NASCAR Camping World Truck Series race begins on Saturday, September 18th, at 3:00 PM (EDT) and will be televised live on SPEED television network, and Motor Racing Network (MRN) will carry the live radio broadcast.

 

To learn more about the GEICO Racing program, please visit: www.geicogarage.com

 

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

 

 

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Aug 19
2010

Paludo Earns First Truck Series Top-Ten Finish in Debut Race at Bristol Motor Speedway

Posted by lori in Valvoline , TRD , Toyota Tundra , Todd Bodine , STEMCO Duroline , Sherwin Williams , Safety Kleen , New Silver, Brazil , NASCAR Camping World Truck Series , Miguel Paludo , Germaincars.com , Germain.com , Germain Racing , Germain Naples Florida , Germain Motor Company , Germain Columbus Ohio , GEICOgarage , GEICO Racing , GEICO , Bombardier Learjet

Bristol, TN (08-19-2010) – Miguel Paludo ran his first race with Germain Racing in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series on Wednesday night at Bristol Motor Speedway. The Brazilian champion wheeled his No. 77 Stemco Duroline Tundra to a ninth-place finish – an impressive result for a young driver making his Truck Series debut in the O’Reilly 200. Paludo said the finish was all about team work.

“Every person I talked with said, ‘Why Bristol, it’s tough.’ But to me, it was perfect. I’m real happy with the results of the Stemco Duroline Tundra tonight and it was a team effort. Germain Racing did a great job building this truck in one week and I’m so proud of all the guys. It was awesome. We had handling conditions. We had a tight truck, a loose truck, a lot of different trucks during practice and the race, but you can’t imagine how happy I am to finish ninth for Toyota and Stemco Duroline,” exclaimed Paludo, who competes in the K&N Pro Series East for fellow Toyota team Hattori Racing Enterprises.

Many drivers chose Martinsville Speedway as their entry point for their Truck Series debut. For Paludo, it was Bristol Motor Speedway. Crew chief Jamie Jones explains that Paludo made the most of his decision.

“Miguel did an excellent job. He worked hard all day long – through practice, qualifying and the race. For not seeing the place, he adapted really well to Bristol Motor Speedway. I think Germain Racing, Toyota and Stemco Duroline are very fortunate to have him as their driver. He has the ability to go forward,” said Jones.

Paludo was greeted by teammate Todd Bodine, driver of the No. 30 Valvoline Tundra, as the two were awaiting interviews with SPEED channel after the race.

“Todd Bodine helped me to get ready for this race. He is a great teammate to have. He has so much experience, and he really enjoys sharing that with young drivers,” said Paludo.

The next race for Miguel Paludo and the No. 77 Stemco Duroline Tundra will be at Kentucky Speedway on September 3rd. In the meantime, Paludo will drive the No. 77 Stemco Duroline Camry for Hattori Racing Enterprises in the NASCAR K&N Pro Series East on August 28th at Gresham Motorsports Park.

Follow Miguel Paludo at miguelpaludo.com or on Twitter @mpaludo77.

Germain Racing is a championship-winning organization competing in all three of NASCAR’s national series. The team adds the K&N Pro Series East No. 24 Germain.com Camry to its lineup this year, and may add K&N Pro Series West and late model races. Sponsorship and branding opportunities are available. Visit GermainRacing.com for more information.  Follow Germain Racing on Twitter @GermainRacing, or on the web, Germainracing.com or become a Facebook fan.

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Aug 19
2010

Bodine Brings No. 30 Valvoline Tundra Home from Bristol in Sixth Place

Posted by lori in Valvoline , TRD , Toyota Tundra , Todd Bodine , STEMCO Duroline , Sherwin Williams , Safety Kleen , NASCAR Camping World Truck Series , Mike Hillman , Miguel Paludo , Max Papis , Germaincars.com , Germain.com , Germain Racing , Germain Naples Florida , Germain Motor Company , Germain Columbus Ohio , GEICOgarage , GEICO Racing , GEICO , Bombardier Learjet

Bristol, TN (08-19-2010) – Todd Bodine drove the No. 30 Valvoline Tundra to a sixth place finish on Wednesday night at Bristol Motor Speedway in the O’Reilly 200. The NASCAR Camping World Truck Series has a reputation of exciting racing action, and the 206 laps last night were no exception. Bodine qualified 14th and finished sixth while fellow Toyota driver Kyle Busch took the win.

“Wow. The Valvoline Toyota Tundra was loose in, tight in the middle and tight off, loose off, loose in the middle, I mean I could never make it do the same thing twice.  We kept fighting it and adjusting and fighting and adjusting and I ended up sixth!  That’s what you have to do to win championships,” said Bodine, who remains atop the Truck Series championship standings, a position he’s occupied since May.

For Bodine and the No. 30 Valvoline Tundra crew of Germain Racing, the sixth-place finish on a ‘bad night’ produced the type of results they need to maintain their position as the powerhouse team in the Camping World Truck Series.

“I’ve said it all along.  If you have a bad night, just finish in the top-10 and get the best finish you can.  It’s not what we wanted for Valvoline or Toyota, but we only lost a few points to Aric (Almirola) and we will go get them at Chicago next.  I love Chicago,” said Bodine, who has collected three wins in his Germain Racing Toyota Tundra this season.

“The Valvoline Tundra team has been on an outstanding streak. We just won two races in a row, and we have been very competitive throughout the summer. We missed our setup a little with the Valvoline Tundra at Bristol, but, we never gave up. We dug in and made changes to make the truck work for a sixth-place finish. It was a good result for the points standings and we’re all ready for the next race on the schedule – Chicago,” said crew chief Mike Hillman Jr.

The depth of Germain Racing was also showcased in Wednesday night’s O’Reilly 200.

“Bristol showed the caliber of our race team. Germain Racing brought three Toyota Tundras with three uniquely talented, champion drivers and three great sponsors. In regulation time, we would’ve finished with the Valvoline Tundra, GEICO Tundra and Stemco Duroline Tundra all in the top ten. That shows sponsors and the competition that no matter who the driver is, they are getting great racing equipment here at Germain Racing. We couldn’t have that depth without support from Toyota, Triad and the extra effort put in by everyone at Germain Racing,” said Hillman, who was as excited about the results scored by Max Papis in the GEICO Tundra and Miguel Paludo in the Stemco Duroline Tundra as he was about the Valvoline Tundra’s 13th top-ten finish in 16 races this season.

Germain Racing’s Todd Bodine leads the Camping World Truck Series standings by 211 points heading into race no. 17 on the 2010 schedule, Chicagoland Speedway. Tune into SPEED to watch 150 laps/225 miles of Truck Series action on Friday night, August 27th, at 9:00 PM Eastern or listen in on your local MRN affiliate. Follow Germain Racing on Twitter @GermainRacing or on the web at Germainracing.com or become a Facebook fan.

Bodine is scheduled to drive the red, white and blue No. 30 Valvoline Tundra next in race no. 23 at Texas Motor Speedway, the track where he collected his first win of this season, and his sixth at the Fort Worth 1.5-mile oval.

About Valvoline: Valvoline, a brand of Ashland Inc. (NYSE: ASH), has been serving American motorists longer than any other motor oil. The Valvoline family of products includes Eagle One® appearance products, Car Brite® car restoration products, Zerex® antifreeze, SynPower® performance products and MaxLife® products created for higher-mileage engines. With more than 850 locations throughout the United States, Valvoline Instant Oil Change® is a leader in serving the quick lube market.

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Aug 16
2010

Germain Racing, Bodine Take the Win at Historical Darlington Raceway

Posted by lori in Valvoline , TRD , Toyota Tundra , Todd Bodine , Sherwin Williams , Safety Kleen , NASCAR Camping World Truck Series , Mike Hillman , Germaincars.com , Germain.com , Germain Racing , Germain Naples Florida , Germain Motor Company , Germain Columbus Ohio , GEICOgarage , GEICO Racing , GEICO , Bombardier Learjet

Mooresville, NC (08-16-2010) – Todd Bodine went into Saturday night’s NASCAR Camping World Truck Series race with a sincere ‘understanding’ of the track “Too Tough to Tame” and also hailed as the “Lady in Black.” Darlington Raceway, located in Darlington, SC, has been a part of NASCAR’s history for years and Bodine had scored one win there and more top-ten finishes at Darlington than any other NASCAR track. Saturday night, Bodine added another historical statistic to his championship-winning Truck Series career. Bodine put the No. 30 Germain.com Tundra out front in the “Too Tough to Tame 200” for the final 47 of 147 laps. He took the win, his second victory at Darlington and his 35th NASCAR career win.

“It’s awesome. The history behind Darlington and the great drivers that have raced here... The list of drivers is incredible and to be part of that and to be able to be in victory lane here again – I was fortunate to get one win in Nationwide – and now we got one in the Germain.com Tundra. It’s incredible. It’s a great feeling to be able to win at Darlington, for sure,” said Bodine, who leads the 2010 Truck Series championship standings and has amassed 20 of Germain Racing’s 21 victories.

Bodine says his years of experience working with the “Lady in Black” helped on Saturday, but noted that the youthful drivers of the Truck Series did just fine.

“Experience here is a huge advantage, but with that said, look at Justin Lofton. He was having a great run. I gotta stop helping him. I told him the trick to getting around here and he learned it too well. Unfortunately he got caught up in a wreck,” said Bodine, tipping his cap to up and coming fellow Tundra driver Lofton. “Timothy (Peters) is another great example. He did a lot of testing here but he’s never raced here. To come out here and be able to do what he did tells you what kind of driver he is. Experience of knowing the little things that make you go fast and the little things that make you go slow, that means a lot. Timmy (Peters) had a good truck that allowed him to go fast. But, yes, experience is definitely a big part of running well at Darlington, along with great Toyota race trucks.”

This season, the No. 30 Germain.com Tundra team has had only three “bad” weekends. This consistency, earning three victories, eleven top-fives and twelve top-tens in 15 races has been the driving force behind Bodine’s lock-down on the series championship standings since May. However, the 2006 Truck Series title-winner is quick to point out, that there are too many variables to count this 2010 “title match” as over, despite his 231-point lead.

“There’s just too many variables in racing. Too many things that you can’t control that can take you out of it. Here at Germain Racing, we concentrate on controlling our own fate of what happens within our grasp. You can’t control everybody else’s truck and where you are on the track if you get caught up in somebody else’s mess. It’s never over. We’re not going to approach it that way. We gotta keep doing the things we know how to do and control the things within in our control and try to control our destiny,” said Bodine, who has driven for Germain Racing’s No. 30 team for all of his 20 Truck Series wins, including the 2006 championship.

If you blink, you’ll miss it. Bristol Motor Speedway is next on the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series schedule – Wednesday, August 18th. Watch the coverage live on SPEED! Follow Germain Racing on Twitter @GermainRacing or on the web at Germainracing.com or become a Facebook fan.

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. Germain.com is part of Germain Motor Company, a top-25 automotive retail network with 21 dealerships and more than 60 years of experience.

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Aug 16
2010

Germain Racing is Gearing up for Bodine to Race the No. 30 Valvoline Tundra at Bristol on Wednesday Night

Posted by lori in Valvoline , TRD , Toyota Tundra , Todd Bodine , Sherwin Williams , Safety Kleen , NASCAR Camping World Truck Series , Mike Hillman , Germaincars.com , Germain.com , Germain Racing , Germain Naples Florida , Germain Motor Company , Germain Columbus Ohio , GEICOgarage , GEICO Racing , GEICO , Bombardier Learjet

 - Bodine Leads Truck Series Championship Battle by 231-point margin

 - Has Earned Three Wins this season, 20 in his Truck Series Career

 - Germain Racing has 21 Truck Series Victories and Eight Pole Awards

August 16, 2010 (Mooresville, N.C.) - In June, when Germain Racing was heading to Texas, the team announced their new partnership with Valvoline. To give that announcement some extra energy, Todd Bodine drove the Valvoline logo into victory lane at Fort Worth, capturing his first win of the 2010 season. Since then, Bodine and the No. 30 Tundra team of Germain Racing have collected two more victories and they are looking very forward to having the Valvoline logo back on board this week at Bristol Motor Speedway.

“Having Valvoline join the Germain Racing team has been a great partnership. Bristol is our first race with Valvoline as the primary sponsor on the No. 30 Valvoline Tundra. The truck looks great and we think it will look even better running up front, under the lights, at Bristol ,” said Bodine, who has competed in 37 NASCAR races at Bristol, scoring two victories in the NASCAR Nationwide Series and three top-five finishes in five Truck Series starts.

Crew chief Mike Hillman Jr. will lead the Germain Racing team into battle on Wednesday at Bristol. The team will race chassis TRD-106, which last saw action this season at O’Reilly Raceway Park.

“What this team has accomplished this season has been a testament to the commitment of everyone that works at Germain Racing, Toyota and Triad. We hope to continue to get results that truly measure up to the extra efforts that everyone has put in to make this No. 30 Valvoline Tundra team what it is today. We are heading to Bristol with one thought in mind, and that is to get the Valvoline logo back into some victory lane photographs,” said Hillman.

With a 231-point lead in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series, two wins in a row and three wins total along with a pole award this season, Hillman has been asked if it’s time to start focusing on winning the Truck Series title rather than being aggressive and going for the wins.

“With the equipment we have, it would be a shame to tell our driver he can’t put his Toyota Tundra out front. So, no, we aren’t changing our strategy. Germain Racing will put the No. 30 Valvoline Tundra on track at Bristol with the goal to win the race. It’s the best way to get the most points and the best way to thank Valvoline, Toyota, Triad and everyone back at the shop for all the work they put into this truck,” said Hillman.

Watch Bodine the No. 30 Valvoline Tundra on Wednesday, August 18th at Bristol Motor Speedway. Qualifying will be on SPEED at 4:30 PM ET, with race coverage starting at 7:30 PM. Follow Germain Racing on Twitter @GermainRacing or on the web at Germainracing.com or become a Facebook fan.

About Valvoline: Valvoline, a brand of Ashland Inc. (NYSE: ASH), has been serving American motorists longer than any other motor oil. The Valvoline family of products includes Eagle One® appearance products, Car Brite® car restoration products, Zerex® antifreeze, SynPower® performance products and MaxLife® products created for higher-mileage engines. With more than 850 locations throughout the United States, Valvoline Instant Oil Change® is a leader in serving the quick lube market.

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®  Registered trademark of Ashland or its subsidiaries

Aug 13
2010

Germain Racing Adds Miguel Paludo to Lineup for 2010

Posted by lori in Valvoline , TRD , Toyota Tundra , Toyota Camry , STEMCO Duroline , Sherwin Williams , Safety Kleen , New Silver, Brazil , NASCAR K&N Pro Series East , NASCAR Camping World Truck Series , Mike Hillman , Miguel Paludo , Germaincars.com , Germain.com , Germain Racing , Germain Naples Florida , Germain Motor Company , Germain Columbus Ohio , GEICO , Bombardier Learjet , ARCA RE/MAX Series

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.

 

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