Max Papis, Germain Racing to align with Michael Waltrip Racing

By Bob Pockrass - Associate Editor

Monday, October 27, 2008

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The new No. 13 Germain Racing Sprint Cup team will be part of an alliance with Michael Waltrip Racing, new driver Max Papis said in announcing his Cup deal Monday afternoon.

Papis has signed a four-year deal with Germain Racing for 18 Cup races annually with sponsorship from Geico. The 39-year-old Italian also will enter the upcoming Cup races at Texas Motor Speedway and Homestead-Miami Speedway in preparation for next year.

“It’s going to be a new thing for all of us, but we have been successful in a lot of different things in a lot of different arenas … [and] we can’t wait to go to the race track,” Papis said.

The collaboration with MWR makes sense in two ways: Germain already was running Toyotas in the Nationwide and Craftsman Truck series and Papis drove for MWR Executive Vice President Cal Wells when Wells was an owner in the CART open-wheel series.

Papis said that Randy Goss will serve as his crew chief for the two races this year with Germain general manager Mike Hillman Sr. also being heavily involved.

Papis, a two-time Rolex 24 At Daytona winner who also has three CART wins and has competed in the Indianapolis 500 and in Formula One, has lived in North Carolina the last two years to focus on his NASCAR career. He has been a test driver for Hendrick Motorsports, has had two road-course Cup starts and a few Nationwide Series starts for Rusty Wallace Racing as well.

“Today is a special day for me,” Papis said. “It’s something that I’ve been working on for a lot of years with my family. To start with 18 races is a dream come true.”

Papis’ 2009 tentative schedule: Las Vegas, Texas, Talladega, Darlington, Dover, Michigan, Sonoma, Daytona, Indianapolis, Watkins Glen, Bristol, Atlanta, Richmond, Kansas, California, Charlotte, Phoenix, and Homestead.

“Obviously [a full schedule] is the ideal scenario, but with that said, it’s not the worst thing in the world to begin running 18 races with the transition for the team and Max,” said Papis’ agent, Doug Barnette of Player Management International. “We’re out there every day trying to find money like everybody else in the sport.”

Whether he will run the Indianapolis 500 or major road-course events is still to be determined, Papis said.

“If I will be able to run other things, that is going to be a bonus,” Papis said. “The No. 1 focus will be on the Cup season.”

Geico sponsored Germain Racing’s Nationwide team and driver Mike Wallace in 2008 – and Wallace for several more – but was going to have to leave that series by the end of 2009 because of a conflict with series sponsor Nationwide.

“We’re very happy with our decision to make the jump to the Sprint Cup Series with Max Papis,” said Ted Ward, Geico’s vice president of marketing. “Max is an intense guy who lines up with our corporate values of character and integrity, while also possessing an unparalleled amount of passion and enthusiasm.”

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said:
Oct 29, 2008 at 5:55 PM
wow an association with M waltrip!!! now thats a winner LOL
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said:
Oct 29, 2008 at 5:55 PM
wow an association with M waltrip!!! now thats a winner LOL
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