It’s happening. What exactly is happening you ask? Well, I made, what at the time, seemed like a bold prediction in 2012. I proclaimed that Germain Racing was going to be a winning race team within the next few years. As you can imagine, that statement got me some incredulous looks from the people I told it to. I was able to look past all the dismal days on large, power dependent tracks though and the numerous races where this little team was forced to start and park. I looked beyond that and I saw a diamond in the rough.
I saw an intelligent crew chief, a capable driver with the last name to back it up, and a dedicated race team. I never overlooked their runs of 15th, 18th, and 20th that seemed to go unnoticed by most. Why was I paying attention to them in the first place? Well, I always look down the finishing order for underfunded teams who break into the top 20 because it’s a good story. I started to pay more mind to the No. 13 the more I kept seeing them pop up in that top 20 zone though. I began to realize, these finishes aren’t flukes.
This team, like Furniture Row Racing before them, is going places. And no, I don’t mean Denver Colorado. I mean victory lane. In 2013, they continued to prove me right. They signed sponsor GEICO through 2014 and would no longer have to go to a race track, knowing that they couldn’t actually race that day. Last year, Germain Racing enjoyed their most successful year to date and earned a top ten finish on their way to 24th in the standings.
In the off-season, they announced a technical alliance with RCR and ECR motors. When I heard the news, I said to myself, guess who’s going to upset the apple cart and end up in the Chase in 2014? These guys. If they weren’t the next Furniture Row Racing before, then they most certainly are now. The year may only be two races old, but Casey Mears has wheeled his Chevrolet SS to finishes of 10th and 14th in the opening two events. Currently, he is in a three-way tie for 10th in the points.
They have the sponsorship, the driver, the crew chief, and now the car to finally take their organization to the next level. With the new Chase format in play, do not be surprised to see them earn a berth into NASCAR’s playoffs. Even if they don’t win a race, the points they rack up may be enough to get them one of those coveted final spots if there are less than 16 winners.
Even though I saw it coming, I still can’t believe the rapid progression of this race team. In 2010, they spent nearly a third of the year start and parking and never finished inside the top 20. 2012 was the first time they ever ran the full season, parking early five times, but also finishing 20th or higher on six occasions…and leading a total of 41 laps too. In 2013, they didn’t start and park once, ended the season inside the top 25 in points, led during six different races, and scored five finishes of 15th or higher.
They have endured the lowest of lows in racing, and are on their way to experiencing the highest of highs. Of the dozens of small teams that have entered NASCAR in the last decade, most fail and vanish without a trace. However, a select few posses the fortitude to hold their ground, do what it takes to survive (start & park), work their way up the ranks, and keep those dreams of becoming a winning Sprint Cup team alive and attainable.
It won’t be too long from now when this team is a contender on a regular basis. Then we’ll all start talking about who will be the next to prevail when all the odds are against them, follow the trail blazed by organizations such as MWR, Furniture Row, Germain Racing….and attain the NASCAR dream.
