NASCAR Cup

All-Star Showdown: Max Papis race report

MAX PAPIS IMPRESSIVE DURING FIRST RACE AT LOWE'S Concord, NC (May 16, 2009) -- Earlier this week, GEICO driver Max Papis visited with students at a local elementary school and shared with them the importance of working hard and achieving academic ...

Published: Jun 19, 2009, 7:55 PM

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MAX PAPIS IMPRESSIVE DURING FIRST RACE AT LOWE'S

Concord, NC (May 16, 2009) -- Earlier this week, GEICO driver Max Papis visited with students at a local elementary school and shared with them the importance of working hard and achieving academic success. Tonight in Concord, NC, Mad Max's own education continued.

After qualifying for all four NASCAR Sprint Cup Series races that he has attempted in 2009, Papis and the GEICO Racing team arrived at Lowe's Motor Speedway for the NASCAR Showdown. While the race is important, Papis was hoping to gain additional track time in the #13 GEICO Camry on the 1.5-mile quad-oval. Any information or data that he could obtain would only help him when he attempts to qualify for the Coca-Cola 600 next weekend.

After qualifying for the NASCAR Showdown was rained out, Papis found himself starting 7th when NASCAR announced that the starting line-up would be set according to the qualifying order.

Poised to have a good run, Papis and the #13 GEICO Camry got off to a fast start, running as high as 2nd before an oil leak sent them down pit road. Free-falling down the speed chart, Papis would return to the racing surface in the 33rd position on Lap 17. The #13 GEICO Camry was delayed, but not deterred. By the close of Lap 18, Papis had picked up five spots and was riding in the 28th position.

Two laps later, the competition yellow would fly and the #13 GEICO Camry would remain in the 28th position.

When the green flag waved to re-start the forty-lap race, Papis almost immediately moved up to the 26th position before settling into 21st on Lap 37. Three laps later, Papis recorded his second best finish of the season, following up an 18th at Talladega.

"The #13 GEICO Camry was really good tonight except for the oil leak, but we overcame it," Papis said. "It was great experience and it will help tremendously when we go to qualify for the Coke 600 next week. I had a blast out here tonight driving through the field and I'm looking forward to trying to put the #13 GEICO car in the show next week."

Next week, Papis and the #13 GEICO Toyota Camry will attempt to qualify for the Coca-Cola 600 at Lowe's Motor Speedway for the sixth of twenty NASCAR Sprint Cup Series races slated for 2009 with the Germain Racing team.

Papis will hit the track at Lowe's Motor Speedway for the opening practice session on Thursday, May 21st, at 3:00 PM (ET). Qualifying will be held on Thursday evening at 7:10 PM (ET).

The Coca-Cola 600 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race is on Sunday, May 24th, and it will be televised live on FOX beginning at 5:00 PM (ET), while the Performance Racing Network (PRN) will carry the live radio broadcast.

-credit: www.maxpapis.com

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