Few traditions are more akin to NASCAR than Labor Day weekend at the Southern 500. Darlington first featured the Throwback weekend in 2015 and it has continued successfully as fans and teams alike have enjoyed reflecting on NASCAR’s past.
This year, Germain Racing paid tribute to their 2010 NASCAR Gander RV & Outdoors Truck Series Championship. Ty Dillon took to the track ‘Too Tough to Tame’ blanketed in the red and black livery made famous by two-time NASCAR Truck Series champion, Todd Bodine, who piloted the No. 30 entry for Germain Racing during their 2010 campaign.
Dillon and his No. 13 GEICO Camaro ZL1 1LE started 25th when the green flag gave way to 367-laps of racing action at the challenging egg-shaped oval. He carefully navigated the tricky 1.366-mile facility during his dance with the ‘Lady in Black’, passing cars when the opportunity presented itself. By lap 74, Dillon had worked the GEICO Camaro into the fourth position, placing the Gecko at the front of the field for the second consecutive week. He often found himself at odds with his racecar, but crew chief, Matt Borland, and the Germain Racing pit crew made favorable changes that assisted in Dillon’s efforts.
Unfortunately, Dillon’s run was thwarted by a tire issue that sent the GEICO Chevy scrambling to pit road with just 12-laps to go in the 501.3-mile race. The GEICO pit crew quickly outfitted him with four fresh Goodyear racing tires, but with under a dozen laps remaining, he was unable to recover and was relegated to a 27th place finish.
“Tonight definitely wasn’t what our GEICO-Germain Racing team was looking for. The Southern 500 is a crown jewel of our sport and in order to compete up front at the end, you have to survive all 500 miles,” Dillon said. “We battled a tight-handling Camaro ZL1 1LE from the initial green flag, but Matt (Borland) made it better with adjustments. Unfortunately, there at the end, we had a tire issue which forced us to pit again under green. This team never gives up though and we will look to finish out this season strong.”
With just nine races remaining on the 2020 NASCAR Cup Series calendar, Germain Racing will pack up their No. 13 entry and visit the Gecko’s backyard. Richmond, VA, is located just 100-miles from GEICO’s headquarters in Washington, DC.
Ty Dillon and the No. 13 GEICO Camaro ZL1 1LE will hit the track at Richmond Raceway on Saturday, September 12th, for the Federated Auto Parts 400. The race will be televised live on NBCSN beginning at 7:30 PM (ET). The Motor Racing Network (MRN) will carry the live radio broadcast, along with SiriusXM NASCAR Radio, channel 90.
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