Papis to run Daytona 500, sets 2010 schedule: Last weekend, Max Papis spent his days and nights behind the wheel of the #01 Grand-Am Series entry for Chip Ganassi Racing with Felix Sabates in the Rolex 24 at Daytona. He pushed the car to the lead before surrendering it after a double-stint on Saturday night. He would then climb back in the car early Sunday morning, driving an unprecedented four stints. After pacing the Daytona road course for an astonishing three hours and fifty minutes, he turned the car over to teammate Scott Pruett. The Ganassi team would ultimately record a second place finish in the Rolex 24, which is regarded as one of the top races in the world. Papis prepares to begin his second season in NASCAR Sprint Cup Series competition in the #13 GEICO Toyota Camry for Germain Racing at Daytona International Speedway this week when he returns for NASCAR Sprint Cup Series practice and qualifying. In addition to his duties in the #13 GEICO Camry, Papis will also pilot the #9 GEICO Toyota Tundra in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series race at Daytona International Speedway on Friday, February 12th. Papis is scheduled to run 20 Sprint Cup Series races in 2010, including the Sprint Showdown in Charlotte.(GEICO Racing PR)(2-5-2010)

Most NASCAR drivers don't fare well in Rolex 24: Full-time NASCAR drivers were shut out from the winner’s circle and even podium finishes Sunday at the Rolex 24 At Daytona. The 24-hour race was won by the Porsche of Action Express Racing driven by Joao Barbosa, Terry Borcheller, Mike Rockenfeller and Ryan Dalziel. They finished 50 seconds ahead of Chip Ganassi Racing’s car driven by Scott Pruett and Memo Rojas as well as Germain Racing part-time Cup driver Max Papis and IndyCar Series driver Justin Wilson. Ganassi’s other car – co-driven by his Cup drivers Juan Pablo Montoya and Jamie McMurray as well as his IndyCar Series drivers Dario Franchitti and Scott Dixon – blew an engine while leading less than nine hours into the event at Daytona. About half the field did not finish the race, including four-time defending Sprint Cup champion Jimmie Johnson as his Bob Stallings Racing car had an oil pump issue and retired with about four hours remaining. Richard Petty Motorsports had two drivers in the field. AJ Allmendinger drove for Michael Shank Racing and was in third when his engine blew less than two hours prior to the finish and the team had to settle for seventh. Paul Menard drove for Spirit of Daytona Racing, which retired before the halfway point and wound up 32nd. Roush Fenway Racing Nationwide Series driver Colin Braun had the best day of the NASCAR contingent as he was part of the fourth-place Krohn Racing team. TRG Motorsports’ Bobby Labonte drove one of the team cars and was leading before running out of fuel and having to be towed back to the pits with about five hours remaining. Other mechanical issues plagued the team, which finished 16th overall, ninth in the Grand Touring class. Part-time Cup driver Boris Said was part of a Turner Motorsport team that finished 15th overall, eighth in the GT class.(Scene Daily)(2-1-2010)

Drivers Test at New Smyrna: Tuesday Marcos Ambrose tested his #47 Kroger NASCAR at the half-mile high-banked New Smyrna Speedway. Preparing for his second full-time season in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series season, the Australian driver shared the track today with #13-Max Papis, #00-David Reutimann and #5-Martin Truex Jr. It's the first time Ambrose has been in a car in over two months. "I just want to dust off the cobwebs," said Ambrose.(MarcosAmbrose.com)(1-27-2010)

Papis to run limited Sprint Cup schedule, but with a twist: In an interview of driver Max Papis, who drove the #13 GEICO Toyota for Germain Racing in 15 Sprint Cup races in 2009 [attempted to make 21], at a German racing website: Motorsport-Total.com, Papis said he would again run 20 Sprint Cup races in 2010 but plan to attempt most of the races, some as a start-and-park [make the race, start the race, park the car before the first pit stop], GEICO returns as the sponsor. Some quotes, translated by the author Pete Fink.
About NASCAR and 2009: "For me, NASCAR has been so far the most challenging competition I've ever had. When you look at the average position of qualifying, what other people like Sam Hornish did in the beginning, we are on pace. We did a pretty good job. We finished in the top-20 in Talladega, we had a top-10-finish on the roadcourses. So I would say, it was a season of ups and downs."
About the pressure of qualifying: "It is not difficult, it is extremely difficult. One of the most difficult things I've done so far. It is not only, that I have such a little time to learn the racetrack. When I run five laps in practice, before we are going to qualifying-trim, that means, you are two or three minutes on the racetrack. And that's it. And then you have the pressure to perform on one lap only. With very different track conditions and different griplevels to what you have practiced. You go out on the track, you go through 3 and 4 as hard as you can, and if you don't make it, you go home."
About 2010 and the Daytona 500: "We gonna run the Daytona 500 this year and I'm very excited about that. We plan to run 20 Cup-Races, 8 Truck-Races and hopefully a little bit more."
About Start-and-Park: "At the beginning of the season, the team plans to put me on a start-and-park-situation. We will show up on the races, that are not scheduled, try to qualify, but we have a limited budget, so we are not gonna be able to race the race. That will give me the tracktime, that I don't have. So we will use some of this races as tests, that we get to know the tracks better and get more prepared."
About P43 in the ownerpoints: "That is the other the reason, why we are doing this. If there is a rainout and we have enough attempts, than we do not go home."
About European sponsorship: "My goal is opening the door for European companies to NASCAR. I really want to do that. I want to let people know more and more, how good it is for sponsors and how much exposure you can get."
About Jimmie Johnson: "Jimmie is a friend of mine. I know Jimmie since 1995, a lot before he started to drive for Mr. Hendrick, when he was just an off-road-racer. Hendrick is the Ferrari or McLaren of NASCAR. Mainly because of the incredible quality of the people they have. Jimmie has a tremendous talent. Jimmie is one of the drivers, that are born just every ten years."
About Danica Patrick: "I wish for the sport, that she will make it. It would be good for the sport, to have a girl running and Danica has a lot of following. For sure she is doing it in the right way with a top-team like JR Motorsports that is basically Hendrick Motorsports. But doing it part-time, I don't think, that's the right way doing it. NASCAR is a lifestyle and you need to live and breathe this kind of work, to be able to be competitive. My suggestion to Danica would be: If you really want to do it, just dedicate yourself onto that."
See the full interview/article, in German, at Motorsport-Total.com or see the English version translated at Google(1-18-2010)

Bootie to remain with Papis rest of 2009: On Tuesday [9-15] #13-Max Papis told Sirius NASCAR Radio Channel 128, Sirius Speedway radio show that former Michael Waltrip Racing crewchief Robert "Bootie" Barker will be working on his racecar for the remainder of the 2009 season. "Bootie works for MWR, and our team is obviously affiliated with them," said Papis. "They have been kind enough to let us use him for the remainder of the season, and he will be working with Ryan Coniam and the GEICO team to try and make us better."(9-16-2009)

Bootie back on the pit box: Bootie Barker, replaced as #55-Michael Waltrip's crew after Bristol by Gene Nead, is back in the Sprint Cup garage as a crew chief. Barker remains with Michael Waltrip Racing and is on loan to #13-Max Papis and Germain Racing. Recall that Germain Racing and MWR have a technical alliance.(Virginian Pilot), no word on what is up with Peter Sospenzo, who was named as the #13 crew chief in June.(9-5-2009)