MAX PAPIS JOINS DICK JOHNSON RACING FOR THE GOLD COAST 600
By Max Papis Racing | April 11, 2012 at 11:18 amDICK JOHNSON RACING ANNOUNCES ENDURANCE AND GOLD COAST CO-DRIVER LINE UPS
Stapylton, QLD: Dick Johnson Racing (DJR) today made the exciting announcement of their 2012 Season of Endurance and Gold Coast co-drivers. Read More..
Max Papis Wearing Commemorative 50th Anniversary Rolex 24 TLD Helmet
By Max Papis Racing | January 26, 2012 at 1:03 pmMOORESVILLE, NC (January 26, 2011) – This weekend will mark Max Papis’ 16th start in the Rolex 24 at Daytona. Read More..
Max Papis will be driving the 54 RACING ELECTRONICS Legends Car at Charlotte Motor Speedway
By Max Papis Racing | January 12, 2012 at 8:55 amBruce Silver Racing announced late Wednesday that NASCAR Driver Max Papis will be driving the 54 RACING ELECTRONICS Legends Car in the Masters Division this weekend at Charlotte Motor Speedway. In a business meeting earlier this week, Max mentioned to Bruce that he really wanted drive a Legends Car on the Road Course. He had driven a Legends Car once before on an oval. Wednesday evening, Max was fitted into the 54 Car at 860 Motorsports, which sets up the cars for Bruce Silver Racing. Bruce Silver, Gregory Lang and TJ Larsen will be driving other Bruce Silver Racing cars sponsored by RACING ELECTRONICS with 860 Motorsports setup.
Max Papis Records Top 15 With Late Race Surge At Texas 11-4-11
By Max Papis Racing | November 7, 2011 at 8:44 amMAX PAPIS RECORDS TOP 15 WITH LATE RACE SURGE AT TEXAS
FORT WORTH, Texas (November 4, 2011) – The NASCAR Camping World Truck Series returned to Texas Motor Speedway for the second time this season for the running of the WinStar World Casino 350k on Friday night. Max Papis and the No. 9 GEICO Racing team entered the Lone Star State with a good basis of information, as the Toyota finished the summer event in the top-15. After struggling a tad with the handling in the opening stages of the 147-lap race, Papis dodged numerous accidents and charged late to cross the finish line in the 14th position.
“I’m glad we were able to get a 14th-place finish,” said Papis. “The handling wasn’t exactly how we wanted it, but the GEICO team never gave up. We kept working on it and were able to finish in the top-15. There is one more race to see what we can do. I think Homestead will be a great ending to our season.”
The green flag waved shortly after 8pm Eastern on Friday night, amid bright lights and cool temperatures. With his 24th-place qualifying effort, Papis quickly moved his way into the top-20 by lap eight. The first caution was displayed on lap 15 for an accident between Kyle Busch and Ron Hornaday. Crew chief Randy Goss brought Papis to pit road for fuel and adjustments.
On lap 21, Papis restarted from the 17th position, but less than one lap later, Germain Racing teammate Brendan Gaughan had transmission issues to bring out the second yellow flag. After the fluid was cleaned up, Papis took off from 16th-place on lap 27.
The handling of the GEICO Toyota began to bother Papis as the Como, Italy native dropped a few positions before the third caution was seen on lap 34 for a spin in turn four. Goss radioed for his driver to return to pit road for fresh tires, fuel, and adjustments. With varying pit strategies up and down pit road, Papis took off from the 23rd position.
Papis patiently ran in the same position for the next 20 laps and avoided a two-truck accident directly in front of the No. 9 Tundra. The GEICO team serviced Papis on pit road, changing tires, fuel, and making adjustments, before restarting from 17th-place on lap 64.
A green-flag period ensued as the field began to spread out around the Fort Worth track. Papis held his position during this run despite the handling of the truck causing challenges for the driver. Another multi-truck wreck occurred in turn two on lap 99, bringing out the fifth caution. Papis brought his GEICO Toyota to pit road for the final stop of the night for tires, fuel, and adjustments.
Restarting from 19th-place on lap 104, Papis gained two places to move into the 17th position by lap 135. With only five laps remaining, a fellow competitors’ engine blew on the racing surface forcing NASCAR to display the caution on lap 142.
The green-white-checkered finish began on lap 147 and over the final two laps, Papis gained three positions to cross the finish line in 14th-place.
Papis currently sits in 18th-place in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series driver championship point standings. The GEICO Racing driver is 19 points behind Miguel Paludo who holds the 17th position.
The Truck Series returns to action in two weeks for the season finale on Friday, November 18th at Homestead-Miami Speedway. Watch the action live on SPEED Channel at 8 p.m. ET.
A STOCK CAR DRIVEN BY MAX PAPIS FOR THE FIRST TIME IN ITALY AT THE MONZA RALLY SHOW FROM THE 25 TO THE 27 NOVEMBER 2011
By Max Papis Racing | November 3, 2011 at 2:21 pmA STOCK CAR DRIVEN BY MAX PAPIS FOR THE FIRST TIME IN ITALY AT THE MONZA RALLY SHOW FROM THE 25 TO THE 27 NOVEMBER 2011
Mooresville, North Carolina, USA (November 2, 2011) – Max Papis Racing is proud to announce that Max Papis will be driving a NASCAR Sprint Cup Series car at the annual Monza Rally Show in Monza, Italy. The historic event takes place from November 25 – 27 at the challenging 3.6 mile course.
The Monza Rally Show is a traditional event held every year bringing together the best drivers from different forms of motor sports such as Rally, Sportscar and MotoGP compete in a unique event at the historic Italian track. The event attracts tens of thousands of fans due to the presence of professional athletes from the motor sports world including Valentino Rossi, Dindo Capello and many more who put on an incredible show.
A NASCAR Sprint Cup Series car will make its Italian debut at the Monza Rally Show and will be driven by Max Papis. The stock car, provided and prepared by Joe Gibbs Racing, will have 2 seats for this special occasion allowing Max to give special guests a thrilling lap around the track in a NASCAR stock car.
“I am extremely happy to have worked together with my team, NASCAR and of the track of Monza to bring for the first time a NASCAR stock car to Italy,” says Papis. “It will be an incredible show and I can’t wait to show why this American sport is so special and share this special moment with the Italian fans.
I am looking forward in seeing a large number of fans during the event to listen to the incredible sound of the V8 and to participate in a charity auction and the possibility to be my passenger for a lap. The passion for racing is the same all around the world, but with these cars it’s really unique and I want the fans to feel that.
A special thanks to NASCAR, Autodromo Nazionale Monza, Joe Gibbs Racing, Goodyear Tires and all the sponsors who have made this project possible. Thank you in particular to all the fans, who with their passion have encouraged me to put all the effort together to take a NASCAR Sprint Cup Car to Italy for the first time.”
About Max Papis –
Massimiliano Papis was born October 3, 1969 in Como, Italy and now lives in Mooresville, NC, USA with wife Tatiana, sons Marco & Matteo and a few pets.
Max is one of the most versatile and accomplished race drivers in the world. A professional who through his career combined natural talent with hard work, focus and sheer determination to win as he climbed over each step, surpassing his limits and building an impressive résumé in the process.
In 1996, fresh out of Formula 1, young Max Papis came to America and made an immediate impact in the driving circles at the end of a particularly tough Daytona 24 Hours. At the wheel of a mended factory Ferrari prototype, Max put on a very spirited, ‘never-say-die’ drive to chase the leaders, which earned him the nickname “Mad Max” Papis. It has stuck ever since, and he has honored it taking part in 113 IndyCar Races with 3 victories and 15 podiums, winning the Grand Am Sportscar Championship in 2004 with Team Ganassi. Papis has participated in multiple 24-hour races and won the legendary 24 Hours of Daytona two times in 2000 and 2002). He has seven podium finishes in Le Mans and Daytona and won both the 12 Hour of Sebring and the Petit Le Mans for Corvette Racing two times. He won the SCCA GT Championship with Cadillac and became the first Italian after Mario Andretti to race full time in NASCAR. Max’s best result in NASCAR was a second place finish in 2010 Nationwide Series race in Montreal.
At a more personal level, Max is a man who is dedicated to his family, an avid cyclist, fitness enthusiast and committed to the causes that matter and touch him closely, such as the battle against cancer.
Max Papis Racing
10855 NW 33rd Street – Miami, FL – 33172 – USA
Matteo Vecchi – +1.704.746.8061 – matteo@maxpapis.com
www.maxpapis.com
Martinsville Accident Ruins Max Papis’ Career-Best Effort 10-29-11
By Max Papis Racing | October 31, 2011 at 3:14 pmMARTINSVILLE ACCIDENT RUINS MAX PAPIS’ CAREER-BEST EFFORT
RIDGEWAY, Va. (October 29, 2011) – After finishing in 10th-place one week ago at Talladega Superspeedway, Max Papis and the No. 9 GEICO Racing team entered Martinsville Speedway with momentum on their side. With only three races remaining in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series season, the Germain Racing team looked to continue their goal of finishing inside the top-10 in each of the final events. Saturday’s race at the ‘paperclip’ looked to be headed in that direction before an accident on lap 130 quickly ended those hopes.
After rain showers cancelled the majority of Friday’s practice session for the Truck Series, Papis and Crew Chief Randy Goss relied on their set-up package from the spring race. The weather began to cooperate late Saturday morning, allowing Papis to qualify his No. 9 GEICO Toyota. The Italian clocked a solid lap of 20.014 seconds (94.614 mph) to place his machine in the 15th starting position.
As soon as the green flag waved, shortly after 2 p.m. ET, Goss reminded Papis to establish a solid rhythm for the 200-lap race. The Como, Italy, native moved into 13th-place, as the first caution slowed the field on lap 39. Goss elected to bring Papis down pit road for four fresh tires, fuel, and a track bar adjustment. With varying strategies up and down pit road, the GEICO machine restarted in the 17th position on lap 43.
By lap 70, Papis had driven his way up to 14th-place and was using patience, as over half the race remained. A caution was displayed on lap 87 for a single-truck accident in turn four. Goss once again called Papis to pit road for right-side tires, fuel, and a track bar adjustment as the GEICO Toyota had responded positively to the previous changes.
Papis took off from the 14th position on lap 93 and after another quick caution, the No. 9 Tundra moved into sixth-place on lap 109. Two short laps later, Papis took over the fifth position. Over the next 20 laps, Papis and the GEICO Toyota continued to gain ground on the track and were en route to their career-best finish in NASCAR.
The good fortune quickly took a turn for the worse on lap 132 as Papis received contact from teammate Todd Bodine, while both trucks were running solidly in the top-five. Papis stayed on the racetrack while the majority of the field pitted to restart on lap 138 from 10th-place.
On lap 147, the bad luck continued for Papis as the No. 9 GEICO truck spun in turn three to bring out a yellow flag. Goss brought his driver to pit road for four tires, fuel, and repairs. Over the final 50 laps, Papis worked to salvage a respectable finish, but the damage sustained was too much and the truck crossed the finish line in the 18th position.
“It’s part of Martinsville racing,” said Papis after the race. “It’s just disappointing because I wasn’t expecting to get contact from a teammate. We had a great run going and it was going to be my best run of my career (in NASCAR). My team deserves better and it’s disappointing. There are two races left in the season and the GEICO team will keep trying to get the best finishes we can.”
Papis currently sits in 18th-place in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series driver championship point standings. The GEICO Racing driver is 14 points behind Miguel Paludo who holds the 17th position.
The NASCAR Camping World Truck Series returns to action this Friday, November 4th for the running of the WinStar World Casino 350k at Texas Motor Speedway. Watch the action live on SPEED Channel at 8 p.m. ET.
Heavy Heart Propels Max Papis To Top 10 Finish In Talladega
By Max Papis Racing | October 24, 2011 at 8:52 amHEAVY HEART PROPELS MAX PAPIS TO TOP 10 FINISH IN TALLADEGA
Talladega, AL (October 22, 2011) – Max Papis traveled to Talladega this weekend with a heavy heart and mind. A week removed from watching his friend Dan Wheldon lose his life in a 15-car crash in the Las Vegas IndyCar race, he spent the bulk of his week reflecting on the driver for whom he had such great respect. Talladega offered Papis the opportunity to honor his friend by turning in a performance worthy of Wheldon’s approval.
Papis and his #9 GEICO Toyota Tundra took to the high banks of Talladega on Friday morning and quickly shot to the top of the speed charts, landing 12th on the board by the close of the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series’ sole practice session. He would later take to the legendary superspeedway for qualifying, pacing the 2.66-mile tri-oval in just 55.240 seconds, at a rate of speed of 173.353 miles per hour. His effort would be good enough for a 23rd starting position for Saturday’s Coca-Cola 250 powered by fred’s.
Talladega Superspeedway welcomed the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series with blue skies, perfect temperatures and a large crowd. Papis’ #9 GEICO Tundra carried a special decal to honor Dan Wheldon, Wheldon’s wife Susie and their two sons Sebastian and Oliver. Papis gracefully strolled down pit road and seemed at peace as he thought of his IndyCar friends who were in attendance at Wheldon’s funeral in St. Petersburg on Saturday morning. Papis’ heart undoubtedly was with his friends at the funeral, but he knew that if Wheldon were with us today, he would demand that Papis strap into his #9 Tundra and go racing.
With Wheldon on his heart and on his truck, Papis took the green flag and settled in for what would be one of the most exciting races of the 2011 Truck Series season. Starting 23rd, Papis would initially drop two spots to 25th on the opening lap. But just two laps later, he recovered three positions and moved the #9 GEICO Tundra into the 22nd position.
Papis would move as high as 11th on lap five before the event’s first caution flag of the day was displayed on lap 12. Papis took the opportunity to visit pit road for four fresh Goodyear tires and a full tank of Sunoco racing fuel.
The green flag once again turned the field loose on lap 17. After coming down pit road in the 14th position, the Germain Racing pit crew produced a quick stop and allowed Papis to restart the race from the 10th spot, netting four positions on pit road. Once Papis arrived in the Top 10, it seemed as though he drove a stake in the ground and refused to leave.
Aside from dropping to 11th for a single lap on lap 33, Papis and the #9 GEICO Tundra ran solidly in the Top 10 for the entire afternoon. Lap 54 saw him enter the Top 5 when he moved into the 5th position. After a caution on lap 59, Papis restarted in the 6th position, but before a single lap was logged, he moved the GEICO Tundra into 3rd.
Throughout the afternoon, crew chief Randy Goss would exchange thoughts on strategy with Papis and the pair collectively devised a plan that would keep the #9 GEICO Tundra at the front of the field. Papis never wavered from the plan and sounded calm and collected on the team’s radio frequency.
As the race began to wind down, Papis was riding in the 7th position when the #84 truck of Chris Fontaine found the wall on the backstretch with just ten laps remaining in the race. With just six laps left in the advertised distance, Papis restarted the race from the 6th position before another caution flag immediately slowed the field. He managed his time wisely, notching two positions and moving up to fourth before the yellow came out.
Only three laps remained when the Truck Series field took the final green flag of the afternoon. Although Papis restarted in the 4th position, he was left without a dance partner and the #9 GEICO Tundra would be hung out to dry. Despite having to survive the final three laps on his own, Papis battled hard and managed a 10th place finish, recording his second Top 10 finish of the 2011 season.
“That was a lot of fun today and the GEICO team did a great job of keeping me up front,” Papis said with his trademark smile. “And today we earned it because we did it without a lot of help. Randy (Goss, crew chief) and I decided to stick to our plan and it worked. I’m very happy I was able to keep the #9 GEICO Tundra up front all day. Thanks also to my Germain Racing pit crew who did a great job of getting me out of the pits quickly. On that last restart we were riding fourth and I thought we might have a shot at the win.”
He continued, “It was hard to be here today knowing that many of my friends were in St. Petersburg for the funeral of Dan Wheldon. But, I know if Dan could talk to me he would tell me to get my butt in the truck and go race. I hope I made him proud today.”
Next week, the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series will return to Martinsville Speedway, the site of Papis’ first Top 10 finish of the 2011 season.
Papis and the #9 GEICO Toyota Tundra will hit the 1/2-mile paperclip-shaped oval for the opening practice session on Friday, October 28th, at 11:00 AM (ET). Qualifying will follow on Saturday, October 29th, at 10:40 AM (ET).
The Kroger 200 NASCAR Camping World Truck Series race is on Saturday, October 29th, and it will be televised live on SPEED beginning at 2:00 PM (ET). The Motor Racing Network (MRN) will carry the live radio broadcast.
PAPIS FALLS VICTIM TO ROOKIE’S MISTAKE IN LAS VEGAS
By Max Papis Racing | October 17, 2011 at 10:05 amLas Vegas, NV (October 15, 2011) – As the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series season begins to wind down, Max Papis and the GEICO team arrived in Las Vegas hoping to capture that ever elusive win. With just five races remaining on the 2011 schedule, Papis seemed poised as practice began on Friday morning.
When the opening practice session concluded, Papis rested in the 22nd position on the speed chart, while final practice saw Mad Max improve one position to 21st. When Papis and the #9 GEICO Toyota Tundra took to the track for qualifying late Friday afternoon, the wily veteran zipped around the 1.5-mile D-shaped oval with relative ease, netting a 15th place starting position for his efforts.
Race day greeted the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series with clear skies, bright sunshine and 90-degree temperatures. Rolling off the starting grid from the 15th position, Papis aimed to navigate the #9 GEICO Tundra to the front of the field.
When the green flag waved on Saturday afternoon, Papis wasted little time charting his course. Before the close of the opening lap, he moved into 14th position and was closing in on the front of the field. The first of ten caution flags set the field under caution on just the second lap when Austin Dillon found himself against the wall.
After restarting 14th on Lap 6, Papis once again began to hustle his way through the field and found himself flirting with the Top 10 just before the event’s second caution flag of the day was displayed on Lap 11. Crew chief Randy Goss ordered the #9 GEICO Tundra down pit road for service under caution, causing Papis to surrender his track position. After taking on four tires, fuel and adjustments, Papis rejoined the field in the 19th position when the race went back to green on Lap 15.
Just a few laps later, on lap 21, rookie Max Gresham got loose and before he could do anything about it, he dashed the hopes of Papis and his GEICO team when his #66 truck collected the GEICO Tundra, causing heavy right front damage. Papis would need to pull his truck behind the wall in order to allow the Germain Racing pit crew to provide him with the necessary repairs.
Papis and the #9 GEICO Tundra would not return to the racetrack until Lap 50, but three laps later he was back in the garage for more repairs. He would make one more attempt to return to the race, but by Lap 64 Goss instructed Papis to take it to the garage and load it up.
Papis encountered Gresham in the garage area, but offered grace rather than a lecture.
“He (Gresham) made a mistake, but we shouldn’t have been back there,” Papis said. “Those things happen when you’re in the back. It’s very tough to take today because our #9 GEICO Tundra felt good and we were fast and moving forward. Really proud of my guys on this Germain pit crew for working so hard to make the repairs and for giving me a chance to get back in the race. We’ll now get focused on Talladega and keep working hard to get that win that we deserve.”
Papis will be offered the opportunity to move forward quickly, as the GEICO team will pack up and head to Talladega, Alabama, next weekend.
Papis and the #9 GEICO Toyota Tundra will hit the 2.66-mile tri-oval of Talladega Superspeedway for the opening practice session at 10:30 AM (EDT) on Friday, October 21st. Qualifying will follow at 5:10 PM (EDT).
The Coca-Cola 250 powered by Fred’s NASCAR Camping World Truck Series race is on Saturday, October 22nd, and it will be televised live on SPEED beginning at 4:00 PM (EDT). The Motor Racing Network (MRN) will carry the live radio broadcast.
Tough Break Leaves Max Papis With A 28th Place Finish At Kentucky 10-1-11
By Max Papis Racing | October 4, 2011 at 8:56 amTOUGH BREAK LEAVES MAX PAPIS WITH A 28TH-PLACE FINISH AT KENTUCKY
SPARTA, Ky. (October 1, 2011) – Max Papis and the GEICO Toyota team carried an optimistic outlook into Kentucky Speedway for Saturday night’s NASCAR Camping World Truck Series event. Looking to shake the bad luck that has plagued the Germain Racing crew recently, Papis set realistic goals to achieve during the Kentucky 225. Unfortunately, just a short 50 laps into the event, the Italian driver was caught up in an accident, ending the night early for the No. 9 team.
“It’s a real big disappointment,” said Papis. “This GEICO team does not give up though and we will regroup in this off-week to head to Las Vegas stronger than ever. We only have a few races left in the Truck Series season and I really want to get back up front with this team. Hopefully the bad luck will turn around soon.”
After two successful practice sessions on Friday night, Papis took to the track Saturday afternoon for his qualifying attempt. The GEICO Toyota clocked a solid lap to place Papis in the 22nd starting position. Shortly after 8 p.m. ET under chilly conditions, the green flag waved to start the 150-lap race.
Papis gained five positions and moved into 17th-place by lap five, when the first caution slowed the pace of the field for an accident in turn two. The Como, Italy native reported to crew chief Randy Goss that the GEICO Tundra was “hitting the splitter in turn one and a little loose in turn three.” After a lengthy caution for clean up, Papis restarted from the 16th position on lap 13.
The second yellow flag came on lap 22 for a single-truck wreck in turn three. Papis’ Toyota had developed a tight handling condition entering the corner. Goss called his driver to the attention of the GEICO team for four tires, fuel, and adjustments. With varying strategies up and down pit road, Papis took off from 20th-place on lap 26.
While the adjustments helped Papis, the GEICO Toyota began to hit the splitter on the entrance into turn one and turn three, hindering the driver from gaining positions. When the third caution was displayed on lap 42 for a single-truck spin in turn two, Papis returned to pit road for fuel and adjustments only. The different strategies continued as most of the leaders took tires, which placed Papis in the 12th position on the lap 47 restart.
Bad luck struck on lap 50 as the two trucks of Parker Kligerman and Miguel Paludo spun in front of the No. 9 Toyota. Papis tried to drive between the two trucks to clear the accident, but Kligerman’s truck came down the racetrack and clipped the right side of the GEICO machine. The result was significant damage, forcing the #9 GEICO Tundra to head to the garage for repairs. After fixing the truck, Papis completed one lap to gain a position before returning to the hauler. At the conclusion of the 225-mile event, Papis was left with a 28th-place finish.
With the unfortunate early ending, Papis now sits in the 18th position in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series driver championship point standings. He rests just two points behind 17th-place Jason White.
The GEICO team will take a one-week break before returning to racing action at Las Vegas Motor Speedway on Saturday, October 15th. Watch all the action live on SPEED Channel beginning at 3:30 p.m. ET.
Max Papis Nets 14th Top 20 Finish Of 2011 Season At Loudon 9-24-11
By Max Papis Racing | September 26, 2011 at 11:09 amMAX PAPIS NETS 14TH TOP-20 FINISH OF 2011 SEASON AT LOUDON
LOUDON, N.H. (September 24, 2011) – As time winds down on the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series’ 2011 season, Max Papis and the GEICO Racing team look to finish strong over the final seven races. In a year that started out at Daytona with a finish just outside the top-10, Papis and his Germain Racing crew continue to battle hard to maintain their consistency. During Saturday afternoon’s F.W. Webb 175 at New Hampshire Motor Speedway, the Italian faced handling issues with his No. 9 GEICO Toyota Tundra but managed to bring home a 20th-place finish. This was Papis’ 14th top-20 effort of the season.
“The GEICO Toyota was really loose during the first part of the fuel run,” said Papis. “As we got farther in, the handling got better and we were able to make up some ground. But since the race only had a couple of cautions, it was tough to have time to make adjustments. It’s frustrating because I thought we were going to be a little better than that during the race. We will keep fighting though and look to finish this season strong.”
With overcast skies looming, Papis completed his qualifying effort at the 1.058-mile oval on Saturday morning. The Como, Italy native clocked a lap of 29.675 seconds (128.350 mph) to lock in the 13th starting position. A few short hours later at 3 p.m. ET, Papis and his GEICO Racing crew were ready for 175 laps of hard racing. Quickly, Papis reported that his Toyota Tundra was “loose all around” and by lap 35, the Gecko had become “better on entry, but still loose off.” As the field was starting to contemplate green flag pit stops, the first caution was displayed for debris on lap 62.
Papis came to the attention of his pit crew under caution for four tires, fuel, and adjustments to help the handling. The GEICO Racing machine restarted on lap 66 from the 19th position. After a short five laps of racing, the second caution slowed the field as debris was in the turn three racing groove. Papis reported to crew chief Randy Goss that the truck had become worse, so the GEICO team used this opportunity to return to pit road for additional adjustments.
On the lap 74 restart, Papis held the 18th position. In an uncharacteristic fashion, the remaining 100 laps went caution-free forcing teams to play strategy at the end of the race. With one more pit stop necessary for fuel, some leaders took two tires with others taking four. Papis hit pit road around lap 125 for tires, fuel, and a final set of adjustments. With 25 laps remaining, Papis was scored in the 21st position. Over the final laps, the GEICO Toyota moved into the top-20 to cross the finish line in 20th-place.
With only six races left in the 2011 season, Papis currently sits in 16th-place in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series driver championship point standings. ‘Mad Max’ is nine points behind Justin Lofton who holds the 15th position. The Truck Series returns to action this Saturday, October 1st for the running of the Kentucky 225 at Kentucky Speedway. Watch the action live on SPEED Channel at 8 p.m. ET.