page_title: Germain Racing
section_title: Car No. 13 history
hierarchical_section_title: Germain Racing / NASCAR Cup Series / Car No. 13 history
caption_attribution_description: English: (Joseph Tregembo-Photographer)
context_page_description: Germain Racing is an American professional stock car racing team that currently competes in the NASCAR Cup Series. It is owned by Bob Germain, whose family owns many car dealerships across the United States as Germain Motor Company. The team currently fields the No. 13 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 1LE full-time for Ty Dillon. The team previously fielded the No. 03, No. 9, No. 30, No. 62 and No. 77 Toyota Tundras in the Camping World Truck Series and the No. 7 and No. 15 Toyota Camry in the NASCAR Xfinity Series. Previously, the team had been affiliated with Arnold Motorsports, a former Cup Series team, until the 2005 season as Germain-Arnold Racing.
  After fielding Toyotas for most of its history, the team fielded Ford Fusions in 2012 and 2013. Then in 2014, the team switched to Chevrolet, ending a two-year partnership with Ford, and formed a technical alliance with Richard Childress Racing.
context_section_description: Max Papis (2008-2010)
  Germain entered into Sprint Cup racing through a technical alliance with Michael Waltrip Racing (MWR) beginning with two races during the 2008 season, with MWR supplying Toyota Camrys and technical support for Germain and driver Max Papis.  Papis had previously driven for MWR vice president Cal Wells in the CART series.
  In 2009, Germain Racing attempted to run a limited schedule in the Sprint Cup Series with Papis driving the No. 13 with sponsor GEICO. The team qualified for 15 races in 21 attempts. Germain planned to run full-time in 2010, but it was required to start and park some  events due to its limited sponsorship from GEICO and lack of additional sponsorship.
    In the first event of the 2010 season, Papis qualified for the Daytona 500, where he was involved in an early wreck before finishing 40th due to engine woes. After Watkins Glen, the team announced that Papis would be replaced and reassigned to the Camping World Truck Series. Max Papis ran the following week Michigan in a start and park effort, the following week Casey Mears took over as the full-time driver at Bristol in another start and park effort. Papis ran 17 races in 2010, with 10 DNFs and 5 DNQs. Mears then finished out the 2010 season starting and parking in some events.
  Casey Mears (2010-2016)
  For 2011, Germain Racing announced that Mears would take over the ride full-time for the 2011 season.  Mears and the team missed the Daytona 500, but no other events.  The team finished 32nd in owners points.
  On January 6, 2012, Germain Racing announced that Mears would return as the driver of the No. 13 GEICO Ford Fusion. GEICO is signed with the team through 2014. Mears led during the middle portions at Talladega, but crashed out. He finished 29th in points.
  The team had a rebound year in 2013 with 1 Top 10 at Daytona and 7 Top 15s. Mears also improved to 24th in the standings, his best finish in the points since 2009. GEICO also plans to sponsor the team full season next year as well.
  In 2014, Germain formed a partnership with Richard Childress Racing to field Chevrolets. Mears had previously driven for RCR in 2009. The team started the new season off with a top-10 when Mears finished 10th in the 2014 Daytona 500. Mears eventually recorded fourteen top-20s and three top-10s during the season, and finished 26th in driver points, although on a much more competitive landscape than the 24th place in 2013.
  Mears began 2015 with a 6th-place finish in the Daytona 500. It was the team's 4th consecutive top-10 finish at Daytona. In 2016, it was announced that Ty Dillon would replace Mears in the No. 13 starting in 2017. Mears found a ride by driving part-time with Biagi-DenBeste Racing in the 98 GEICO Military car.
  Ty Dillon (2017–present)
  On November 28, 2016, Ty Dillon was named the new driver for the No. 13 car for the 2017 season. In the 2017 offseason, Twisted Tea came onboard for four races, the first time Germain had two sponsors on the same car in a year.  After running solidly in 2017, Dillon's best runs included Dover where he was fourth on a late restart only to be taken out by his teammate by alliance Ryan Newman. He also led very late in the 2017 Coke Zero 400 where he got shuffled and finished 16th. Dillon's 2018 season was mediocre at most, with sixth place at the 2018 Coke Zero Sugar 400 being his highest finish.
  Dillon started his 2019 season with a sixth-place finish at the 2019 Daytona 500. He also scored his first stage win at the spring Bristol race.
  On August 26, 2019, crew chief Matt Borland was indefinitely suspended for violating NASCAR's Substance Abuse Policy. Germain Racing confirmed that Justin Alexander, who serves as crew chief for the part-time No. 21 Xfinity Series car for Richard Childress Racing (who Germain has an alliance with), served as interim crew chief beginning at Darlington and until Borland's suspension was lifted. On September 24, NASCAR reinstated Borland after he completed the Road to Recovery Program.
caption: The Germain Race Shop, located in Mooresville, North Carolina in November 2016.
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