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Top-15 Finish for Texaco/Havoline Team in Lone Star State
FORT WORTH, Tex. (April 9, 2006) --- The No. 42 Dodge Charger carried the Texaco Star proudly to a 14th-place finish at Texas Motor Speedway on Sunday. Texaco/Havoline driver Casey Mears remains in the NASCAR Top 10 after the top-15 finish.
"Texas has always been a good track for me," said Mears. "While a 14th-place isn't bad, we thought we would finish better today. The Texaco/Havoline Dodge was pretty good on the long runs, but it was so hard to pass out there today. We got stuck running between 13th and 19th and just maintained most of the day, we couldn't move up."
Mears started the 334-lap event from the 20th position after his qualifying effort on Friday. He struggled in the race with the same issue he had in the Saturday practice sessions, loose into the corner and tight from the center off the corner.
It appeared at the start of the Samsung/Radio Shack 500 that Mears was poised for another top-five finish at the 1.5-mile speedway. After just 10 laps, he had passed five cars and was already sitting in the top 15. However, the No. 42 Dodge Charger would run around the 15th spot until green-flag pit stops began on lap 55. Crew chief Donnie Wingo called Mears down pit road on lap 57 for an air pressure adjustment, fresh tires and fuel.
Pit stops were completed by lap 61 and the Texaco/Havoline Dodge was sitting 17th. The caution flag finally waved on lap 64 and Mears was still having trouble off the corner. The No. 42 crew made a wedge adjustment, changed four tires and packed the red and black Dodge Charger full of fuel before sending Mears back out onto the track.
Racing resumed on lap 68 with Mears holding strong in the 17th position. He gained two spots before the yellow flag was displayed again for a single-car incident on lap 82. With just 20 cars on the lead lap, Wingo told Mears to bring the car back down pit road for tires and fuel. NASCAR red flagged the race on lap 86 for 10 minutes to repair a damaged wall before racing resumed on lap 89.
Mears slipped back to 19th on lap 106 complaining the car was too loose on entry. However, as the green-flag run continued he was able to pick off his competitors one-by-one and was up to 13th on lap 143. The caution flag waved again on lap 147 and the Texaco/Havoline crew jumped over the wall for routine service on the No. 42 Dodge.
The team continued to make slight changes to the car as the caution flags waved, while Mears ran around the 17th position for the next 53 laps. He had a close call on the track on lap 200 when the No. 5 car dove inside of a lapped car. The No. 5 car went into the grass, slipped up the track in front of the No. 42. Mears got sideways trying to avoid the car, but saved the Texaco/Havoline Dodge from hitting the outside wall. Behind him, the No. 12 car checked up, was hit from behind and slapped the wall bringing out the caution flag. Mears joked with Wingo on the radio that he needed to add 10 laps to the age of the tires after making the save.
Wingo told Mears to bring the car down pit road on lap 202 to the attention of the crew for tires and fuel while most of the field remained on the track. Racing resumed on lap 219 with the Texaco/Havoline Dodge in 19th. Mears again raced his way up to 13th on lap 271, but still had no front grip. Green-flag pit stops began on lap 311, but just before Wingo called Mears down pit road the caution flag waved.
The No. 42 crew made an air pressure adjustment, fitted the car with tires and filled it with fuel on lap 314 for the final 20 laps of the race. Racing resumed on lap 317 with Mears in 15th. He passed the No. 07 car in the closing laps to finish the race in the 14th position.
The Texaco/Havoline team remains 10th in the NASCAR NEXTEL Cup point standings after seven races. Mears' Chip Ganassi Racing with Felix Sabates teammates Reed Sorenson and David Stremme finished 13th and 21st respectively.
On Saturday, Mears piloted the No. 42 Texaco/Havoline NASCAR Busch Series entry to a third-place finish with new crew chief Brad Parrott.
The team has the upcoming weekend off before heading to Phoenix International Raceway. Mears will once again compete in both the Busch Series and NEXTEL Cup Series races.
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