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Mears Finishes 21st at Dover,
Slips to 13th in Standings
DOVER, Del. (June 4, 2006) --- "The Monster Mile" was anything but kind to Casey Mears and the Texaco/Havoline team. After running in the top 15 for most of the day, the No. 42 Dodge Charger got extremely tight over the last 100 laps and Mears fell back to finish 21st at Dover International Speedway. The finish also dropped the team from 11th to 13th in the NASCAR NEXTEL Cup standings.
Mears took the green flag for the 400-lap event from the 36th position on Sunday. The Texaco/Havoline Dodge started really loose, but Mears was able to maneuver his way up to 26th when the caution flag waved on lap 35. He brought the black and red Dodge down pit road for an air pressure adjustment, four tires and fuel. A quick stop by the Texaco/Havoline crew moved Mears up to 22nd for the restart on lap 41.
Casey Mears, driver of the #42 Ganassi Texaco/Havoline Dodge, has his crew work on his car during the Neighborhood Excellence 400 at the Dover International Speedway. (Photo by Streeter Lecka/Getty Images for NASCAR)
Mears continued his march up through the field and was sitting 20th by lap 74. He told crew chief Donnie Wingo that the car was getting tighter. By lap 100 there were only 32 cars on the lead lap and Mears was running 17th. The caution flag waved on lap 114 for debris, and Mears once again came down pit road for another air pressure adjustment, fresh tires and fuel. He would take the green flag for the restart in the 14th position.
Mears radioed Wingo on lap 135 to let him know the adjustment loosened the car up quite a bit. He took over 11th on lap 166 when he passed the No. 8 car. Green-flag pit stops began on lap 198, and Wingo called Mears down pit road on lap 206 for tires and fuel. After just four laps, Mears told the team the car was "wrecking loose" and asked what changes they made because the car was completely different. Wingo assured Mears the team didn't make any changes on the stop.
Mears moved into the top 10 on lap 215, but was still struggling with the car. When the yellow flag was displayed on lap 263, there were just 12 cars on lead lap. He brought the Texaco/Havoline Dodge down pit road for a chassis adjustment, an air pressure adjustment, four tires and fuel. When racing resumed on lap 269, the No. 42 Dodge was eighth.
Despite efforts to find a spot in the bottom groove by spotter Tab Boyd, Mears got caught on the outside above lapped traffic on the restart and fell back two spots to 10th. He maintained his position until the caution flag waved on lap 273. Mears told Wingo that the car was tighter and had no front grip. The team made a slight air pressure adjustment, and fitted the car with fresh tires. Racing resumed on lap 278 with 14 cars on the lead lap and the No. 42 running 12th.
After five laps under green, the caution waved yet again. Mears was still struggling with handling of the car, so Wingo called him back down pit road to go back on the chassis and air pressure adjustments. The car dropped before all five lug nuts were tightened on the rear of the car, so Mears had to come back down pit road. He was forced to the end of the longest line for the restart on lap 288.
The final 100 laps of the race would be both frustrating and disappointing for the team. The Texaco/Havoline Dodge was now extremely tight. Mears came down pit road on lap 300 after a two-car incident brought out the yellow flag. The crew made an air pressure adjustment, put on four fresh tires and packed the car full of fuel. Wingo called Mears back down pit road on lap 310 to top the car off with fuel.
Racing resumed on lap 312, but the car was still very tight. When the caution flag waved on lap 319, Wingo told Mears and his spotter to do the opposite of the leaders. Most of the front-runners stayed out on the track, so Mears brought the car down pit road for four tires and fuel. When the green flag waved on lap 327, the Texaco/Havoline car was 16th.
The No. 7 car spun on lap 344, bringing out the final caution of the day. With the leaders again remaining on the track, Wingo thought fresh tires would be an advantage over the final 50 laps of the race. Mears was 17th when racing resumed on lap 349. By lap 353, the Texaco/Havoline Dodge was 20th and Mears was really struggling with the tight-handling car. He held on over the closing laps to finish 21st, the final car on the lead lap.
Following the race, the team determined that two lug nuts were loose and may have contributed to the tight condition in the final stint of the race. The 21st-place finish dropped the team from 11th to 13th in the standings, 98 points out of 10th.
Mears Chip Ganassi Racing with Felix Sabates teammates Reed Sorenson and David Stremme finished 19th and 41st respectively.
The Texaco/Havoline team head to Pocono Raceway, the site of Mears first NEXTEL Cup pole, this weekend for the Pocono 500.
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