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Texaco/Havoline Team Gets Back On Track
with Top 10 Finish at Michigan
BROOKLYN, Mich. (June 18, 2006) --- After starting 37th, Casey Mears and the Texaco/Havoline team picked up 30 positions in the rain-shortened race at Michigan International Speedway to earn their fourth top-10 finish of the season. Mears gained one spot in the NASCAR NEXTEL Cup standings, and now sits 14th just 153 points out of 10th.
"I'm really proud of everyone on the Texaco/Havoline team today," said Mears. "We struggled in practice and qualifying, and the team made a ton of changes to the car. Donnie made great pit calls today and put us in contention to battle for a top-five finish. The pit crew was solid all day and never lost a spot on pit road. I think if we had just five more laps we could have finished in the top five."
Casey Mears drives the #42 Texaco/Havoline Dodge during the NASCAR Nextel Cup Series 3M Performance 400 on June 18, 2006 at Michigan International Speedway in Brooklyn, Michigan. (Photo by Chris Stanford/Getty Images)
Mears qualified the No. 42 Dodge Charger in the 37th position on Friday. The team struggled to find a good balance on the car during the two Saturday practices, but made some major adjustments to the car before the start of the 3M Performance 400. The green flag was delayed shortly due to rain showers, but Mears quickly began working his way through the field once the race got underway. The first of nine cautions waved on lap three and the Texaco/Havoline Dodge had already gained five spots. Racing resumed on lap six, but competition only lasted four laps before a light drizzle brought out the yellow flag again.
Crew Chief Donnie Wingo called Mears down pit road for four tires and fuel. When the green flag waved on lap 17, Mears was sitting 32nd. The No. 20 car went spinning in front of Mears on lap 22 bringing out the third caution of the day. Wingo told Mears to remain on the track while most of the leaders pitted. Mears lined up in the third spot for the restart on the lap 25. Mears told the Texaco/Havoline team that the car was very loose in Turns 1 and 2, so when the yellow was displayed on lap 30 he came down pit road for four tires and an air pressure adjustment out of the right rear.
Despite being on a different pit sequence than the leaders, Mears was now 18th for the restart on lap 35. He picked up five spots on the track in just 10 laps and was running 11th when the rain once again began falling over Michigan International Speedway. Mears told the team he couldn't run the high line, but was quick at the bottom of the track and the air pressure adjustment really helped him through the center of the corner. Wingo called him down pit road for four fresh tires and fuel. The team's quick stop kept Mears in 11th for the restart despite several team's taking right-side tires only.
Mears slipped back to 15th after the restart on lap 58, but worked his way into the top 10 on lap 66 when he passed the No. 11 car. The No. 17 car spun out on lap 67 bringing out the yellow flag yet again. Wingo decided to try taking on right-side tires only to gain track position and see how the Texaco/Havoline Dodge would handle. The green flag dropped on lap 70 and Mears was up to the fourth spot. He told Wingo the car was now extremely loose and did not handle well with two tires. The No. 99 car drove by Mears on lap 74 just before NASCAR called for the yellow flag to be displayed for debris on the track.
XThe team performed a 13-second stop on lap 80 while changing four tires and adding fuel. The red and black Dodge was 10th for restart on lap 84. At what should have been the midpoint of the race on lap 100, Mears was solidly running in the top 10. He took over the seventh position on lap 101 after passing the No. 25 car. The threat of rain came into play with pit strategies when the caution waved on lap 110. Wingo and Mears were in agreement that they needed to take on four fresh tires during the pit stop on lap 112. Mears was still seventh for the restart on lap 114.
Mears got into a side-by-side battle with the No. 48 car for several laps before rain forced NASCAR to throw the caution on lap 123. After running six laps under caution and a heavy rain storm, NASCAR called the race.
Mears' Chip Ganassi Racing with Felix Sabates teammates Reed Sorenson and David Stremme finished fifth and 19th respectively.
The Texaco/Havoline team heads to Sonoma, Calif., next weekend for the first road course race of the season.
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