Motorsports FanHouse http://motorsports.fanhouse.com Motorsports FanHouse http://www.blogsmithmedia.com/http://motorsports.fanhouse.com/media/feedlogo.gif Motorsports FanHouse http://motorsports.fanhouse.com en-us Copyright 2009 Weblogs, Inc. The contents of this feed are available for non-commercial use only. Blogsmith http://www.blogsmith.com/Sprint Cup N's & Q's: Banking 500http://motorsports.fanhouse.com/2009/10/19/sprint-cup-ns-and-qs-banking-500/http://motorsports.fanhouse.com/2009/10/19/sprint-cup-ns-and-qs-banking-500/http://motorsports.fanhouse.com/2009/10/19/sprint-cup-ns-and-qs-banking-500/#commentsFiled under: , , , , ,

Kasey Kahne might have had the only car to really challenge Jimmie Johnson on the longer runs Saturday night at Lowe's Motor Speedway, but a late pit stop and a bad set of tires didn't let that situation play out.

"The tires we took on the last stop shook and didn't turn," said Kahne after the race in which he led 67 laps. "I guess that was our bad set for the night."

That didn't mean that Kahne was making excuses for coming up short with a third-place finish -- his best result since a win at Atlanta in September. Instead, he was stating the obvious.

"We were the best car at times, but the final run when it counted, we weren't," said Kahne. "Jimmie [Johnson] showed up and beat us all."

It seems that a mention in last week's N's & Q's provided a nice boost of momentum to Casey Mears again this week. (OK, maybe not...)

Anyways, Mears followed up an 11th-place finish last weekend at Auto Club Speedway with a 7th-place effort at LMS on Saturday night. LMS, of course, is the site of Mears' only career win in 2007.

Mears, though, was feeling that the finishes were finally starting to back up some strong race cars that didn't finish where they should have over the past few races.

"We've had some really strong runs over the last six races and we finally have the finish we deserve," said Mears. "We're really starting to click as a team and we're looking forward to carrying this momentum over to the final five races of the season."

Mears' teammate Clint Bowyer had the best night of the oft-struggling Richard Childress Racing group with a 6th-place finish -- a sign that the team is starting to turn the corner in terms of competitiveness. Unfortunately for Casey, though, team owner Richard Childress acknowledged this weekend that his No. 07 car is having trouble attracting sponsorship -- leaving the door open to the chance that Mears won't have a ride with RCR in 2010.

Current sponsor Jack Daniel's announced last month that they'll be leaving the sport at the end of the season.

The official stated attendance for Saturday night's Sprint Cup action at LMS was 105,000 -- a number that is dwarfed by the nearly endless grandstands around the 1.5-mile speedway.

But when you stop to think about the situation, it's not a big surprise that LMS was having trouble getting tickets sold to near capacity for the fall race. Not only was the weekend a cloudy, cold and often rainy mess, but the NASCAR Banking 500 was the third Sprint Cup event at the track this season when you count the Coca-Cola 600 and the Sprint All-Star Challenge.

Toss in the big NHRA weekend at the track and you're looking at a bunch of racing options that you're trying to get local fans to throw hefty amounts of money at to attend. Let's face it: this economy just isn't going to support such spending.

I'm not saying that the Charlotte market is oversaturated with racing or that the quality isn't there on the race track -- the end of Saturday night's race had me on the edge of my seat -- but that it's understandable that tickets aren't easy to sell at the moment.

News flash: Joey Logano is still, in fact, a rookie and a 19-year-old kid.

Just look at what Logano had to say after finishing fifth on Saturday night after a late-race duel with Jeff Gordon.

"I had a blast," said Logano. "Racing a world class champion race car driver like that, running door to door for a fourth-place finish -- that was a bunch of fun. It's still really cool to me. I'm still a rookie on this whole deal. To be racing Jeff Gordon, I never thought that day would happen."

It's kind of refreshing to know that he's still getting a kick out of turning laps with the best of the best, huh?

The top-five was Logano's best finish in the Sprint Cup Series since his win at Loudon in May.

Kurt Busch, fresh off a 10th-place finish at LMS, is starting to see a trend develop in NASCAR -- particularly in the first five races of the Chase for the Sprint Cup.

"You get into a marathon-type pace early on and then you have a 100-yard dash at the end," said Busch. "It's almost like clockwork."

Fortunately for NASCAR, they didn't have to endure any criticism for a phantom debris caution after Max Papis lost an engine latein Saturday night's race. That caution led to two more before a 20-or-so lap green flag stint to the finish.

Busch acknowledged that such a pattern makes it easier to know what a car will need to win at the end.

"The team that has the car to make that short run at the end is going to be successful," said Busch.

Based on their two Chase wins in 2009, it's apparent that Jimmie Johnson and Chad Knaus knew that beforehand.

Sprint Cup N's & Q's: Banking 500 originally appeared on Motorsports FanHouse on Mon, 19 Oct 2009 22:38:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

 

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]]>Geoffrey MillerMon, 19 Oct 2009 22:38:00 EST Sprint Cup N's & Q's: Pepsi 500http://motorsports.fanhouse.com/2009/10/13/sprint-cup-ns-and-qs-pepsi-500/http://motorsports.fanhouse.com/2009/10/13/sprint-cup-ns-and-qs-pepsi-500/http://motorsports.fanhouse.com/2009/10/13/sprint-cup-ns-and-qs-pepsi-500/#commentsFiled under: , , , ,

Tony Stewart Auto Club Speedway NASCAR Sprint CupTony Stewart may be working spots for Burger King at the moment, but at the end of Sunday's race, he was making chicken salad.

"It was making chicken salad out of chicken you know what," said Stewart after finishing 5th. "We were pretty fortunate to get a couple of breaks there when we needed them."

The 'breaks' Stewart was talking about including getting back on the lead lap after falling behind thanks to a miscue on pit road. You could also toss in the fact that he kept his Chase hopes alive by not taking a finish deep in the field.

Casey Mears has had a downright awful season in 2009, but it got a little bit better on Sunday.

Mears finished 11th in his Richard Childress Racing entry and could have had a little bit more before falling back during the late restarts. It was his best finish since a sixth at Michigan in August, and it left him just one spot away from recording his fourth top-10 of the season.

Chalk David Ragan up as a guy who finished a lot better than his season has gone so far. Ragan, in the Roush-Fenway Racing No. 6, finished seventh in the 500-miler -- just one spot behind teammate Carl Edwards.

"Certainly, that's not what we want as the 6 car," said Ragan. "We're not celebrating like it's a win, but a top-10 the way our season has been is certainly refreshing.

Unbelievably, the top-10 was just the second for Ragan in 2009 with the first coming after 6th-place run at the season-opener in Daytona. Last season, Ragan brought in six top-5's and 14 top-10's.

Joey Logano nabbed an unexpected win in Saturday's Nationwide Series race, but didn't have the same luck on Sunday at Auto Club Speedway.

"We made one pit stop and it went to crap," said a frank Logano. "I don't know what happened. We went junk and couldn't fix it. Eventually, we swung for the fence and it was too far, so we went to the other side of the fence and we started backing it back up from there. I don't know why we went good to complete junk like a light switch."

Logano's words echo the general description of NASCAR's Car of Tomorrow chassis for much its lifespan in the Sprint Cup Series. Simply, the handling characteristics are incredibly similar to walking on razor blades. One misstep can spell disaster.

Logano finished 14th.

David Gilliland got a first time experience Sunday when he hopped into Kyle Busch's No. 18 after Busch exited the car on lap 62 due to overwhelming flu-like symptoms. It was the first time all weekend that Gilliland had driven car, meaning it would be a tall task to get a handle on the race car in the middle of the action.

It didn't go too terribly, but didn't go great, either. Gilliland earned Busch a 24th-place finish.

"It was a little bit different. It was an experience, for sure," said Gilliland. "Without practicing it and stuff, we just never could get it right."

Gilliland had previously inked a deal with Joe Gibbs Racing to drive a fourth car in a few remaining races this season. The first of those races will come Saturday night at Lowe's Motor Speedway in Charlotte and Gilliland is a little more optimistic about running well.

"We'll be able to practice and do everything else and have a couple hours to tune the car to kind of what I need," said Gilliland. "I'm excited and looking forward to next week, especially."

Correct me if I'm wrong, but i think Kyle Busch was also the last driver to be a part of a relief driver scenario that saw another starter in the same race exit the race and later jump into another car.

Sunday in California, David Gilliland started in the No. 71 TRG Motorsports car which promptly exited the race on lap 13 as start-and-park. But back in 2007 at Texas Motor Speedway, Busch was involved in crash with his No. 5 Hendrick Motorsports team early in the event and figured the car was unrepairable. He left the track and headed home.

The team, though, fixed some damage on the car enough to get back on the track and needed a driver to earn some points. Dale Earnhardt Jr., also involved in the crash, was available and hopped in Busch's No. 5 car to make a few laps. As it turns out, it was somewhat of a foreshadow of what would happen in 2008.

Finally, I hope you missed Sunday's rendition of The Star-Spangled Banner by Jesse McCartney.

McCartney, a 22-year-old pop singer formerly of the boy band Dream Street, missed an entire verse of the National Anthem during the pre-race ceremonies.

I understand getting nervous and all, but come on. If you've been hired to sing a song that everyone knows -- get it right.

Sprint Cup N's & Q's: Pepsi 500 originally appeared on Motorsports FanHouse on Tue, 13 Oct 2009 13:25:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

 

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]]>Auto Club SpeedwayGeoffrey MillerTue, 13 Oct 2009 13:25:00 EST Talladega Marred by Early 13-Car Wreckhttp://motorsports.fanhouse.com/2009/04/26/talladega-marred-by-early-13-car-wreck/http://motorsports.fanhouse.com/2009/04/26/talladega-marred-by-early-13-car-wreck/http://motorsports.fanhouse.com/2009/04/26/talladega-marred-by-early-13-car-wreck/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

TALLADEGA, Ala. (AP) --The "Big One" hit early at Talladega Superspeedway.

A massive 13-car accident just seven laps into Sunday's race at Talladega Superspeedway took out race favorites and left it open for an unlikely winner to emerge from the field.

The accident started just seven laps into the race near the front of the field when Matt Kenseth appeared to make contact with series points leader Jeff Gordon.

The bump made Gordon's car slide toward the top of the track, and the drivers running around them couldn't avoid the wreck.


"It was a little bit of aggressive driving, but everybody's jockeying for position here in the early laps," Gordon said. "I got squeezed and didn't have anywhere else to go. I saw an opening, went for it, and it closed up in a hurry."

Six of the drivers caught up in the wreck are Chase for the championship contenders. They are Gordon, Kenseth, Kurt Busch, Kasey Kahne, Clint Bowyer and Mark Martin, winner of last week's race at Phoenix.

"It's Talladega. You expect it," Gordon said. "You just hope to survive it."

Kevin Harvick, Casey Mears, Jamie McMurray, Scott Riggs, AJ Allmendinger, David Gilliland, and Brian Vickers were also involved.

"How could it not happen," Martin said. "It's not guys losing control of their cars. It's so many in such a wad that you can't help but move up or down on each other and it starts a wreck."

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    LeBron James #23 of the Cleveland Cavaliers watches as Mo Williams #2 takes a shoe to the face by Kobe Bryant #24 of the Los Angeles Lakers after a steal in the closing seconds of the first half at The Quicken Loans Arena on February 8, 2009 in Cleveland, Ohio. (David Liam Kyle, NBAE/Getty Images)

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    Margarita Marbler, of Austria, skis to a bronze medal finish the ladies moguls freestyle FIS World Cupskiing qualification at Cypress mountain in West Vancouver, British Columbia, Saturday, Feb. 7, 2009. (Jonathan Hayward, The Canadian Press/AP)

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    West Virginia guard Darryl Bryant (25) is fouled by Providence guard Jeff Xavier (1) during the second half of an NCAA college basketball game in Morgantown, W.Va. Saturday, Feb. 7, 2009. West Virginia won 86-59. (Don Wright, AP)

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NASCAR issued a stern warning before the race, telling the drivers to avoid aggressive driving, which is common at Talladega but policed heavily for safety precautions.

Race director David Hoots warned drivers at the prerace meeting to show caution on the track.

"If you're thinking you're getting ready to get too close to crossing over this line then draw back," he said.

Several teams were in the garage trying to repair the cars and get them back on the track and get in more laps in the 500-miles race. Others, like Martin, had already called it a day.

Harvick returned about 50 laps later. Gordon, the points leader, and Kahne also returned.

"Everyone's trying to position themselves," Harvick said. "I don't think it's anybody's fault."

Copyright 2009 The Associated Press. The information contained in the AP news report may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or otherwise distributed without the prior written authority of The Associated Press. Active hyperlinks have been inserted by AOL.

Talladega Marred by Early 13-Car Wreck originally appeared on Motorsports FanHouse on Sun, 26 Apr 2009 16:57:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

 

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]]>a.j. allmendingerA.j.Allmendingerbrian vickersBrianVickerscasey mearsCaseyMearsclint bowyerClintBowyerjamie mcmurrayJamieMcmurrayjeff gordonJeffGordonkasey kahneKaseyKahnekurt buschKurtBuschmark martinMarkMartinmatt kensethMattKensethscott riggsScottRiggsFanHouse NewswireSun, 26 Apr 2009 16:57:00 EST Shakeup at Richard Childress Racing http://motorsports.fanhouse.com/2009/04/25/big-shakeup-at-richard-childress-racing/http://motorsports.fanhouse.com/2009/04/25/big-shakeup-at-richard-childress-racing/http://motorsports.fanhouse.com/2009/04/25/big-shakeup-at-richard-childress-racing/#commentsFiled under: , , , ,

Richard ChildressTALLADEGA, Ala. -- Kevin Harvick and Casey Mears gave all the right answers in deferring to the boss' orders, but clearly neither driver was exactly overjoyed by Richard Childress' decision this week to swap their two crews.

"Everybody's positive about it,'' Harvick said, walking quickly to his team trailer after NASCAR Sprint Cup Series qualifying at Talladega Superspeedway on Saturday.

"When you own the company you have to make the decisions you think are right.''

More Coverage: Montoya Wins Talladega Pole | Holly Cain Chat Wrap

Harvick didn't stop to answer reporters questions, but when he was asked if Childress consulted him before taking the extreme action, Harvick shook his head, then turned and said, "no he didn't'' over his shoulder. Mears said he was not part of the decision process either.

Childress said he had been thinking of making a major change to his four-car team since last month's race at Bristol, Tenn. He ultimately pulled the trigger on the move this week while sitting on a mountain on a trip to Montana "to clear my head.'' The entire teams -- from crew chief to tire changer -- have swapped between Harvick's No. 29 Chevy and Mears' No. 07 Chevy.

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    TALLADEGA, AL - APRIL 25: Scott Speed, driver of the #82 Red Bull Toyota, gets out of his car during qualifying for the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Aaron's 499 at Talladega Superspeedway on April 25, 2009 in Talladega, Alabama. (Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Scott Speed

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    TALLADEGA, AL - APRIL 25: Scott Speed, driver of the #82 Red Bull Toyota, looks on during qualifying for the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Aaron's 499 at Talladega Superspeedway on April 25, 2009 in Talladega, Alabama. (Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Scott Speed

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    TALLADEGA, AL - APRIL 25: Bobby Labonte, driver of the #96 Ask.com Ford, signs autographs during qualifying for the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Aaron's 499 at Talladega Superspeedway on April 25, 2009 in Talladega, Alabama. (Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Bobby Labonte

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    TALLADEGA, AL - APRIL 25: Clint Bowyer, driver of the #33 BB&T Chevrolet, looks on during qualifying for the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Aaron's 499 at Talladega Superspeedway on April 25, 2009 in Talladega, Alabama. (Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Clint Bowyer

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    TALLADEGA, AL - APRIL 25: David Gilliland, driver of the #71 TRG Motorsports Chevrolet, looks on during qualifying for the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Aaron's 499 at Talladega Superspeedway on April 25, 2009 in Talladega, Alabama. (Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** David Gilliland

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    TALLADEGA, AL - APRIL 25: Dale Earnhardt Jr., driver of the #88 National Guard/AMP Energy Chevrolet, waits by his car during qualifying for the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Aaron's 499 at Talladega Superspeedway on April 25, 2009 in Talladega, Alabama. (Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Dale Earnhardt Jr.

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    TALLADEGA, AL - APRIL 25: Dale Earnhardt Jr., driver of the #88 National Guard/AMP Energy Chevrolet, waits by his car during qualifying for the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Aaron's 499 at Talladega Superspeedway on April 25, 2009 in Talladega, Alabama. (Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Dale Earnhardt Jr.

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    TALLADEGA, AL - APRIL 25: Michael Waltrip, driver of the #55 NAPA Auto Parts Toyota, looks on during qualifying for the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Aaron's 499 at Talladega Superspeedway on April 25, 2009 in Talladega, Alabama. (Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Michael Waltrip

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    TALLADEGA, AL - APRIL 25: Matt Kenseth, driver of the #17 Dewalt Ford, waits by his car during qualifying for the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Aaron's 499 at Talladega Superspeedway on April 25, 2009 in Talladega, Alabama. (Photo by John Harrelson/Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Matt Kenseth

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    TALLADEGA, AL - APRIL 25: Kasey Kahne (L), driver of the #9 Budweiser Dodge, and Reed Sorenson (R), driver of the #43 US Air Force Dodge, talk during qualifying for the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Aaron's 499 at Talladega Superspeedway on April 25, 2009 in Talladega, Alabama. (Photo by John Harrelson/Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Kasey Kahne;Reed Sorenson

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"We owe it to our sponsors and our fans to run better than we are and I felt these were the two teams right now that were the weakest,'' Childress said. "Sometimes a little chemistry or sometimes a little change makes a big difference.''

Childress hopes the jump start will come sooner than later. Harvick is ranked 16th in the points standings with three finishes of 30th or worse since a runner-up effort in the season-opening Daytona 500. He's 77 points out of the 12-driver cutoff to make the Chase for the Championship. Mears is 22nd in points and still looking for his first top-10 finish in his first season with RCR since moving from Hendrick Motorsports.

"With the point structure like it is, you've got to make changes to make The Chase,'' Childress said. "We have only so many races before the Chase.

"In today's environment you can't wait sometime half-way through the season.''

And, Childress added, "I'm not above making more changes if that's what it takes.''

Shakeup at Richard Childress Racing originally appeared on Motorsports FanHouse on Sat, 25 Apr 2009 13:43:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

 

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]]>casey mearsCaseyMearskevin harvickKevinHarvickrichard childressRichardChildressHolly CainSat, 25 Apr 2009 13:43:00 EST Earnhardt Jr., Mears Ready to Move Onhttp://motorsports.fanhouse.com/2009/04/24/earnhardt-jr-mears-ready-to-move-on/http://motorsports.fanhouse.com/2009/04/24/earnhardt-jr-mears-ready-to-move-on/http://motorsports.fanhouse.com/2009/04/24/earnhardt-jr-mears-ready-to-move-on/#commentsFiled under: , , ,

TALLADEGA, Ala. -- Dale Earnhardt Jr. and Casey Mears met with reporters for the first time since being placed on a six-week probation by NASCAR for post-race antics Saturday night in Phoenix.

And they both essentially invoked the ol' "that's just racin' " clause and are ready to move on.

"I don't really have (a reaction)," Earnhardt said of the six-week punishment NASCAR issued Tuesday. "Me and Mears are cool. We've been buddies. What happens on the track stays on the track. It's good to be on probation every once in a while, I guess."

"Six weeks probation is a good penalty because as a driver you're kind of taught to watch yourself. For the next six weeks you get back in the habit of acting more professionally on the race track. It's good to have the penalty, but it's good to have the fireworks too."

Both drivers felt the six-week probation handed down by NASCAR was reasonable considering the offense.

Their Chevrolets collided with 12 laps remaining Saturday with Earnhardt getting the worse end of the deal. He had been running well and even led laps, but the damage to his No. 88 car relegated him a 31st place showing and dropped him another three positions in the championship -- 19th coming into Sunday's race here at Talladega (Ala.) Superspeedway.

On the cool down lap, Earnhardt expressed his frustration by ramming his No. 88 Chevrolet into Mear's car. Mears responded by running into the back of Earnhardt's car on pit road as the field was making its way to the garage.

"We didn't really put anyone in harms way with what we were doing," said Mears, who finished 20th in the No. 7 Jack Daniels Chevy. "I mean we got down onto pit road when I bumped him, but I obviously knew we were on pit road and I wasn't going to shove him into someone on pit road or do something stupid. I just wanted to bump him and let him know I was upset.

"And where he did it on the race track it was after the race, no one was out there. No one was going to get hurt

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    Driver Johnny Sauter (11) takes a practice lap at Kansas Speedway in Kansas City, Mo., Friday, April 24, 2009. Sauter is practicing for Saturday's NASCAR Camping World Truck series auro race O'Reilly Auto Parts 250 auto race. (AP Photo/Ed Zurga)

    AP

    TALLADEGA, AL - APRIL 24: David Ragan, driver of the #6 UPS Ford, stands in the garage area during practice for the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Aaron's 499 at Talladega Superspeedway on April 24, 2009 in Talladega, Alabama. (Photo by Jerry Markland/Getty Images for NASCAR) *** Local Caption *** David Ragan

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    TALLADEGA, AL - APRIL 24: Joey Logano, driver of the #20 the Home Depot Toyota, stands in the garage during practice for the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Aaron's 499 at Talladega Superspeedway on April 24, 2009 in Talladega, Alabama. (Photo by Jerry Markland/Getty Images for NASCAR) *** Local Caption *** Joey Logano

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    TALLADEGA, AL - APRIL 24: Kurt Busch, driver of the #2 Miller Lite Dodge, in the garage area during practice for the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Aaron's 499 at Talladega Superspeedway on April 24, 2009 in Talladega, Alabama. (Photo by Jerry Markland/Getty Images for NASCAR) *** Local Caption *** Kurt Busch

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    TALLADEGA, AL - APRIL 24: Matt Kenseth, driver of the #17 DEWALT Ford, in the garage area during practice for the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Aaron's 499 at Talladega Superspeedway on April 24, 2009 in Talladega, Alabama. (Photo by Jerry Markland/Getty Images for NASCAR) *** Local Caption *** Matt Kenseth

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    TALLADEGA, AL - APRIL 24: Jimmie Johnson, driver of the #48 Lowe's/Kobalt Tools Chevrolet, prepares for practice for the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Aaron's 499 at Talladega Superspeedway on April 24, 2009 in Talladega, Alabama. (Photo by John Harrelson/Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Jimmie Johnson

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    TALLADEGA, AL - APRIL 24: Jeremy Mayfield, driver of the #41 All Sport Body Quencher Toyota, waits in the garage area during practice for the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Aaron's 499 at Talladega Superspeedway on April 24, 2009 in Talladega, Alabama. (Photo by Jerry Markland/Getty Images for NASCAR) *** Local Caption *** Jeremy Mayfield

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    TALLADEGA, AL - APRIL 24: Chad Knaus, crew chief of the #48 Lowe's Chevrolet driven by Jimmie Johnson, looks on during practice for the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Aaron's 499 at Talladega Superspeedway on April 24, 2009 in Talladega, Alabama. (Photo by John Harrelson/Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Chad Knaus

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    TALLADEGA, AL - APRIL 24: Jimmie Johnson, driver of the #48 Lowe's/Kobalt Tools Chevrolet, preapres for practice for the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Aaron's 499 at Talladega Superspeedway on April 24, 2009 in Talladega, Alabama. (Photo by John Harrelson/Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Jimmie Johnson

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    TALLADEGA, AL - APRIL 24: Jeff Gordon, driver of the #24 Dupont/Pepsi Throwback Challenger Chevrolet, drives during practice for the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Aaron's 499 at Talladega Superspeedway on April 24, 2009 in Talladega, Alabama. (Photo by Todd Warshaw/Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Jeff Gordon

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"I think we both proved our point. No harm no foul, we go to the next week."

Earnhardt echoed the sentiment and Friday seemed more frustrated with the season's big picture than that one incident. Both drivers -- Mears still doesn't have a top-10 this season -- have bigger challenges than a little on-track temper tantrum. Earnhardt scoffed at rumors that Hendrick Motorsports was going to change his crew chief and cousin, Tony Eury Jr. And Mears said he's hoping a crew swap with Richard Childress Racing teammate Jeff Burton will change his fortune -- beginning Sunday.

"Me and Casey are real good friends and definitely wouldn't go the week without having a discussion about it," Earnhardt said.

"He's having a better season this year but still isn't satisfied. I'm definitely in the same position he is. We're just trying to run better. It's frustrating. I knew he made a mistake because Casey doesn't run over people. I just lost my cool. It happens.

"I hated leading the race, running good and getting wrecked. That's all that was."

Earnhardt was ninth quickest in Friday's opening practice for Sunday's Aaron's 499 at Talladega. Mears was 16th fastest in the final practice. Qualifying for the race is Saturday morning.

Earnhardt Jr., Mears Ready to Move On originally appeared on Motorsports FanHouse on Fri, 24 Apr 2009 18:18:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

 

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]]>Casey MearsCaseyMearsDale Earnhardt Jr.DaleEarnhardtJr.Holly CainFri, 24 Apr 2009 18:18:00 EST Dale Earnhardt Jr., Casey Mears Earn Probation for Phoenix Incidentshttp://motorsports.fanhouse.com/2009/04/21/earnhardt-jr-and-mears-placed-on-probation-by-nascar/http://motorsports.fanhouse.com/2009/04/21/earnhardt-jr-and-mears-placed-on-probation-by-nascar/http://motorsports.fanhouse.com/2009/04/21/earnhardt-jr-and-mears-placed-on-probation-by-nascar/#commentsFiled under: , ,

Casey Mears, Dale Earnhardt Jr.NASCAR placed Dale Earnhardt Jr. and Casey Mears on probation for six weeks - effective immediately - for post-race contact Saturday night at Phoenix International Raceway, ruling the two were guilty of "actions detrimental to stock car racing - hitting another competitor's car after the race had concluded.''

Mears' and Earnhardt's Chevrolets collided with 11 laps remaining in Saturday night's race in Phoenix sending Earnhardt from what looked like a strong finish to a 31st place effort instead. Earnhardt retaliated against Mears on the cool down lap after the race. And Mears responded by running into the rear of Earnhardt's car on pit road.

Initially NASCAR did not issue any penalties, but NASCAR Spokesman Ramsey Poston told the Associated Press late Tuesday officials changed their minds.

"We had a weekly competition meeting, we had a good discussion about it and we decided to put the drivers on probation so the situation did not escalate,'' Poston said.

The two drivers were teammates at Hendrick Motorsports last season. Mears now races for Richard Childress Racing, but both have struggled in the early going. The finish dropped Earnhardt three positions in the championship standings and he's now 19th - more than 100 points out of the 12th place, final Chase qualifying position. Mears finished 20th at Phoenix and actually moved up one spot to 22nd in the standings as the series moves to Talladega (Ala.) Superspeedway this weekend.

Dale Earnhardt Jr., Casey Mears Earn Probation for Phoenix Incidents originally appeared on Motorsports FanHouse on Tue, 21 Apr 2009 22:52:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

 

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]]>Casey MearsCaseyMearsDale Earnhardt Jr.DaleEarnhardtJr.Holly CainTue, 21 Apr 2009 22:52:00 EST '08 Rear-View Mirror: Casey Mearshttp://motorsports.fanhouse.com/2008/12/15/08-rear-view-mirror-casey-mears/http://motorsports.fanhouse.com/2008/12/15/08-rear-view-mirror-casey-mears/http://motorsports.fanhouse.com/2008/12/15/08-rear-view-mirror-casey-mears/#commentsFiled under: , ,


Warning: Objects in this post may be the only way to successfully live through the NASCAR off-season. For best results, read rearview mirror early and often.

Driver: Casey Mears
Team: No. 5 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet
'08 Final Standing: 20th (-3157)
Best Race: Toyota/Save Mart 350 (5th-place)
Worst Race: California & Bristol (42nd-place)

Season in a box: Mears picked up a win and finished out the 2007 season on note that looked like he might finally break the mold of the "fourth driver" at Hendrick Motorsports not performing like the rest of the team. Instead, by the middle of 2008, Mears found himself searching for a ride in 2008 after getting dropped by the team.

2008 just never started right for Mears as a 35th-place finish on the season-opening Daytona 500 started a six-race run that saw him finish lower than 35th three times, with a best finish of 13th at Las Vegas. The season took a glimmer of hope at Martinsville with a 7th-place finish, but five more races of 26th-or worse finishes started to take a toll on a team that was needing to perform.

And so, ironically enough, after Mears' best finish of 2008 with his 5th-place run on the road course at Infineon, Hendrick released the California driver effective at the end of 2008.

Eight of his final 11 races saw some marginal improvement in the team with finishes 15th or better, but that news was only good for Richard Childress Racing after they signed Mears to a fourth-car at the team in 2009.

Through the crystal windshield: Casey Mears is a solid Sprint Cup driver that, in my opinion, has never had the complete package around him. Sure, you could argue that even the lowest team at Hendrick Motorsports should be able to legitimately compete for a handful of race wins each year, but Mears was only his 2nd season at the team.

Hopefully, Richard Childress can provide Mears with a stable team that has uniformity year in and year out so we can find out if Mears can live up to what many believe his potential in NASCAR can be. However, a shot at RCR will likely be the last big chance Mears has to make a name for himself in NASCAR racing.

Next up: Brian Vickers

'08 Rear-View Mirror: Casey Mears originally appeared on Motorsports FanHouse on Mon, 15 Dec 2008 14:28:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

 

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]]>CaseyMearsHendrickMotorsportsRearViewMirrorSprintCupGeoffrey MillerMon, 15 Dec 2008 14:28:00 EST 10 from '08: California's Day-Night-Day Eventhttp://motorsports.fanhouse.com/2008/11/29/10-from-08-californias-day-night-day-event/http://motorsports.fanhouse.com/2008/11/29/10-from-08-californias-day-night-day-event/http://motorsports.fanhouse.com/2008/11/29/10-from-08-californias-day-night-day-event/#commentsFiled under: , , ,

With NASCAR's awards banquet on Friday, Dec. 5 (stop by for the live blog!), here's a look at 10 from '08 -- ten of the NASCAR season's best moments.

Thanks to rain, it took the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series well over 24 hours to finish the Auto Club 500 at the newly-named Auto Club Speedway (enough Auto Club for one sitting? I think so) back in February.

And of course, like only NASCAR could, the way it handled the rain situation got some fans more than fired up.

NASCAR attempted to get the race going for its Sunday start as planned, but only 21 laps went by before a wreck that somehow saw Casey Mears get flipped over thanks to the nose of a slowing Sam Hornish Jr. It was an interesting wreck (see the photo to the right and the video later in the post) after flames shot from Hornish's No. 77 while Mears was basically trapped in his No. 5.

Mears and Hornish were able to get out without injury.

The wreck included Dale Earnhardt Jr. and Reed Sorenson, and a previous wreck saw Denny Hamlin smack the wall. After the lap 21 incident, the red flag came out for water seeping from the track and later more rain, leaving Dale Earnhardt Jr. slightly ticked at NASCAR's attempt to get the race underway.

Earnhardt Jr. simply felt that NASCAR had messed up and started the race too early.

"The track ain't ready. We rushed into this [...]," said a visibly upset Earnhardt Jr.

Hamlin echoed the same sentiment, saying his car took off towards the wall after hitting a wet spot on the track.

More controversy followed as NASCAR kept trying to get the track dry before eventually calling it a night and determining the race would restart the next afternoon -- a Monday -- after waiting until after 1 a.m./EDT time to make the decision.

Me? I was kind of hoping to be watching live NASCAR racing as the sun was coming up in Indiana, but NASCAR opted not to do after cooler temperatures allowed dew to accumlate on the racing surface while the "weepers", or cracks in the pavement that allowed water to seep up, were attempting to be dried.

Fans across the country felt used and abused by NASCAR's decision to wait so long for racing, but if nothing else, NASCAR deserved some credit for trying to get a race in for the paying fans at ACS who stuck out the cold weather and damp conditions in an effort to see the NASCAR race they payed to see.

It didn't work out so well, but the race was eventually completed Monday afternoon with Carl Edwards taking the first of 9 victories in 2008.

As promised, the video:

10 from '08: California's Day-Night-Day Event originally appeared on Motorsports FanHouse on Sat, 29 Nov 2008 11:29:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

 

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]]>10from08AutoClubSpeedwayCarlEdwardsCaseyMearsDaleEarnhardtJrDennyHamlinReedSoresonSprintCupGeoffrey MillerSat, 29 Nov 2008 11:29:00 EST Martin Doesn't Need Hendrick Head Starthttp://motorsports.fanhouse.com/2008/10/26/martin-doesnt-need-hendrick-head-start/http://motorsports.fanhouse.com/2008/10/26/martin-doesnt-need-hendrick-head-start/http://motorsports.fanhouse.com/2008/10/26/martin-doesnt-need-hendrick-head-start/#commentsFiled under: , , , , ,

ESPN.com's David Newton is reporting the driver who is replacing Casey Mears in the Hendrick Motorsports No. 5 Chevrolet in 2009 -- veteran Mark Martin -- might find himself getting a jump on that plan in the coming weeks.
Hendrick Motorsports is considering a plan that would put Mark Martin in the No. 5 car he'll take over in 2009 for the final race of this season at Homestead [-Miami] Speedway.

A contingency to the plan is getting Casey Mears, the current driver of the No. 5, into the fourth car at Richard Childress Racing that he will drive next season.

But in order to do that Mears would have to drive the No. 33, not the No. 07 that he is slated for because Clint Bowyer is driving that car in the Chase. Team owner Richard Childress said he is willing to put Mears in the No. 33 unsponsored if necessary.

"He won't go without a ride," Childress said.
Why wait until the last race at Homestead, you might ask? Well according to Newton, Martin is scheduled to drive in his current Dale Earnhardt Inc. part-time gig for the season's third and second to last races in Texas and Phoenix.

I'm not real sure, though, that making such a switch would truly benefit Martin or Mears (if ends up racing for RCR at Homestead).

Mark Martin is no rookie. The 49-year-old driver hasn't been out of the game for many years and has even driven a Hendrick Motorsports car in both Nationwide Series competition and Sprint Cup test sessions in 2008.

Needless to say, Martin won't be jumping feet first into an operation he doesn't know.

And on the Casey Mears side of things, he's not going to be driving in the No. 07 ride or with his future crew chief Gil Martin if he makes the start at Homestead with RCR instead of Hendrick.

All in all, it seems like a lot of headaches for something that won't really be huge gain for the 2009 season.

Martin Doesn't Need Hendrick Head Start originally appeared on Motorsports FanHouse on Sun, 26 Oct 2008 16:04:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

 

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]]>CaseyMearsChevroletClintBoywerFord400GilMartinHendrickMotorsportsHomesteadHomesteadMiamiSpeedwayMarkMartinRichardChildressRichardChildressRacingSprintCupGeoffrey MillerSun, 26 Oct 2008 16:04:00 EST Mears Officially Gone from Hendrickhttp://motorsports.fanhouse.com/2008/06/27/mears-officially-gone-from-hendrick/http://motorsports.fanhouse.com/2008/06/27/mears-officially-gone-from-hendrick/http://motorsports.fanhouse.com/2008/06/27/mears-officially-gone-from-hendrick/#commentsFiled under: , ,

Casey Mears is officially leaving Hendrick Motorsports, effective at the end of 2008.

Mears, currently 24th in the Sprint Cup standings, leaves Hendrick after never doing anything that impressive while in the driver seat at the premier organization -- with the exception of one lone win at Lowe's Motor Speedway in 2007.

It's been a constant struggle for Mears this season to produce results like the rest of his Hendrick teammates Jeff Gordon, Jimmie Johnson, and Dale Earnhardt Jr. despite driving equipment built out of the same shop as Earnhardt. Dale Jr.'s No. 88 is currently 3rd in the standings.

Oddly enough, Mears' best finish of 2008 was just one week ago at Infineon Raceway when he brought the No. 5 Chevrolet home in fourth. Five finishes lower than 35th in 16 races this season, though, aren't wiped away with a single Top-5.

I like Casey Mears a lot -- he's a nice guy and doesn't cause problems on track -- but the statistics are much too telling about his performance at HMS. Granted he hasn't had the best of conditions to work under are switching racing teams and crew chiefs multiple times, but at some point, the results just have to come.

Mark Martin is rumored to be getting in the No. 5 for a last-ditch effort at a Sprint Cup title in 2009. From his performance in a few races in 2008 -- most notably at Phoenix -- the part-time Dale Earnhardt Inc. driver could really make some waves with the appropriate equipment.

Martin in the No. 5 for 2009? Sounds good to me.

Mears Officially Gone from Hendrick originally appeared on Motorsports FanHouse on Fri, 27 Jun 2008 10:35:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

 

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]]>CaseyMearsCocaCola600DaleEarnhardtJrHendrickMotorsportsJeffGordonJimmieJohnsonLenox301LowesMotorSpeedwayMarkMartinNewHampshireMotorSpeedwaySprintCupGeoffrey MillerFri, 27 Jun 2008 10:35:00 EST Video: Waltrip Goes Bananas on Mearshttp://motorsports.fanhouse.com/2008/05/06/video-michael-waltrip-goes-bananas-on-mears/http://motorsports.fanhouse.com/2008/05/06/video-michael-waltrip-goes-bananas-on-mears/http://motorsports.fanhouse.com/2008/05/06/video-michael-waltrip-goes-bananas-on-mears/#commentsFiled under: , ,

It all started so innocently for Casey Mears Saturday night at Richmond International Raceway. As he came off of turn four, he'd slide up to the wall and cross the start/finish line to complete lap 355.

Trouble was, Michael Waltrip was there, and when Mears came across the nose of the No. 55, Waltrip was none too pleased and displayed it by pushing Mears down the straightaway and into the turn one wall. Follow along below at 0:13:



For the blatant contact following Mears' incidental mistake, Waltrip was parked by NASCAR for the remainder of the race, relegating him to a 37th-place finish.

Mears said this week that he was happy with the punishment handed out, and NASCAR also said that they wouldn't pursue any further sanctions against Waltrip mainly because the penalty cost Waltrip quite a few points.

As I stated in the previous blog post, this effort out of Waltrip seems to be a near-yearly occurence after he gets into a disagreement with a fellow driver. He just simply overreacts, and in this case, used his car ultimately as a weapon.

All of this, of course, goes back to one question.

Do you think Waltrip is upset with the people he meets at autograph signings?

Video: Waltrip Goes Bananas on Mears originally appeared on Motorsports FanHouse on Tue, 06 May 2008 23:50:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

 

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]]>DanLowry400HendrickMotorsportsMichaelWaltripRacingRichmondInternationalRacewayGeoffrey MillerTue, 06 May 2008 23:50:00 EST NASCAR Video of the Week: California Crashhttp://motorsports.fanhouse.com/2008/02/28/nascar-video-of-the-week-california-crash/http://motorsports.fanhouse.com/2008/02/28/nascar-video-of-the-week-california-crash/http://motorsports.fanhouse.com/2008/02/28/nascar-video-of-the-week-california-crash/#commentsFiled under: , , ,

This incident started so innocently with Casey Mears hitting a slick spot on track and sliding up into the loose stuff in turn 2 Sunday at Auto Club Speedway.

Within the first 20 seconds of the video below Mears has flipped, Dale Earnhardt Jr.'s day is ruined, Sam Hornish Jr. is out, and the red flag is waved. Enjoy:



What most impressed me in that crash was around the :50 mark, where the NASCAR safety worker that arrived on scene. When Hornish's engine engulfed in flames, Mears was stuck in an odd position and that worker jumped on to Mears' car with the fire burning behind him to help the driver. Kudos to all of the track safety workers involved.

NASCAR Video of the Week: California Crash originally appeared on Motorsports FanHouse on Thu, 28 Feb 2008 08:16:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

 

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]]>AutoClub500AutoClubSpeedwayNASCARVideosGeoffrey MillerThu, 28 Feb 2008 08:16:00 EST Sprint Cup Races Monday After Long Sundayhttp://motorsports.fanhouse.com/2008/02/25/sprint-cup-races-monday-after-long-sunday/http://motorsports.fanhouse.com/2008/02/25/sprint-cup-races-monday-after-long-sunday/http://motorsports.fanhouse.com/2008/02/25/sprint-cup-races-monday-after-long-sunday/#commentsFiled under: , , , , ,

Nearly 10 hours after the scheduled start of the Sprint Cup Auto Club 500, NASCAR officials finally ceded to the weather and track and decided the race on Monday.

It was Sunday night in California and Monday morning on the east coast when the postponement was declared just after 2:00am/ET.

Rain at the Auto Club Speedway had stopped much before that and most of the track indeed was dry. However, the battle that NASCAR and speedway officials have been battling all week with water seeping from the seams on the pavement reared its ugly head.

Before that, though, the action was exciting -- if not a tad unfair for some drivers.

Dale Earnhardt Jr., Casey Mears, Denny Hamlin, Reed Sorenson & Sam Hornish Jr. were caught up in wrecks less than 25 laps in to the event that appeared on television to be directly caused by the water seeping on to the track. Earnhardt Jr. was particularly unhappy about the race conditions.

Jimmie Johnson currently leads Travis Kvapil in the running order.

Monday promises to be a better day of racing -- if the seeping water can be corrected -- with a sunny day planned and a high of 67 degrees.

Tune in to FOX at 1pm/ET (10am/PT) to catch the resumption of the race from lap 87. The Nationwide Series race postponed from Saturday will be ran immediately in its entirety following that event on ESPN2.

Sprint Cup Races Monday After Long Sunday originally appeared on Motorsports FanHouse on Mon, 25 Feb 2008 09:19:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

 

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]]>AutoClub500AutoClubSpeedwayGeoffrey MillerMon, 25 Feb 2008 09:19:00 EST Crazy Wreck Takes Out Earnhardt Jr., Mearshttp://motorsports.fanhouse.com/2008/02/24/crazy-wrecks-takes-out-earnhardt-jr-mears/http://motorsports.fanhouse.com/2008/02/24/crazy-wrecks-takes-out-earnhardt-jr-mears/http://motorsports.fanhouse.com/2008/02/24/crazy-wrecks-takes-out-earnhardt-jr-mears/#commentsFiled under: , , ,


A crazy wreck on the backstretch of Auto Club Speedway on lap 21 of Sunday's Auto Club 500 took out two drivers from Hendrick Motorsports and further inflamed some drivers who thought the track wasn't ready to race.

The wreck started when Mears' No. 5 shot up the track in turn 2, got loose, spun around and slid back down the track slamming teammate Dale Earnhardt Jr. in the passenger side. Earnhardt Jr.'s No. 88 then spun and hit the wall drivers side.

Meanwhile, Mears car slid back up the track and slowed to a near stop along the wall heading the same direction as traffic when Sam Hornish Jr. slid behind him and lifted the No. 5 up in the air and then over on its roof. Fire then spewed from Hornish's engine while safety workers quickly jumped to aid both drivers and put the fire out.

All drivers involved -- including Reed Sorenson who was involved -- walked away OK, but very frustrated. Earnhardt Jr. had the most visible anger:
"The track ain't ready today. We rushed into this [...] " said Earnhardt Jr, referring to NASCAR trying to get the race underway.
Denny Hamlin wrecked a few laps earlier to bring out the race's first caution after he got loose in turn 3 and slid up and contacted the wall.
"42 other drivers agree that we should not be driving today," said Hamlin. "I hit a slick spot and my car took off. My car just took off after I hit a wet spot."
A red flag was brought out after the Mears incident and as of 7:40pm/ET the race had not been restarted due to water seeping into the race track because NASCAR might have finally saw what the drivers saw -- the track was simply too wet to race on.

Hopefully we'll get it going sometime tonight...
%Gallery-2834%

Crazy Wreck Takes Out Earnhardt Jr., Mears originally appeared on Motorsports FanHouse on Sun, 24 Feb 2008 19:43:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

 

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]]>AutoClub500Geoffrey MillerSun, 24 Feb 2008 19:43:00 EST Hendrick Teams Leave Daytona Disappointedhttp://motorsports.fanhouse.com/2008/02/17/hendrick-teams-leave-daytona-disappointed/http://motorsports.fanhouse.com/2008/02/17/hendrick-teams-leave-daytona-disappointed/http://motorsports.fanhouse.com/2008/02/17/hendrick-teams-leave-daytona-disappointed/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , ,

The 50th-running of the Daytona 500 was supposed to be so much more for the four teams from Hendrick Motorsports.

A lineup of Dale Earnhardt Jr., Jeff Gordon, Jimmie Johnson and Casey Mears will create those predictions.

Instead, the top finisher from Hendrick in Sunday's 500 was team newcomer Dale Earnhardt Jr. who finished a solid, but still disappointing ninth. Earnhardt Jr. looked primed to be a very strong contender in Sunday's race after winning last Saturday's Budweiser Shootout and his Gatorade Duel qualifying race.

A pit decision late in the race by failing to pit likely sealed any chances for Dale Jr. to win after he didn't pit when nearly every other leader did.

Jeff Gordon likely had the strongest car of the Hendrick bunch Sunday and showed that by hanging with the dominant Toyotas of Kyle Busch and Tony Stewart throughout the early parts of the race. After the second green-flag pit stop, Gordon dropped back mysteriously before charging back through the field.

Suddenly, though, Gordon fell off the pace and under caution, his No. 24 came into the garage to fix a bent front control arm.

Casey Mears was looking like he could play a big part in the final parts of the race until an ill-advised late move with 6 laps to go put him in the wall. His No. 5 was in the middle lane through the tri-oval with Tony Stewart and Dale Jr. lining up on the outside and gaining fast.

Mears pulled up to take advantage of a push, but it was too late, and Mears hooked his right-front into the wall.

Jimmie Johnson likely had the most disappointing race of the whole team. Though he did lead, he never looked like a favorite or had the car to beat. A wreck late in the race off of turn 2 sealed his fate to a 27th-place finish.

Just for comparisons as to how this might effect any of the Hendrick team's title hopes, in 2007 Johnson finished 42nd in the Daytona 500 and then made it look easy in winning the 2007 championship.

Hendrick Teams Leave Daytona Disappointed originally appeared on Motorsports FanHouse on Sun, 17 Feb 2008 21:53:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

 

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]]>Daytona500DaytonaSpeedweeksGeoffrey MillerSun, 17 Feb 2008 21:53:00 EST Casey Mears' No. 5 Too Low After Shootouthttp://motorsports.fanhouse.com/2008/02/10/potential-penalty-list-grows-with-mears-infraction/http://motorsports.fanhouse.com/2008/02/10/potential-penalty-list-grows-with-mears-infraction/http://motorsports.fanhouse.com/2008/02/10/potential-penalty-list-grows-with-mears-infraction/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , ,

Check out all of the NASCAR Fanhouse Daytona Speedweeks Coverage.

Casey Mears can now add his name to the list as a candidate for penalties either this week or next from NASCAR due to rules infractions.

The Hendrick Motorsports driver competing in his first race Saturday night as driver of the No. 5 Kelloggs Chevrolet formerly piloted by Kyle Busch finished a strong sixth in the Budweiser Shootout. After his car went through inspection though, the mood changed a little bit for the team.

NASCAR found the No. 5 Chevy to be one-eighth of an inch too low in the rear, adding him to the tentative penalty box now filled by Mears, Kurt Busch & Tony Stewart (bumping and punching during Friday night's Shootout practice), and Robby Gordon (came to Daytona with the wrong Dodge nose on the car).

Mears' new teammate Dale Earnhardt Jr. won the event.

Crew chief Alan Gustafson seemed quite perplexed by the finding.
"I don't think our adjustments were unreasonable, so I'm real surprised," Gustafson said. "It's the first time we ran the car here. We're trying to learn it and figure out what's going to happen. ... We'll collect all the pieces together and figure out what went on."
I don't know that you can really fault Mears' team here, nor would it be appropriate to lump this lapse in with last year's Hendrick penalties and the laundry list of bad deeds committed by Jimmie Johnson's crew chief Chad Knaus.

Could one-eighth of an inch make a difference? Possibly. Should it really matter to a driver who finished sixth in a non-points race? I don't think so.

I think and hope that NASCAR will offer some leniency to the No. 5 gang and use it as a chance to understand why a car may have passed pre-race inspection but not post-race. Though the car may be on a full-time schedule in 2008, there is still a steep learning curve involved for every team.

If NASCAR wants to penalize the team for this, it really should be monetary and not a points deduction because the intent -- if any -- wasn't to earn more championship points. In reality, NASCAR should tear apart the car, look at every nut and bolt, and give all of the teams a solid reason for why the infraction happened.

That way, instead of having headlines the day after a race detailing drivers who were penalized, those headlines would be about the race itself.

I could handle that, especially with the highly-entertaining racing we were treated to Saturday night.

Casey Mears' No. 5 Too Low After Shootout originally appeared on Motorsports FanHouse on Sun, 10 Feb 2008 09:26:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

 

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]]>BudweiserShootoutDaytona500DaytonaSpeedweeksGeoffrey MillerSun, 10 Feb 2008 09:26:00 EST Track Record Eclipsed During Vegas Testhttp://motorsports.fanhouse.com/2008/01/30/track-record-eclipsed-during-vegas-test/http://motorsports.fanhouse.com/2008/01/30/track-record-eclipsed-during-vegas-test/http://motorsports.fanhouse.com/2008/01/30/track-record-eclipsed-during-vegas-test/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , , ,

Juan Pablo Montoya made a big statement Tuesday afternoon at Las Vegas Motor Speedway to doubters of the NASCAR's next-generation race car for the Sprint Cup series.

Turning a lap of 186.761mph, Montoya would have taken the official track record away from Kasey Kahne (184.856mph in 2007) had it been an official qualifying session.

But one thing Montoya did was to prove that the new race car isn't as slow as everyone thought, and that teams are adapting to the packages well. It should be noted, of course, that teams aren't loudly disapproving of the tires that Goodyear brought like they did last year for the race at Vegas.

As you may recall, Tony Stewart's approval of the tires in '07 terms for describing them was "crap" on the newly configured surface.

As teams, though, head into their travel/work day before testing at California Speedway on Thursday and Friday, the general consensus seems to be that teams are getting a handle on the car and the track in Vegas. That's only good news for race fans.

A.J. Allmendinger, Casey Mears, Kasey Kahne and Reed Sorenson rounded out the five fastest cars at LVMS.

Jeff Burton tore up a race car early Tuesday while Tony Stewart scraped the wall and Michael Waltrip looped his -- all in turn three. The test session was ended a few minutes early after Jeff Gordon laid oil down on the track.

Keep it here at NASCAR Fanhouse for plenty of updates on the Sprint Cup testing in California.

Track Record Eclipsed During Vegas Test originally appeared on Motorsports FanHouse on Wed, 30 Jan 2008 17:51:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

 

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]]>LasVegasMichaelWaltripNASCARTestingPreseasonThunderReedSorensonGeoffrey MillerWed, 30 Jan 2008 17:51:00 EST Surprise! Johnson Leads Morning Sessionhttp://motorsports.fanhouse.com/2008/01/07/surprise-johnson-leads-morning-session/http://motorsports.fanhouse.com/2008/01/07/surprise-johnson-leads-morning-session/http://motorsports.fanhouse.com/2008/01/07/surprise-johnson-leads-morning-session/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , ,

Here's a big time shocker from testing at Daytona Int'l Speedway this morning:

Jimmie Johnson was the fastest.

Apparently not wanting to fall off at all from his championship run in 2007, Johnson opened the first official testing for the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series at Daytona Monday morning with a session-leading lap of 184.782 mph. Johnson was testing in his No. 48A Chevrolet Impala.

Casey Mears, who was the first driver on track at 9am/ET Monday morning, secured second and third place on the speed charts with his No. 5 Chevys. New Hendrick Motorsports teammate Dale Earnhardt Jr. isn't scheduled to test until next week, but he was at Daytona today, just "hanging out".

Jacques Villeneuve (183.329mph) and A.J. Allmendinger (183.296mph) were fourth and fifth. Click for full results of the morning session.

Daytona testing is known to be a festival of boring for the drivers as they run two-lap qualifying runs, cut the engine, coast in to the garage and wait as adjustments are made. There's been no word as of yet, but occasionally NASCAR runs a drafting session with a pack of cars on the final day of each three-day testing period.

Check back later on the Fanhouse for afternoon speeds from Daytona.

Surprise! Johnson Leads Morning Session originally appeared on Motorsports FanHouse on Mon, 07 Jan 2008 16:44:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

 

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]]>Daytona500DaytonaTestingGeoffrey MillerMon, 07 Jan 2008 16:44:00 EST NASCAR FanHouse Top 25 Year-in-Review: <br>Casey Mears, No. 25 Hendrick Chevrolethttp://motorsports.fanhouse.com/2007/12/20/nascar-fanhouse-top-25-year-in-review-br-casey-mears-no-25-h/http://motorsports.fanhouse.com/2007/12/20/nascar-fanhouse-top-25-year-in-review-br-casey-mears-no-25-h/http://motorsports.fanhouse.com/2007/12/20/nascar-fanhouse-top-25-year-in-review-br-casey-mears-no-25-h/#commentsFiled under: , ,


Welcome to the 2007 NASCAR FanHouse Year in Review. Follow along each day until the end of 2007 as we look back on the top 25 drivers of the NASCAR Nextel Cup Series for the 2007 season. Heck, bookmark us if you have to! Today, we review the season of 15th-place Casey Mears.

Driver: Casey Mears -- Bakersfield, California
Team: No. 25 National Guard Chevrolet
Points: 15th (-2774)
2006: 14th in Cup Standings
Key Stats: 1 win, 1 pole, 5 Top-5s, 10 Top-10s
Back in 2008?: Yes, swapping from Hendrick's No. 25 ride to the No. 5 Kelloggs car

Casey Mears could have easily rode his middle-to-late season consistency all the way to his first Chase for the Nextel Cup in his first season with Hendrick Motorsports had 2007 gotten off on a better foot.

Mears suffered through two DNF's in 2007 at Las Vegas and Talladega -- off the hood of teammate Jimmie Johnson -- that both occured before the month of April was over. Coupled with a suspicious handling problem at Martinsville and a lack of experience with his new team at California and Atlanta, Mears found himself in a hole early in '07.

During the final twenty races of 2008, Mears average a 14.8th-place finish. During the final 15, that number bumped up to 14.4. In the final ten? 13.7. (Click to continue reading)


The numbers there definitely paint a picture for Mears of improvement during 2007 -- something that any owner likes to see. Add the stat that Mears won his first race in May at Charlotte in the Coca-Cola 600 and life is looking on the up for the California driver.

Casey definitely helped ride the coattails of his family's name into the racing business, but from there he has made his own way. Legitimately, four drivers could make the 12-man Chase to Sprint Cup in 2008 from the Hendrick Motorsports stable, and I think Mears wouldn't be the most surprising of the group.

That said, two or three victories in 2008 wouldn't be out of question either.

NASCAR FanHouse Top 25 Year-in-Review:
Casey Mears, No. 25 Hendrick Chevrolet originally appeared on Motorsports FanHouse on Thu, 20 Dec 2007 08:00:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

 

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]]>Top25DriversGeoffrey MillerThu, 20 Dec 2007 08:00:00 EST Biffle Wins, Non-Chasers Dominate Top 10http://motorsports.fanhouse.com/2007/09/30/biffle-wins-non-chasers-dominate-top-10/http://motorsports.fanhouse.com/2007/09/30/biffle-wins-non-chasers-dominate-top-10/http://motorsports.fanhouse.com/2007/09/30/biffle-wins-non-chasers-dominate-top-10/#commentsFiled under: , , ,

Greg Biffle got his first win of the season in a rain-delayed, daylight-shortened race with a flexibly-ruled finish. That's a nice lil' wedding gift from NASCAR ... that extra pocket change ought to come in handy next month.

The neglected Hendrick Motorsports driver, Casey Mears, quietly scored his fifth top 5 of the season. Could've been his sixth.

Reed Sorenson scored his fourth top 10, Dale Earnhardt Jr. his 12th. Junior, incidentally, has gained as many or more points as the Chase drivers since the Chase started. Too bad that trend didn't start earlier.

Kasey Kahne and Elliott Sadler both had top 10s, Kahne his sixth on the season, Elliott his second. This is just the second time this season two Evernham drivers have finished in the top 10--the first was 28 races ago in Daytona.

Dave Blaney was the LifeLock 400's highest-finishing Toyota driver, but the #22 still sits outside the top 35 in owner points, 49 behind the #21. In the fight for owner points, there were no gains or losses this week in the 32nd to 41st positions.

All three Michael Waltrip Racing drivers started--and finished-- today's race. Well done. I think that's a first (?).

David Ragan was the highest-finishing rookie, but he's running out of races to catch Juan Pablo Montoya for rookie of the year title. I'm still holding out hope.

LifeLock 400 Results | Nextel Cup Standings

Biffle Wins, Non-Chasers Dominate Top 10 originally appeared on Motorsports FanHouse on Sun, 30 Sep 2007 23:59:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

 

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]]>tallglassofmilkSun, 30 Sep 2007 23:59:00 EST