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Casey Mears stepped into the No. 42 Texaco/Havoline Dodge for the 2006 season replacing former teammate Jamie McMurray. His first race in a Texaco/Havoline firesuit was in the Rolex 24 Hours of Daytona where he, along with Scott Dixon and Dan Wheldon, earned Chip Ganassi Racing with Felix Sabates its first victory in the prestigious endurance event. Mears also earned a NEXTEL Cup career-best finish of second in the season-opening Daytona 500 and his first NASCAR win in the Busch Series at Chicagoland. Mears left Chip Ganassi Racing with Felix Sabates at the end of the 2006 season to drive for Hendrick Motorsports.
Highlights in Texaco/Havoline Car:
2006
- Amassed two top-five and eight top-10 finishes in 36 Cup races
- Recorded two runner-up finishes at Daytona and Kansas Speedway en route to a 14th-place finish in the final NEXTEL Cup championship standings
- Earned his first NASCAR win in the Busch Series race at Chicagoland Speedway driving the No. 42 Texaco/Havoline Dodge
- It was announced following Mears’ departure that veteran open-wheel star Juan Pablo Montoya would take over driving duties of the No. 42 Texaco/Havoline Dodge in 2007
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