Texaco/Havoline Team Leaves the Northeast with a 21st-Place Finish
Loudon, N.H. (July 16, 2006) --- The Texaco/Havoline Team had a strategy set for a top-15 finish at New Hampshire International Speedway, but caution flags and fuel mileage had other plans for the team. Casey Mears and the crew settled for a 21st-place finish in a race scheduled to finish at lap 300, but ran to 308.
Mears and the No. 42 Texaco/Havoline Dodge started the New England 300 from the 29th position on Sunday. The team was confident heading into the 300-lap race after consistent practice sessions on Saturday. However, Mears reported on lap 2 the car was tight from the center of the corner onto the straightaway. When the first caution flag waved on lap 19, crew chief Donnie Wingo called Mears down pit road to remove a spring rubber from the left rear, fit the car with fresh tires and pack it full of fuel.
The No. 42 Dodge Charger restarted from the 35th position on lap 23. He worked his way up to 30th on lap 41 and continued to mount a charge on his competitors one-by-one. On lap 60, the car sustained some fender damage, but that didn’t stop Mears. He passed the No. 14 car on lap 62 to take over the 25th position.
Green-flag pit stops began on lap 74 for the cars that did not pit during the caution period on lap 19. Mears was sitting in the 21st position when the caution flag waved on lap 90. He pitted for tires, an air pressure adjustment and to have the fenders pulled off the front tires. Racing resumed on lap 95 with Mears still in 21st. A multi-car incident on the first green-flag lap brought out the yellow once again. It took NASCAR five laps to clean up the track and get racing underway.
The No. 43 car brought out the caution one lap later, and Wingo told Mears to remain on the track in the 18th position. He maneuvered the No. 42 car up to 15th when the caution waved again on lap 114. Wingo wanted to see what a two-tire stop would do to the handling of the Texaco/Havoline Dodge so Mears came down pit road on lap 116. He told the crew the car was a little loose in the corner, but much better from the center of the corner off.
Several cars remained on the track during the brief caution period, so Mears was mired back in 27th for the restart on lap 118. Mears’ Chip Ganassi Racing with Felix Sabates teammate Reed Sorenson took over the lead on lap 120. The Texaco/Havoline Dodge methodically worked its way through traffic and was 25th on lap 126. Mears got around the next three cars by lap 134 to move into the 22nd spot.
The second round of green-flag pit stops began on lap 177, and Mears was 16th on lap 180. The caution once again fell the Texaco/Havoline team’s way on lap 186 before making its stop. Mears pitted on lap 188 for four tires and fuel. He was 13th for the restart on lap 194, but 19th to 30th positions were on the tail-end of the lead lap and lined up in front of the leader. The caution waved five laps later and Wingo told Mears to remain on the track. The call put Mears ninth for the restart on lap 204.
The caution waved on lap 209 when the No. 66 car hit the wall, so Mears came down pit road for what the team thought would be its last stop of the day. The team made an air pressure adjustment before fitting the car with new tires and filling it full of fuel. Wingo told Mears to take care of the tires for the final 89 laps of the race. When the green-flag waved on lap 214, Mears was 24th. He was able to gain three spots before the yellow was displayed on lap 233.
Mears remained on the track, while several cars in front of him pitted. He was 15th when the green flag waved on lap 238. He was able to run around 16th over the next 25 laps before the No. 21 car spun on lap 266. Again, Wingo kept to his pit strategy and told Mears to stay on the track. He was back up to 15th for the restart on lap 271.
Mears began to drop back through the field on the next run. He slipped to 20th with five laps remaining in the race. With two laps remaining in the race, the No.’s 07 and 25 cars spun in front of Mears and he locked up the brakes trying to avoid the incident. With nothing to lose, Wingo called Mears down pit road so the Texaco/Havoline team could put on new tires and put a small load of fuel in the car to take them through the green-white-checker finish.
What Wingo hadn’t counted on, or several other teams, was a wreck during the caution between the No. 55 car and the No. 32 car. It extended the caution period by over five laps so Mears pitted again for a splash of fuel. When racing resumed for the final time on lap 306, Mears was 25th. He picked off four cars before the checkered flag waved to finish the day in the 21st position.
Mears’ teammates David Stremme and Sorenson finished 11th and 24th respectively. He remains 15th in the NASCAR NEXTEL Cup standings, 251 points out of the 10th position.
The Texaco/Havoline team heads back to Pocono Raceway this weekend for the 20th race of the season.
Back to Race Results
|
