Engine Woes End Day and Season for Mears and Texaco/Havoline
HOMESTEAD, Fla. (November 19, 2006) --- Casey Mears took his final ride in the No. 42 Texaco/Havoline Dodge in the NASCAR NEXTEL Cup season finale at Homestead-Miami Speedway Sunday. Mears and the team were running 16th with just seven laps remaining in the Ford 400 when the engine expired. "I really wanted to finish strong for the Texaco/Havoline team," said Mears. "The guys worked on the car all night and did great in the pits to move us up into the top 15. This has been a tough weekend for me and to have it end with a blown motor is tough. It's the first motor issue we've had all year, I just wanted to end strong. I'll miss everyone. This has been my home for the last four years." Mears started the race from the 39th position after qualifying on a bad set of tires. Mears knew he had a strong car, as the Texaco/Havoline Dodge was atop the speed charts during practice. He moved up 10 positions after the first five laps of the race and when the caution waved on lap seven he was sitting 29th. Mears told crew chief Donnie Wingo the car was loose in and tight from the center off, a condition he would battle most of the night. The team made its first adjustment on the No. 42 Dodge Charger and was sitting 32nd when racing resumed on lap 11. Mears moved into the top 25 on lap 19 and would battle in the mid-20's until green-flag pit stops began on lap 100. Wingo called Mears down pit road on lap 107 for four tires, an air pressure adjustment and fuel. The caution flag finally waved on lap 116 when the No. 5 car hit the wall. The Texaco/Havoline team found themselves sitting 26th, one lap down to the leader. Mears pitted on lap 188 for fresh tires and fuel and restarted in the 31st position. He battled his way up to 26th again on lap 151, with just 21 cars on the lead lap. NASCAR displayed the yellow flag on lap 160 and the Texaco/Havoline team went to work on the car. The team made an air pressure adjustment in the right-rear tire, changed all four tires and added fuel. Mears returned to the track in the 23rd position, the second car one lap down. The green flag waved on lap 165 and it took just four laps for Mears to catch and pass the No. 7 car to be in position to receive NASCAR's free pass back on the lead lap when the next caution waved. The team got its break on lap 173 and was back on the lead lap. Racing resumed again on lap 178, but green-flag racing lasted just 12 laps. Wingo decided to gain track position and called for right-side tires and fuel only. Although several cars made the same call, the Texaco/Havoline Dodge was sitting in the top 10 for the first time during the race for the restart on lap 193. Mears slipped back to 13th on lap 204 and the yellow waved on lap 205. The field came down pit road and the Texaco/Havoline team performed a textbook four-tire stop. Several cars elected for two tires, and Mears was sitting back in 18th when the green flag waved on lap 209. Mears was trying his best to maneuver his way into the top 10, and had worked his way up to 11th when the caution was displayed on lap 247. He pitted for four tires and fuel and came out of the pits in 16th. Mears' teammate, and pilot of the No. 42 Dodge Charger in 2007 Juan Pablo Montoya, brought out the caution on lap 251 when the No. 12 car sent him in the wall. Montoya, who was driving the No. 30 Texaco/Havoline Dodge, came out of the incident unscathed. NASCAR red flagged the race to clean up the track on lap 253. Racing resumed on lap 256 and after four green-flag laps Mears was 12th. He dropped back to 16th on lap 261, but lost the motor just one lap later. Mears and the team finished the race in the 32nd position and ended the year 14th in the NASCAR NEXTEL Cup standings. It is the first time Mears has finished in the top 15 in points, and the third year in a row for the Texaco/Havoline team. "I can't thank everyone enough at Chip Ganassi Racing with Felix Sabates and Texaco/Havoline. This has been a great year. I wish them the best of luck in 2007."
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