Spin on Lap 233 Results in 25th-Place Finish for Texaco/Havoline Team
Joliet, Ill., (July 9, 2006) --- The Texaco/Havoline team was running 11th on lap 233 when the car snapped loose on Casey Mears. The No. 42 Dodge Charger spun into the outside wall and suffered damage to the left rear. The team repaired the car, remained on the lead lap and brought the car home in the 25th position.
“We had about a 15th-place car today,” said Mears. “We just haven’t been as good on the mile and a half tracks this year like the team was last year. I was trying to make more out of what we had than we did. I’d gain spots on restarts and try to hold guys off as long as I could. We’d get 15 to 20 laps on our tires and everybody would start going by us. It just got loose and I lost it.”
Mears started the 267-lap race from the 11th position on Sunday morning. He was shuffled back to 14th on the first lap, but made the spots up by lap six. He told crew chief Donnie Wingo the car needed more front grip as he began to drop back in the field. Wingo called Mears down pit road on lap 56 under green-flag conditions for four tires, fuel and air pressure adjustments in three out of four tires. When pit stops had cycled through, Mears was sitting 15th.
The caution flag finally waved on lap 67, and Mears drove the Texaco/Havoline Dodge back down pit road for four fresh tires, fuel and air out of the front tires. Seven cars elected to remain on the track, while seven cars took on two tires only resulting in a 24th-starting spot for the restart on lap 72.
It appeared Mears was much quicker than the competition on fresh tires, and he passed four cars by lap 70. He was back into the top 15 on lap 87 after maneuvering around the No. 25 car. The Texaco/Havoline Dodge continued to be one of the quicker cars on the track, and was sitting 13th when green-flag pit stops began on lap 120. Wingo called Mears down pit road on lap 129 for tires and fuel. The team’s strong stop kept Mears in 13th when the yellow flag was displayed on lap 138.
Wingo wanted to see what a two-tire stop would do to the car, so when Mears came into the pits the Texaco/Havoline crew fitted the car with right-side tires and packed it full of fuel. Mears was sitting 11th for the restart on lap 145. Although Mears passed the No. 7 car to take over the 10th position, he told Wingo the car had no grip at all and it was tougher to drive than it had been all day.
The crew continued to work on the handling of the Texaco/Havoline Dodge over the next two caution flags. The car would consistently be quick on the short runs, but would be tougher to handle the longer the green-flag run. In fact, when the caution waved on lap 215 Mears told Wingo the car was “wrecking loose.” The seven-man crew jumped the wall to fit the No. 42 Dodge with fresh tires and make a chassis adjustment. When racing resumed on lap 219, Mears was running 17th.
Mears worked the Texaco/Havoline Dodge up to 12th on lap 226, just one lap before the caution flag waved. Wingo told Mears to remain on the track to hold onto the track position they had. Racing resumed on lap 232 and Mears quickly grabbed the 11th spot. The car snapped loose on Mears the following lap, and suffered damage on the left rear as a result from backing into the outside retaining wall. He was able to drive away from the incident and down to pit road for assistance from the crew. They were able to beat out the fender and put on fresh tires without losing a lap to the leaders.
Despite significant damage to the car, Mears was able to finish the race on the lead lap in the 25th position. Mears and the team remain 15th in the NASCAR NEXTEL Cup standings, and now sit 228 points out of 10th. His Chip Ganassi Racing with Felix Sabates teammates Reed Sorenson and David Stremme finished seventh and 22nd respectively.
The Texaco/Havoline team heads to New Hampshire International Speedway next weekend with a new car they tested recently at The Milwaukee Mile.
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