NASCAR Cup

Darlington: Casey Mears preview

Target Team Facts: * Darlington: Casey Mears is looking to earn his first top-10 finish in the Target Dodge at Darlington Raceway this weekend in the Dodge Dealers 400. Mears' best finish at the track came in last year's ...

Published: May 4, 2005, 8:25 PM

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Target Team Facts:

* Darlington: Casey Mears is looking to earn his first top-10 finish in the Target Dodge at Darlington Raceway this weekend in the Dodge Dealers 400. Mears' best finish at the track came in last year's spring race. The Target Team fought its way back from one-lap down and a damaged front nose to finish on the lead lap in 15th place.

* Standings: Mears and the Target team jumped six spots in the NEXTEL Cup standings with their 14th-place effort at Talladega last weekend. Mears now sits 20th in the standings, 155 points out of the NASCAR Top 10.

* Chassis: Crew chief Jimmy Elledge and the Target Team will be taking chassis #206 to the "Lady in Black" this weekend. The team ran this chassis to a seventh-place finish at Las Vegas already this season. The team also ran this chassis four times last year.

* Mother's Day: Casey and his mom Carol are more than just mother and son. The dynamic pair has worked together since Casey was just a kid. Casey was raised in the family business which his mother and father, Roger, ran. Carol has been managing him and his money since he started racing, and when they sold the family business in 2000 she began Casey Mears, Inc. She still works for him today.

"There are a lot of benefits of Casey and I working together," said Carol Mears. "Casey was raised in our business, he played a big roll and saw how his Dad and I did things and were successful at it. He worked within the shop on a daily basis after school, so he was always around it. I have been managing his money and business since he was 14, and even now during his NASCAR career. He knows he can trust me because I have his best interest at heart....I'm his mother! I ran a business and was successful, that's a benefit for Casey.

"Working with someone you are so close to can also be tough sometimes. You really have to separate the relationship and that's hard to do. I have my own ideas and Casey has his. I have to remind myself that I work for him and his decisions are the bottom line. But, I wouldn't trade it for anything."

Casey Mears Quote:

On his Mom... "My mom has been instrumental in every aspect of my life. Having her around the track, especially this weekend, means a lot to me. I trust her completely. She is my biggest supporter, but also my toughest critic. I think a lot of times the focus of a driver's family is on his father, but my mom has been just as important in my career."

On Darlington..."I always look forward to going back to this track. The races at Darlington are unique and a ton of fun. We've always had good cars, but haven't been able to put together the finishes. We are taking a car I really like with us this weekend, so I know the Target Team and I have high hopes for a great finish."

-cgr-

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