NASCAR Cup

Watkins Glen: Casey Mears preview

Target Team Facts: * Championship Standings: Casey Mears and the Target Team are holding tight in the 16th position in the NASCAR Nextel Cup standings. They currently sit 255 points out of the top 10. * ...

Published: Aug 12, 2004, 1:52 PM

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Target Team Facts:

* Championship Standings: Casey Mears and the Target Team are holding tight in the 16th position in the NASCAR Nextel Cup standings. They currently sit 255 points out of the top 10.

* Watkins Glen: Mears qualified 12th and finished 32nd at The Glen last year. He was running fifth when he spun with nine laps to go in Turn 1 dropping him out of contention for the win. However, at Sonoma earlier this season, Mears drove the Target Dodge to a seventh-place finish for his first NASCAR Nextel Cup top 10 on a road course.

* Pole Days: Mears became the first driver since 1964 to post his first two career poles in consecutive races - Pocono and Indianapolis. His qualifying run at Indianapolis of 48.311 seconds at 186.293 mph broke Kevin Harvick's track-qualifying record of 48.822 seconds, 184.343 mph, set Aug. 2, 2003.

* Chassis: Crew chief Jimmy Elledge and the Target Team are bringing chassis #410 to Watkins Glen this weekend. Chassis #410 is a new car in the Target stable and will make its debut this weekend.

Casey Mears Quotes:

On The Glen... "We had a great run going last year at Watkins Glen," said Mears. "We were running solidly in the top five when the car spun in Turn 1. That spin was the difference between a top five and 32nd in the Target Dodge. We got a top 10 at Sonoma so I'm hoping we can do the same if not better this weekend at The Glen.

"The Glen suits my driving style much better than Sonoma. Your speed is quicker at The Glen and that is the type of road-course racing I'm used to. You carry so much more momentum off the corners. It also has a ton of grip so the track is more consistent and the tires don't fall off the way they do at Sonoma. Overall, it just makes it much easier to pass so the racing action is better."

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