Daytona 500 - Rookie Saturday Quotes

RAYBESTOS® ROOKIE CASEY MEARS IN THE NO. 41 TARGET DODGE WAS INVOLVED IN AN ACCIDENT DURING THE FINAL PRACTICE SESSION FOR THE DAYTONA 500. HE WAS NOT INJURED IN THE INCIDENT. "I was going down the back straightaway and before I entered into turn three the right front tire just blew out. I don't know if we picked something up or what happened but I was on the straightaway, I wasn't even in the corner yet and the tire came apart and it just hit real hard getting into three."

DID YOU HAVE ANY WARNING? "Not at all. It just blew out. I was right behind Christian Fittipaldi trying to push him up to the pack that was in front of us. I just kind of got a good run on him, was kind of pulling up to him, and I was going in a straight line and it just came apart."

©Copyright 2003 Race 2 Win