Casey Mears and No. 41 Target Dodge
GFS Marketplace 400 – Michigan International Speedway Advance
Target Team Facts:
Michigan: Casey Mears was on Target to earn a career best finish at Michigan in June, but a pit road miscue dropped the team one-lap down to the leaders. Mears started on the outside pole, but finished 21st. This will be Mears’ fifth start at the 2-mile track.
Chassis: Crew chief Jimmy Elledge and the Target team will bring Mears’ favorite chassis to Michigan International Speedway this weekend. Chassis #206 will makes its fifth appearance this season when the green flag waves for the GFS Marketplace 400. Mears drove this chassis to a sixth-place finish at Indianapolis and a ninth-place finish at Chicagoland. This is also the car he ran in the first Michigan race this season.
A few locals: Two Target team members hail from the surrounding areas of Michigan International Speedway. Tire specialist Doug Spees is from Toledo, Ohio, and front tire carrier Marty Forcier grew up in Superior, Mich.
Standings: Mears and the Target team advanced another spot to 23rd in the NASCAR NEXTEL Cup championship standings after the final road course event of the season last weekend.
Casey Mears Quote:
On the new rule… “NASCAR instituted a new camber rule beginning this weekend,” said Mears. “We will have to adjust on the Target Dodge a little, but I don’t expect it to make a huge difference. This car is by far my favorite car, so I’m really looking forward to this weekend. We’ve been able to make adjustments when we needed to and it’s balanced really well.”
On Michigan… “We had a great run going in June,” said Mears. “I think we had the fastest car out there most of the race. Jimmy (Elledge) and this team have these 1.5 to 2.0-mile tracks figured out. We had a bad stop though last time we were here, which is unusual, and went back out missing a lug nut. We had to come back in and went a lap down. We rode around a lap down the rest of the day. We probably had the best car out there. It’s a shame because I think we could have won the race. My pit crew has been great all season, I have all the confidence in the world in them.”
