PREVIEW: CASEY MEARS (NO. 25 NATIONAL GUARD/GMAC CHEVROLET)
VENUE: DAYTONA INTERNATIONAL SPEEDWAY (2.5-MILE TRI-OVAL)
CIRCUIT: NASCAR NEXTEL CUP SERIES (RACE ONE OF 36)
EVENT: SUNDAY, FEB. 18, 2007 (200 LAPS, 500 MILES)

WELCOME TO HENDRICK: The 2007 Daytona 500 will mark Casey Mears' debut with the No. 25 National Guard/GMAC Chevrolet team at Hendrick Motorsports. During four seasons on the NASCAR NEXTEL Cup circuit, Mears has logged nearly 40,000 laps and accumulated two poles, six top-five finishes and 26 top-10s.

A ONE-TWO COMBINATION: Mears finished second in last year's Daytona 500 -- right behind his new crew chief, Darian Grubb. Grubb called the shots from atop Jimmie Johnson's pit box for the first four races of 2006 while serving as interim crew chief on the No. 48 Chevrolet team. Johnson won at Daytona and Las Vegas with Grubb.

CHASSIS 361 FOR MEARS: Grubb has selected Hendrick Motorsports Chassis No. 361 for this weekend's Daytona 500. The car last saw action in July at Daytona International Speedway, where it led 13 laps in the Pepsi 400 before finishing 18th.

A QUALIFYING STATEMENT: Mears and the No. 25 National Guard/GMAC Chevrolet team qualified 11th-fastest for the 2007 Daytona 500. It was a career-best qualifying effort for Mears in NASCAR's season-opening event at the 2.5-mile superspeedway. Sixty-one cars attempted to qualify for Sunday's race.

KEEP YOUR TEAMMATES CLOSE: Mears and Hendrick Motorsports teammates Kyle Busch, Jeff Gordon and Johnson were all among the leading qualifiers for Sunday's Daytona 500. Mears will be joined by Busch (12th) on the sixth row, with Johnson (10th) starting from the fifth row and Gordon (seventh) leading the Hendrick Motorsports charge from row four.

HENDRICK MOTORSPORTS AND THE DAYTONA 500: Chevrolet race cars entered by Hendrick Motorsports in Cup Series competition have won the Daytona 500 six times.

NEXT WIN WILL MARK 150: Hendrick Motorsports' next Cup Series victory will be the organization's 150th at NASCAR's highest level.

* * * * * * * * * *

GET YOUR 'CASEY CUT': Casey Mears, driver of the No. 25 National Guard/GMAC Chevrolet, will make a special two-hour "Casey Cuts" appearance beginning at 6:45 p.m. local time on Wednesday at the Volusia Mall in Daytona Beach, Fla. Mears' signature buzz cut -- also a popular style with members of the National Guard -- inspired the event. Twenty-five fans will have the opportunity to receive a free "Casey Cut" courtesy of the National Guard and have their post-cut photo taken with Mears.

* * * * * * * * * *

CASEY MEARS, DRIVER OF THE NO. 25 NATIONAL GUARD/GMAC CHEVROLET: (ON WHAT IT WILL TAKE TO SUCCEED IN THIS YEAR'S DAYTONA 500.) "The key, initially, is to be patient -- especially now with the tire it looks like we're running. Based on the (Bud Shootout), there's potential for it to be really hairy. You're really going to have to be extra patient and careful to get through the first three-quarters of the race and set yourself up for a good finish. There are going to be times when you could probably go to the front, but is it the right time and is it with the right person? Those are the kinds of things you have to sort through here."

MEARS: (ON MAKING HIS HENDRICK MOTORSPORTS DEBUT.) "It definitely feels like it's time, and I'm excited to get started. Sometimes I wake up and feel like I should pinch myself because of where I am and the opportunity I have to drive for Hendrick Motorsports. I want to make the most of it. I feel really good about our No. 25 National Guard/GMAC team with Darian (Grubb) as the crew chief, and it's going to be awesome to start putting the pieces of the puzzle together out on the track this weekend."

* * * * * * * * *

DARIAN GRUBB, CREW CHIEF OF THE NO. 25 NATIONAL GUARD/GMAC CHEVROLET: (ON THE TEAM'S 11TH-PLACE QUALIFYING EFFORT.) "It was a great effort by the National Guard/GMAC team. We picked up a little bit from what we had in practice. I think we're right where we want to be, and we're pretty happy for our first attempt. You always want to go faster, but this one feels good. It's a nice way to get things started."