PREVIEW: CASEY MEARS (NO. 25 NATIONAL GUARD/GMAC MONTE CARLO SS)
VENUE: MICHIGAN INTERNATIONAL SPEEDWAY (TWO-MILE D-SHAPED OVAL)
CIRCUIT: NASCAR NEXTEL CUP SERIES (RACE 23 OF 36)
EVENT: SUNDAY, AUG. 19, 2007 (200 LAPS, 400 MILES)

POINTS CLIMB: Casey Mears gained three spots in the NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series points standings after finishing 15th in Sunday's road-course event at Watkins Glen (N.Y.) International. The 29-year-old driver currently sits 16th in the standings and has advanced a series-best 19 positions since winning the May 27 race at Lowe's Motor Speedway.

MEARS AND MICHIGAN: In June, Mears recorded a career-best NEXTEL Cup Series result at Michigan International Speedway when he finished fourth after 400 miles. He has two top-10 finishes and three top-10 qualifying efforts in nine career Cup Series starts at the two-mile oval.

FAST FROM THE START: During his rookie season in the Cup Series, Mears won the June 2003 ARCA Series event at Michigan from the pole position after qualifying in track-record time.

'57 CHEVY PAINT SCHEME: This weekend, Mears' No. 25 National Guard/GMAC Monte Carlo SS will feature a special paint scheme to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the 1957 Chevrolet, one of the most recognizable cars in American motoring history. The scheme will include decals replicating the iconic 1957 car design.

SPEAKING OF VINTAGE: One of Mears' most prized possessions is his 1961 Chevy Impala convertible. A few years back, he spotted the car while perusing Old Car Trader, a Web site featuring collector-car classifieds, and says he was hooked at first sight. The car features a solid-red body with red and white interior, as well as a 454 engine, 18-inch wheels on the front and 20-inch wheels on the rear.

DECK-LID SPECIAL: In addition to the '57 Chevy paint scheme, Mears' No. 25 National Guard/GMAC Chevrolet will also recognize Sundance Chevrolet of Grand Ledge, Mich., on its deck lid this weekend. As a co-primary sponsor on the No. 25 Chevrolet, GMAC recognizes outstanding GM dealerships throughout the NASCAR season. The Detroit-based company operates in approximately 40 countries in the areas of automotive finance, real estate finance, insurance and other commercial businesses.

CAR SELECTION: Crew chief Darian Grubb has selected Hendrick Motorsports Chassis No. 384 for this weekend's NEXTEL Cup event at Michigan International Speedway. The car got a surprise run at Pocono Raceway earlier this month when Mears damaged his primary car in an early practice. Chassis No. 384 proved to be no slouch, however, as Mears went on to qualify eighth and finish 10th in the race.

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CLASSIC-CAR CELEBRATION: On Thursday afternoon, Casey Mears will help unveil Chevrolet's 2008 HHR vehicle with General Motors vice chairman Bob Lutz as part of activities surrounding the 2007 Woodward "Dream Cruise" in Royal Oak, Mich. The Cruise is billed as the world's largest one-day celebration of car culture, attracting more than one million visitors and 40,000 muscle cars, street rods, custom, collector and special-interest vehicles.

MEARS, CASEY MEARS: Mears will greet fans and sign autographs at 10 a.m. local time on Sunday at the No. 25 National Guard/GMAC souvenir hauler outside Michigan International Speedway.

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CASEY MEARS, DRIVER OF THE NO. 25 NATIONAL GUARD/GMAC MONTE CARLO SS: (ON RUNNING A SPECIAL '57 CHEVY PAINT SCHEME THIS WEEKEND.) "I've always loved classic cars -- I have a '61 Chevy Impala convertible and a couple of hot rods here and there. My dad is big into collector car shows, and that's something I enjoy as well. Running the '57 paint scheme should be a lot of fun this weekend, and Michigan, being the home track for Chevrolet, is an especially fitting place for us to do it."

MEARS: (ON THE PREFERRED LINE AT MICHIGAN INTERNATIONAL SPEEDWAY.) "I like running the bottom of the race track, but when you're qualifying at Michigan, it seems like you're more middle-of-the-track because it takes a lot of effort to get the car off the wall and to the bottom of the track to run a really fast lap. In the race, you tend to back up your corner a little more depending on how your car is handling."

MEARS: (ON GAINING THREE POSITIONS IN THE POINTS STANDINGS AFTER RACING AT WATKINS GLEN INTERNATIONAL LAST WEEKEND.) "Last weekend was a good points weekend for our No. 25 National Guard/GMAC Chevrolet team. We had a solid finish, and some of the people right around us in the points had problems. But with only four races to go before the Chase, we're still a long ways out. We definitely need great finishes and a little luck these next few weeks. We're focused on getting everything we can."