PREVIEW: CASEY MEARS (NO. 25 NATIONAL GUARD/GMAC MONTE CARLO SS)
VENUE: TEXAS MOTOR SPEEDWAY (1.5-MILE TRI-OVAL)
CIRCUIT: NASCAR NEXTEL CUP SERIES (RACE SEVEN OF 36)
EVENT: SUNDAY, APRIL 15, 2007 (334 LAPS, 501 MILES)

A KNACK FOR TEXAS: Casey Mears owns four top-10 results in six career NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series starts at Texas Motor Speedway, including two fourth-place finishes at the 1.5-mile speedway in 2005. Last April, Mears also recorded a third-place finish at Texas in NASCAR Busch Series competition.

LONE-STAR REWIND: In addition to his notable NASCAR record at Texas Motor Speedway, Mears also has achieved significant open-wheel success in the Lone Star state. The California native notched his first career Indy Lights Series (ILS) victory in October 2000 at the annual Grand Prix of Houston. Mears, who finished only 14 points shy of winning the 1999 ILS season championship, also captured the pole and led the most laps during the race near downtown Houston.

THE CHEVROLET R07: Crew chief Darian Grubb has selected Hendrick Motorsports Chassis No. 334 for this weekend's NEXTEL Cup event at Texas Motor Speedway, and the car will feature a brand-new engine -- the Chevrolet R07. The new motor was designed to be more durable while using more modern parts and a different plumbing system. At least six Chevrolet drivers will run the R07 at Texas, including Mears and Hendrick Motorsports teammate Kyle Busch.

NEW ENGINE, NEW BODY: Chassis No. 334 was last run at Homestead-Miami Speedway in November, where it qualified sixth and finished 21st. However, the car underwent a complete re-body earlier this year and was modeled after the chassis that visited Victory Lane at Las Vegas Motor Speedway last month with driver Jimmie Johnson.

KENTUCKY PIT STOP: On Tuesday, Mears and the No. 25 National Guard/GMAC Chevrolet team will test Chassis No. 334 at Kentucky Speedway in preparation for this weekend's NEXTEL Cup event at Texas Motor Speedway. The team will also put some additional laps under its Texas back-up, Chassis No. 384, while visiting the 1.5-mile asphalt track in Sparta, Ky.

HENDRICK MOTORSPORTS AT TEXAS: Hendrick Motorsports' lone Cup Series win at Texas Motor Speedway came in 1999 when Texas native Terry Labonte took the checkered flag after 501 miles.

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CHEVY THUNDER IN SUNDANCE SQUARE: Casey Mears will participate in Chevy Thunder Days from 6:30-8:30 p.m. on Friday at Sundance Square in downtown Fort Worth, Texas. For more information, visit www.chevythunderdays.com.

MEET THE FANS: Mears will greet fans and sign autographs at 8:45 a.m. local time on Sunday at the No. 25 National Guard/GMAC souvenir hauler outside Texas Motor Speedway.

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CASEY MEARS, DRIVER OF THE NO. 25 NATIONAL GUARD/GMAC CHEVROLET: (ON TEXAS MOTOR SPEEDWAY BEING ONE OF HIS FAVORITE TRACKS.) "Texas has been one of my best tracks. We tend to qualify well there, tend to race well there, and it's a track that I really enjoy. It's fast like an Atlanta or a Charlotte, and the fans really get into it."

MEARS: (ON TEXAS LOSING ITS "BUMP" BETWEEN TURNS 1 AND 2.) "(The bump) was huge. And what's crazy about Texas is that, for the most part, it's really smooth except for that spot. In the past, you might have had a car that worked really well all the way around the track, but you still had to compensate with your set-up to get through that bump. As a result, your car wasn't as good overall. I'm excited to see and feel the difference now that the bump is gone."

MEARS (ON RUNNING THE NEW CHEVY R07 ENGINE AT TEXAS.): "We're excited about it. Hendrick Motorsports has been working on the engine for awhile now because we knew it was coming, and Jeff (Gordon) ran it for a lot of laps during a tire test at Darlington last month without any problems. With anything new, there are always some issues that come up, but I think we've done a good job of working on those areas."

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DARIAN GRUBB, CREW CHIEF OF THE NO. 25 NATIONAL GUARD/GMAC CHEVROLET: (ON THE R07 ENGINE.) "I'm really excited that we're going to be one of the first cars to run the new engine. It's the start of a whole new era for Chevrolet racing, going away from the traditional small block they have been so successful with for years. I feel good about the development and durability work that the engine group at Hendrick Motorsports has done, and I appreciate the extra effort by everyone in the design, chassis and mechanical groups. It took a lot of work to be prepared to introduce the new engine, and we're really looking forward to getting it on the track with our No. 25 National Guard/GMAC Chevrolet."

GRUBB: (ON THE NO. 25 NATIONAL GUARD/GMAC CHEVROLET TEAM'S CURRENT POINTS POSITION.) "Obviously, we want to be higher in the points, but I feel like Casey and I have established a strong relationship in the short amount of time we've had this season. We're learning and adjusting together, and I think Texas has the potential to be a great confidence-booster for our entire No. 25 National Guard/GMAC Chevrolet team."