PREVIEW: CASEY MEARS (NO. 5 CARQUEST/KELLOGG'S CHEVROLET)
VENUE: PHOENIX INTERNATIONAL RACEWAY (ONE-MILE OVAL)
CIRCUIT: NASCAR SPRINT CUP SERIES (RACE 8 OF 36)
EVENT: APRIL 12, 2008 (312 LAPS, 312 MILES)

MEARS AT PHOENIX: Casey Mears, driver of the No. 5 CARQUEST/Kellogg's Chevrolet Impala SS, recorded his best NASCAR Sprint Cup Series finish at Phoenix International Raceway last November when he took 13th. Mears has been a strong qualifier at the one-mile track, starting among the top-15 drivers in five of his eight races there.

NO. 5 AT PHOENIX: The No. 5 Hendrick Motorsports team earned its second career victory at Phoenix International Raceway on Nov. 13, 2005. In the three years that Alan Gustafson has been the crew chief, the team has posted four top-10 finishes, including the 2005 victory, and earned the pole position for the April 2006 race. Terry Labonte won the No. 5 team's first Phoenix race in October 1994.

PHOENIX, HIS SECOND HOME: During the off-season, Mears bought a second home in Scottsdale, Ariz. Mears spends much of his away-from-track time in the Phoenix area or driving his off-road sand car around the nearby dunes.

BACK TO SCHOOL: Last week, Mears visited Peoria (Ariz.) High School to speak with automotive students about goal-setting and teamwork. After talking with the students, Mears showed them his Chevrolet Impala SS race car and explained the differences between the car he races and the street-legal ones the students work on.

HENDRICK AT PHOENIX: Hendrick Motorsports won both NASCAR Sprint Cup Series races at Phoenix International Raceway last year. In the last two seasons, Hendrick Motorsports teams have combined to earn nine top-10 finishes at the one-mile track. On Nov. 6, 1988, Geoff Bodine made the organization's first start there. Driving the No. 5 Chevrolet, Bodine captured the pole position and led two laps en route to a sixth-place finish.

PHOENIX CHASSIS: Gustafson has chosen Hendrick Motorsports Chassis No. 464 for Saturday's race at Phoenix. The chassis has not been raced yet this season, but was tested at PIR in March.

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AUTOGRAPHS: Casey Mears will greet fans and sign autographs at the Kellogg's/CARQUEST souvenir trailer at 1:45 p.m. local time on Saturday.

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CASEY MEARS, DRIVER, NO. 5 CARQUEST/KELLOGG'S CHEVROLET (ON HIS DECISION TO BUY A HOME IN THE PHOENIX AREA.): "I just love the Phoenix area. I grew up in Bakersfield, Calif., which is kind of the same climate and desert-like atmosphere. I just feel more comfortable out here. I can wear shorts and flip-flop everywhere, and that's just the norm out there. Plus, most of the off time we have, I'm flying out to Phoenix anyhow. The dunes are close by, and anytime I can get out on my sand car, I do. Having a place to call 'home' out there just made sense."

MEARS (ON VISITING THE PEORIA HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS LAST WEEK.): "That day was just really cool. I like doing appearances with high school students. They ask great questions. They're inquisitive. And these kids were really into it. I have to say how impressed I was with the school. Their automotive program was really top notch. Hopefully the students fully appreciate what's being offered to them."

ALAN GUSTAFSON, CREW CHIEF, NO. 5 CARQUEST/KELLOGG'S CHEVROLET (ON THE TEAM'S 2005 VICTORY AT PHOENIX INTERNATIONAL RACEWAY.): "That race was pretty crazy. It's one of those examples of racing where you can't count a team out. We thought we had a flat right (tire) in the middle stages of the race. We came in to pit, and that put us a lap down. We ended up getting that lap back, and that stop put us on a different pit sequence than the leaders. Ultimately, that is what got us the track position we needed to win the race."

GUSTAFSON (ON PREPARING FOR NIGHT RACES.): "The best thing about night races is that the conditions aren't as hard on the car. There's more grip on the race track because the sun isn't out. The weather is typically cooler so it's easier on the tires, engine and brakes. Knowing this, a team can push the car's setups to the absolute limits. Night races simply allow us to be more aggressive than we typically would be."

GUSTAFSON (ON THE LONG STRETCH OF RACES FOLLOWING THE OFF-WEEKEND.): "Everyone on the Kellogg's/CARQUEST team is ultra-competitive. We want to win every race, every weekend, so that makes being at the race track every weekend a little easier. I think how a team handles the long stretch is more about the team's competitiveness than the length of races. If you're running well and winning, it's all easy and fun. If you're struggling, then it's tougher. As a crew chief, you would have to have a good plan and direction in place to keep everyone focused on the end goal."