Casey Mears, #41 Target Dodge, Virginia 500 Advance

Casey Mears, #41 Target Dodge
Virginia 500 Advance

RACE INFORMATION:
	
EVENT:	Virginia 500 (race 9 of 36)
TRACK:	Martinsville Speedway
QUALIFYING:	Friday, April 11, 3:00 p.m. ET
RACE:	Sunday, April 13, 1:00 p.m. ET
BROADCAST:	FOX television and MRN radio

TARGET TEAM FACTS:
·	Chassis: Team Target will take chassis #201 to Martinsville.  #201
was a backup car on the #40 team last season.
·	Mears has never competed in a race at Martinsville Speedway.  He
tested there in the Target Dodge on April 1 and 2.
·	Mears is currently third in Raybestos Rookie point standings, behind
McMurray and Biffle.    
·	Mears and Jamie McMurray are the first teammate rookies to compete
for Raybestos Rookie of the Year honors.
·	Mears became the first rookie to lead a lap and the only rookie to
lead a lap in the Daytona 500.

CASEY MEARS QUOTES:

You have not competed at Martinsville Speedway.  How did your test go there?
"The test went well.  We kind of got off to a slow start since I haven't
been to a place like that before and really haven't done a lot of short
track racing.  It was a new experience for me to be at a small place like
that.  By lunchtime we picked up on it pretty good.  When we left on the
second day we left with the quickest time of everybody else there so we felt
really good about it."

What do you think about 43 cars racing around that track?
"It's going to be pretty wild.  When someone asks you what's your favorite
track, it's probably the farthest thing from it for me.  It's just a tough
place and I like places where you carry a lot of speed and momentum and
where you get that sensation of speed.  I'm looking forward to having 42
other cars out there.  I think it's going to make that place a lot more fun.
Running around by yourself at testing is just kind of slow and there's not a
lot to it.  I definitely have a lot to learn as far as those races go and I
think we learned a lot in the test and I'm feeling pretty good about it."

How did you adapt to braking at Martinsville?
"The whole track takes getting used to.  I've never had to stop that much on
a racetrack before.  Every other track I've been on, you just carry so much
momentum and speed.  It's similar to driving a road course.  I got a lot of
good advice from different people.  Jimmy Elledge drove me around the track
and told me what he has learned from drivers he has worked with in the past.
Michael and Darrell Waltrip were there at the test and they gave me some
pointers.   It helped a lot so I knew what to expect at that place having
never even seen it before.  We ran a ton of laps during that test."

AL SHUFORD QUOTES:
Team Trainer

What precautions are you taking for carbon monoxide at Martinsville?
"We are using our standard filters.  We are going to change them a bit more
regularly than we did before.  Normally, we change them every one or two
days.  At Martinsville, we're going to change them at the beginning of every
practice and prior to the race.  And we're going to double up on the filter
for the race.  We're also going to have all three of our drivers tested
before and after practice to get a carbon monoxide level.  To see what is
normal and see what they intake or don't intake.  We will be able to
calculate where they are before and after and then we can make changes based
on that reading."


TEAM TARGET CREW:

Name	Crew position	Race shop duty	Hometown
Casey Mears	Driver	Driver	Bakersfield, California
Jimmy Elledge	Crew Chief	Crew Chief	Redding, California
Andy Graves	Team Manager	Team Manager	Syracuse, New York
Tony Glover	Team Manager	Team Manager	Kingsport, Tennessee
Al Shuford	Team Trainer	Team Trainer	Shelby, North Carolina
Darren Wolfe	Front Tire Changer	Front Mechanic	Fletcher, North
Carolina
Marty Forcier	Front Tire Carrier	Paint Shop	Superior, Wisconsin
Randy Cox	Rear Tire Changer	Car Chief	Trinity, North
Carolina
Heath Cherry	Rear Tire Carrier	Race Day Only	Belmont, North
Carolina
Mark Jacobs	Jack Man	Race Day Only	Ft. Walton Beach, Florida
Les Huntley	Gas Man	Suspension Specialist	Renwick, Iowa
Todd Anderson	Catch Can Man	Chassis Setup	Jewell, Iowa
Doug Spees	Windshield	Tire Specialist	Toledo, Ohio
Andy Graves	Spotter	Team Manager	Syracuse, New York
Russ Bales	Engine Specialist	Engine Specialist	Sandy
Springs, Georgia
Chris Coxon	Engineer	Engineer	Cheboygan, Michigan
Paul Clapprood	Pit Support	Front Mechanic	Stafford Springs,
Connecticut
Trevor Lynse	Pit Support	Test Team	Fergus Falls, Minneapolis
Dave Shano	Pit Support	Truck Driver	El Cajon, California
Bill Henderson	Pit Support	Rear Mechanic	Brookfield, Massachusetts
Roger Parkinson	Pit Support	Shocks	San Diego, California
Melissa Zeno	Scorer	Race Day Only	Lynchburg, Virginia