Casey Mears, #41 Target Dodge, Tropicana 400 Advance
Casey Mears, #41 Target Dodge, Tropicana 400 Advance RACE INFORMATION: EVENT: Tropicana 400 (race 18 of 36) TRACK: Chicagoland Speedway QUALIFYING: Friday, July 11, 3:05 p.m. CT RACE: Sunday, July 13, 2:00 p.m. CT BROADCAST: NBC television and MRN radio TARGET TEAM FACTS: -Chassis: Team Target will race chassis #302 at Chicago this weekend. This is the same car that finished 34th at Darlington earlier this year. -Chicagoland Speedway: In one career Busch Series start at Chicagoland Speedway, Casey Mears qualified 11th and finished 38th due to engine problems. -Raybestos Rookie: In the first race of 2003, Mears became the first rookie to lead a lap and the only rookie to lead a lap in the Daytona 500. Mears and Jamie McMurray are the first teammate rookies to compete for Raybestos Rookie of the Year honors. Mears is currently third in Raybestos rookie of the year standings. -Fujifilm Paint Scheme: The green, white and red of Fuji Photo Film U.S.A., Inc., will be the featured artwork on the No. 41 Dodge driven by Casey Mears for this one event. -Fujifilm Charity Auction on Ebay: Fujifilm and Target Chip Ganassi Racing with Felix Sabates are offering an outstanding NASCAR racing package, which is being auctioned to benefit the Giant Panda Conservation Fund at the Smithsonian National Zoo in Washington D.C. During that race week, Casey Mears will be given a Fujifilm Q1 Nexia "Simply Cool" Advanced Photo System film camera with which he will take candid photos of behind-the-scenes activity around the NASCAR paddock. The Q1 Camera, which will be autographed by Casey, and a select group of the "Casey's Candids" photographs will be a feature of the auction package. The auction is up and running at Ebay right now - item #2740209039. -Double Duty: In addition to running the No. 41 Fujifilm car in the Winston Cup race, Mears will also pilot the No. 19 Fujifilm car for Braun Racing in the Busch Series race. He will be teammates with Lance Norick in that series. -Dream Date: Casey Mears will be a part of "Regis and Kelly's Dream Date Search" at the end of July. Contestants can enter to win a Dream Date with Mears on www.match.com. -Brickyard 400 Testing: Casey Mears and Team Target tested at Indianapolis Motor Speedway on July 8th and 9th for preparation for the Brickyard 400. 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 Tim Smith Engineer Engineer Cope, South Carolina 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/Cook Cook Lynchburg, Virginia