NAASCAR: Team Target UAW-GM 500 Advance
Casey Mears, #41 Target Dodge, UAW-GM Quality 500 Advance RACE INFORMATION: EVENT: UAW-GM Quality 500 (race 30 of 36) TRACK: Lowe's Motor Speedway QUALIFYING: Thursday, October 9, 7:00 p.m. ET RACE: Saturday, October 11, 7:20 p.m. ET BROADCAST: NBC television and PRN radio TARGET TEAM FACTS: -Energizer Paint Scheme: Casey Mears will have a special Energizer paint scheme this weekend at Lowe's Motor Speedway. -Last Time at Lowe's: Casey Mears and Team Target had an early night in the Coca-Cola 600 due to transmission problems. The Target Dodge finished the rain-shortened event in 35th place after starting in 19th position. -Target Dodge: Team Target is taking chassis # 308 to Charlotte this weekend. This car has seen five Winston Cup races this season including a 24th place finish at Kansas last weekend. -Ganassi Dominance: Ganassi drivers Sterling Marlin and Jamie McMurray have won each of the last two UAW-GM Quality 500s at LMS. -Best Qualifying: Mears' best qualifying effort this season was a fourth place starting position at Chicagoland Speedway. -Raybestos Rookie Teammates: Casey Mears and Jamie McMurray are the first teammate rookies to compete for Raybestos Rookie of the Year honors. Mears currently sits in third place in rookie points while McMurray leads the points. -Leader: Mears became the first 2003 rookie to lead a lap and the only rookie to lead a lap in the Daytona 500. BUSCH SERIES FACTS: -Busch Series: Along with his Winston Cup duties, Mears will also compete in the Charlotte Busch Series race this weekend. He will pilot the No. 19 Target Dodge for Braun Racing. Jamie McMurray will drive the No. 40 Havoline Dodge for Braun Racing. -Busch Stats: In eight starts in the Busch Series this season, Mears has earned one pole award and three top-10 finishes. LOWE'S MOTOR SPEEDWAY STATS: Busch Series DATE RACE LOCATION START FINISH STATUS 5/25/02 CARQUEST Auto Parts 300 Lowe's Motor Speedway 30 23 Running 10/12/02 Little Trees 300 Lowe's Motor Speedway 15 27 Running Winston Cup Series DATE RACE LOCATION START FINISH STATUS 5/25/03 Coca-Cola 600 Lowe's Motor Speedway 19 35 Transmission 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 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 Russ Bales Engine Specialist Engine Specialist Sandy Springs, Georgia Tim Smith Engineer Engineer Cope, South Carolina Tim McKichan Spotter Paint Shop 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 Eric Hoyle Pit Support Rear Mechanic Asheville, North Carolina Roger Parkinson Pit Support Shocks San Diego, California Melissa Zeno Scorer/Cook Cook Lynchburg, Virginia XXX Nealie Hamilton Media Relations Chip Ganassi Racing with Felix Sabates office: (704) 662-9642 x1130 cell: (704) 500-6068 nhamilton@ganassi.com