Mears close to deal for new ride
08/16/08 This rumor is upgraded to 'strong' today. Barring a major snag Richard Childress Racing will introduce Casey Mears as its fourth driver next weekend at Bristol Motor Speedway, multiple sources told ESPN.com on Saturday.
Team owner Richard Childress declined to comment, saying only that he hoped to name a driver soon. Mears said on Friday at Michigan International Speedway that he has signed nothing and continues to talk to more than one organization.
But sources said RCR already has made tentative plans for a press conference next Saturday.
To be finalized are details of a deal that would put Mears in the Jack Daniels-sponsored No. 07 currently being driven by Clint Bowyer, who would move to the No. 33 that will be sponsored by General Mills. The switch would be made because General Mills reportedly isn't comfortable with Mears because of his association with rival sponsor Kellogg's at HMS. RCR then would petition NASCAR to move the 07 points to the No. 33 so Bowyer would be guaranteed a spot in the first five races next season.
Asked about the possible switch, Bowyer said, "We're still working on that." ESPN.com
08/16/08 Although multiple sources say Casey Mears is headed to Richard Childress Racing next season, Mears contends it's not a done deal. Mears said on Friday at Michigan International Speedway that he is talking to more than one team about his Sprint Cup future. Penske Racing also has had discussions with the Hendrick Motorsports driver about replacing Ryan Newman in the #12. "Hopefully, I can get something squared here soon," Mears said. "I'm still not sure yet exactly what's going on. Hopefully, we can get something sorted out real quick. It's still up in the air on what is going on. I'm not going to say what team 'cause I don't know. If I knew I'd give some answers." Sources said RCR continues to work out details as ESPN.com's Terry Blount reported last week that would put Mears in the Jack Daniels sponsored #07 currently being driven by Clint Bowyer, who would move to the #33 that will be sponsored by General Mills. The switch would have to be made because General Mills reportedly isn't comfortable with Mears because of his association with rival sponsor Kellogg's at HMS. RCR then would petition NASCAR to move the points from the #07 to the #33 so Bowyer would be guaranteed a spot in the first five races next season. Asked about the possible switch, Bowyer said, "We're still working on that." RCR owner Richard Childress, who made Friday a target date to name his fourth driver more than a month ago, said "things aren't totally in place yet. Nothing is done," he added. "Nothing has been signed yet." ESPN.com
08/12/08 Richard Childress Racing officials are hoping to work out the final details this week so they can announce that Casey Mears will join the organization in 2009 as the team's fourth Sprint Cup driver, sources confirmed Sunday.
The announcement could come next weekend at Michigan International Speedway if all the contracts are signed. But Mears said Sunday that nothing is certain yet about where he's headed. "Obviously, anyone would love to be part of an organization like RCR," Mears said. "I always try to be up front about this stuff, but the fact is nothing is signed and I'm still talking to other teams."
When asked if his new deal could be completed within a week, Mears said: "I certainly hope so. The sooner the better. We're very close on a couple of things."
Part of the hold up at RCR has been the complications of working out a plan to make a driver switch within the organization.
It's expected that Clint Bowyer would move to the new No. 33 Chevrolet with General Mills as the sponsor. Mears would take over for Bowyer in the No. 07 Chevy that Jack Daniels sponsors. RCR would petition NASCAR to swap the owner points on the No. 07 car to the No. 33 Chevy so Bowyer would have a guaranteed spot in the first five races next year.
Mears would not need to qualify the No. 07 car on speed in the first five events. He was asked Sunday if he had a problem going to a car without a guaranteed starting spot.
"I wouldn't want to do that," Mears. "But if it was on a team that had the personnel and equipment to make the car fast enough to qualify, it might be a possibility." Kellogg's cereal is one of Mears' primary sponsors at Hendrick Motorsports. Consequently, officials for General Mills, the parent company of Cheerios, reportedly were uncomfortable with Mears driving under that banner next season.
Mears, 30, announced last month that he was leaving Hendrick at the end of the season. He raced four seasons for Chip Ganassi Racing before joining Hendrick last season. Mears ranked 24th the Cup standings entering Sunday's race at Watkins Glen. His one Cup victory came in the 2007 Coca-Cola 600 at Lowe's Motor Speedway. espn.com
08/02/08 Robbie Loomis says that Petty Enterprises is trying to find a balance between protecting its points position and preparing for the future. That's why the team has a series of drivers effectively sharing its #45 in the Sprint Cup Series in the coming races. Loomis, Petty's vice president of racing operations, is at Pocono Raceway this weekend, where the team has Chad McCumbee entered in the race. Next week, Kyle Petty returns for the first time since the Coca-Cola 600 in May at Lowe's Motor Speedway to attempt the race at Watkins Glen International. Then two-time Cup champion Terry Labonte, who raced while Petty worked in the TNT broadcast booth for six races, will return at Michigan International Speedway. Beyond that, the team doesn't have plans to announce, though Loomis expects Petty to race at Bristol Motor Speedway.
The group is looking to add a third car for next season and is also interested in bringing Casey Mears into the fold. Loomis said that running the third car in a minimum of seven to 15 races would be ideal. He also says the organization is definitely interested in Mears, who has announced plans to leave Hendrick Motorsports at the end of the season. It appears that Mears would be in line for the #45 as it is the only full-time ride available. Bobby Labonte has already signed to drive the #43 next season. "Mears is definitely on our list," Loomis said. "I think Mears is probably, to me, one of the top guys available in the garage." He said that Mears would be a perfect fit for the team. "He definitely brings some stability, can run real good on the road courses, and I think Casey's a very well-rounded driver, and I think he's in a real hard situation," Loomis said. "You look at a lot of drivers that are the fourth guy of a team, he's behind some real star power. It's hard not to be a little bit beat before you show up at the track." SceneDaily