NASCAR Driver Casey Mears Opts for Optimism in Racing Career

April 8, 2008

By Rebecca Gladden

Rebecca Gladden

Sprint Cup driver Casey Mears was understandably upbeat on a stopover in Phoenix this past week, visiting with an enthusiastic crowd of valley high school students to discuss character and careers in NASCAR.

Fresh off a seventh-place finish at Martinsville - his best of the young 2008 season - Mears spent the morning with approximately 90 members of Peoria (AZ) High School's beginner and advanced automotive technology classes.

Casey Mears

The appearance was part of NASCAR's Winner's Circle program and stemmed from an ongoing partnership between Phoenix International Raceway and local utility provider Arizona Public Service.

Mears, a California native now in his sixth season of Cup racing, genuinely enjoyed interacting with the Peoria students. "I had a blast, really. What made it fun was their interest in what we do. It's rewarding to go there and see them listening and taking in what you're saying and asking some really logical questions afterwards about pursuing a career in motorsports. Talking to them and seeing how excited they were was a lot of fun."

Like most drivers in NASCAR's elite series, the 30-year-old racer has constant demands on his time, both on and off the track. Though he admittedly struggles with the idea of being seen as a role model, he found Wednesday's experience a rewarding one. "I think our sport gets so busy at times, dealing with stuff on a day-to-day basis - you're either doing media, or you're doing something pertaining to your race team, or you're doing something for your sponsor - you're always doing this and that. This was a refreshing appearance - to give a talk to kids and explain to them what we do. It's kind of cool to think that they might take something positive out of that and apply it to their future."

Mears grew up racing from the age of four and was an accomplished driver in a variety of series by his teens. He graduated high school midway through his senior year to focus on winning a racing championship, but he never had to look farther than his own family to find mentors for his racing career. His father Roger is a successful off-road racer, and his uncle Rick is a four-time winner of the Indianapolis 500. "Growing up, I relied so heavily on what my dad and uncle had to say about my career that those were the guys I listened to. I just didn't utilize a whole lot of other people. Those were the guys that I leaned on the most for everything."

Though Mears has just one victory in five full-time Cup seasons, it was a big win - the 2007 Coca-Cola 600 at Lowe's Motor Speedway in Charlotte. Mears acknowledges that he's heard negative things said about him from time to time, but he knows it's all part of being a well-known driver. "It's just typical," he told me. "Everybody's got their opinions on what they think you should be doing, but really the people that know the most are the people on the inside - the race team, myself, my family. I've been fortunate that, for the most part, everyone's been very positive about what I've done with my career and where I'm going, and I feel good about that. There have been people that have said things, but it's just natural. Everybody's got their opinions."

One of the more curious notions making the rounds in the media is that the organization Mears drives for, Hendrick Motorsports, has been struggling so far this season. None of the four Hendrick drivers - Jeff Gordon, Jimmie Johnson, Dale Earnhardt, Jr., or Mears - has won a race yet this year. In 2007, Hendrick drivers won four of the first six races.

"It makes you laugh," Mears said of the media reports. "It's just people trying to create stories. Struggling? We haven't run the way we want to because we want to win races - but when you think about struggling as opposed to not struggling, we're definitely not struggling. It's maybe a little bit of a rougher start to the beginning of the year than Hendrick Motorsports typically has, but you just can't expect to have a year full of the dominant performances like Jimmie and Jeff had last year. Those are just years that don't happen all the time. To try to back up that year would be very difficult, but to say that we don't legitimately have a great shot to win a championship this year would be ridiculous, and to me, I relate struggling with that - if you're struggling, it's like saying, 'man, these guys don't have a shot at the championship.' We have a great shot to win the championship."

Placing all four HMS cars in the top seven at Martinsville last week was particularly meaningful for Mears. It's been just 3-1/2 years since a plane carrying 10 people - most of them close relatives and employees of team owner Rick Hendrick - crashed en route to the Martinsville racetrack, killing all aboard. Among those who died was Hendricks' son Ricky and HMS chief engine builder Randy Dorton.

"It's on everybody's mind when we go back there," said Mears. "Ricky Hendrick was a really good friend of mine and we hung out quite a bit. I'm really good friends now with his best friend at the time, and we always think about them when we go back to Martinsville - the whole Hendrick family, Randy Dorton, and all those guys that were on the plane."

But, in typical fashion, Mears tried to put a positive spin on an otherwise difficult subject. "To go to Martinsville and to run as well as we did as a team -- it was definitely a good feeling."

Casey will try to keep that good feeling going when he returns to Phoenix on Saturday, April 12, to compete in the SUBWAY Fresh Fit 500 at PIR.

You can contact Rebecca at.. Insider Racing News



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