Hendrick Motorsports made it official Friday by announcing that driver Casey Mears would leave the team at the end of the 2008 Sprint Cup season.
“None of us, Casey included, have been satisfied with the situation this season,” team owner Rick Hendrick said. “We’ve put a ton of emphasis on the No. 5 program. It’s been a total team effort, and Casey has worked as hard as anyone to help us improve. But the results just haven’t come.”
Mears, 30, joined Rick Hendrick’s four-car team in 2007 as the driver of the No. 5 Chevrolet, replacing Brian Vickers.
“I know the effort has been there, but we haven’t had the finishes to show for it,” Mears said. “I’ve never tested this much or put more energy into racing. But for whatever reason, we just haven’t been able to make it click. It’s certainly not for lack of dedication on anyone’s part.”
Hendrick did not say who will drive the No. 5 Chevy next season, but Mark Martin is expected to join the team and take over for Mears, either full-time or part-time with another driver.
Mears had one victory and finished 15th in the Cup standings last year, but he has fallen to 24th this season and hasn’t won a race. Mears believes he has other options available to him for 2009.
“I want to get my 2009 plans wrapped up soon,” he said, “but I’m also focused on the next 20 races and finishing 2008 on a positive note. We ran well the second half last year and I know we can do it again. I want to close this season the right way.”
Let the speculation begin!!!!!
RCR.
next please
You get the feeling Casey was among the least to know about this?
This was the easy piece in the puzzle.
[quote comment="43262"]RCR.
next please[/quote]
I would think RCR would have Newman (and Truex if he gets out of his deal) higher on the list than Mears, but I certainly wouldn’t rule Mears to RCR out. Who knows… Truex might stay w/ DEI for some stupid reason and Newman might end up with whatever becomes of this Haas/Stewart thing. Like I said, here we go with the speculation!
Ron of course Mears was the last to know, just like Kyle was last year. Hendrick preaches all this good guy persona and he doesnt even have the balls to talk to his guys, like they did with Vickers.
As for Mears, nobody should hire him, what has he done to make anybody want to hire him, his resume has alot of big team names on it and what one win. Thats not very impressive, if I was a team owner I wouldnt want him as a driver he doesnt bring anything to the table, hes not thats good. Im sure everyone is going to tell me how wrong I am, but the facts speak for themselves.
He’s going to Panther Racing and he’s bringing Pennzoil with him for 2009.
So hes leaving leaving cup going back to open wheel?
Well don’t know if the deal is actually going to go through, but he is in talks with that team.
I’ve always wondered exactly what he did to get his opportunities in the first place, including what he had in open wheel. Other than his last name, I haven’t seen anything.
Correct me if I am wrong, but he was a seat filler from the start.
I agree the only reason he got a shot was because of his name. Oh well once again he is a seat filler cause someone needs to fill his seat at Hendrick. I say put David Stremme in there I would love to see what he could do in a good car.
[quote comment="43273"]I’ve always wondered exactly what he did to get his opportunities in the first place, including what he had in open wheel. Other than his last name, I haven’t seen anything.
Correct me if I am wrong, but he was a seat filler from the start.[/quote]
That could be said for most of the drivers in the world (on all levels) that have famous relatives with the same last name.
But I think what the big problem is, he has that famous last name so everybody expects him to be a superstar, and he gets hyped up as one, when in reality he is just not meant to be a superstar but just a regular driver.
If anyone saw him at Ganassi they would have known him being a superstar was not going to happen, even if they didnt want that hes done nothing to prove his keep, especially on a team that dominates the series.
well goodbye Casey, Hello Mark. give me a break this is such so silly but I guess Rick has to throw someone in the car while Brad learns and who better than part timer Mark. after all they have Landon to deal with so too. Casey will end up somewhere but it wont be RCR thats for sure.
[quote comment="43276"]If anyone saw him at Ganassi they would have known him being a superstar was not going to happen, even if they didnt want that hes done nothing to prove his keep, especially on a team that dominates the series.[/quote]
to compare any of this to Ganassi is rediculous….no one there has harly ever ran good and if they did it wasnt consistent…so its not Caseys fault there…HMS i think it is, cause Kyle ran exceptional in that car with Alan G as his crew cheif…I don’t think Casey is cut of for stock car racing…but i really did expect him to do better at HMS than he has…
but this no suprise to me..Hendrick has 3 drivers locked up right now, no matter how bad they run he wont get rid of those 3…Johnson, Jr and Gordon…..mears just doesnt fit in that superstar atmosphere…i also dont see him going to RCR either…b/c they will want someone who can perform right off that bat, casey cant do that
Casey is another John Andretti
Fisha, where did you get the info on the IRL thing? I thought that was supposed to be on the DL. I have a family member who works for a team in the IRL and he called me as soon as he heard the rumor in their garage. As for his stint in the IRL, it was just that, a stint. He didn’t run much (3 races I think maybe a few more) and yes he was a filler for the injured Alex Zanardi (sorry if I spelled his name wrong) in the Cart series. He ran very well in the Indy Light series but that is just like the Nationwide series. I’m not saying he is a great driver by any means. Ganassi’s crap sucks!!! If it were that great wouldn’t they win more than 1 race in the last few years. How about Ganassi leaves and sticks to IRL. I’m not saying that because Casey never won there but come on, Dario isn’t that great, Juan isn’t doing that great not bad but nothing outstanding, and Reed is off the charts bad! I will still cheer for them. Mears at RCR would be dumb. He is older and there are younger guys on the market, wont and shouldn’t happen. Mears is by far not a superstar, and I almost think he wants it that way.
Alan is kind of a jerk though to Casey. Casey asked what had happend to the car something was wrong. Alan said “I don’t know what you did to it, it was fine 2 weeks ago”. He acted like Casey got underneath the hood and messed it up. Yeah right! That would be like Jimmie Johnson fixing something.
How bout If Juan keeps on bitching bout how bad his cars are, he gets out of his contract early and goes to Hendrick. I dont like Juan or could careless if he was and F1 driver, not to take anything away from the F1 guys cause they re bad ass drivers, I just dont like the cokcky attitude these open wheelers have like they are going to come here and walk through the series. I would love to see Juan in some good equipment to see how well he would really do, lets face it Ganassi cant give it to him.
[quote comment="43280"]Fisha, where did you get the info on the IRL thing? I thought that was supposed to be on the DL. [/quote]
I know somebody that knows somebody, and they posted that info on another forum, so I’d thought I’d share.
Plus in today’s day and age, nothing in the racing world is onthe DL… l0l
I would like to see Smoke go over to Hendrick! But I think that he wants to co-own a team anyway.
That is true Fisha, I don’t know why I would think that. My cousin said it was on the DL around his garage. Whatever that means!?!?
I would like to see Juan in some real stuff too just to see what he could do but I would also like to see Tony or Jeffy run in some crap, how about Ganassi stuff. lol…can’t help but hate on CGR for life. I don’t see Juan going to HMS but I could be wrong. I also said Jr. wouldn’t go there and they would never get rid of K.B.
I wouldnt count on Tony going to HMS, Hendrick likes to have full control over his guys, and he wants them to be well spoken pretty boys, and lets face it SMOKE doesnt fit that profile nor do I think he would be willing to change his ways. As for Hendrick getting rid of KB that was the best thing that could have ever happened to KB, he doesnt need to be on that team, and that was Hendrick being a sell out going for the Earnhardt name and the money he would bring in, and not a true driver like KB, but Hendrick is a business man so I can see that as a good move, I just hope he’s having sellers remorse now.
Tony would never do a move to HMS, its not his kind of deal. He is has all but closed the deal with Haas, as a matter of fact I think the deal is done and he isn’t talking today. No, HMS was a good fit for Dale, where else would he have gone? not RCR to much pressure there,not JGR would fit in with the Toyota’s. so HMS was the logical place for him.
[quote comment="43287"]Tony would never do a move to HMS, its not his kind of deal. He is has all but closed the deal with Haas, as a matter of fact I think the deal is done and he isn’t talking today. [/quote]
Smoke, Newman, Burger King, Office Depot, and so far no word of Smoke ownership.
[quote comment="43288"][quote comment="43287"]Tony would never do a move to HMS, its not his kind of deal. He is has all but closed the deal with Haas, as a matter of fact I think the deal is done and he isn’t talking today. [/quote]
Smoke, Newman, Burger King, Office Depot, and so far no word of Smoke ownership.[/quote]
and you wont either until at least August unless Tony actually comes out and says it
hendrick has always been a two car team. the 24 an 48 are housed in a seperate building then the other two. i dont know how it is now that jr is there. hendrick keeps his teams apartr from eachother. ive never seen wats now the 88 team do anything on the track until dale jr came there. vickers never did good there. terry labonte didnt do much as soon as jimmie johnson came around.kyle busch did ok for them but he wasnt in the same league as the 24 and the 48. all hendrick ever really cared about was his 24 an 48 and now the 88 because dale jr is there and he has to be given good equipment because he has most of nascars fan base followin him. thats why there is no performance out of the five car.
[quote comment="43290"]hendrick has always been a two car team. the 24 an 48 are housed in a seperate building then the other two. i dont know how it is now that jr is there. hendrick keeps his teams apartr from eachother. ive never seen wats now the 88 team do anything on the track until dale jr came there. vickers never did good there. terry labonte didnt do much as soon as jimmie johnson came around.kyle busch did ok for them but he wasnt in the same league as the 24 and the 48. all hendrick ever really cared about was his 24 an 48 and now the 88 because dale jr is there and he has to be given good equipment because he has most of nascars fan base followin him. thats why there is no performance out of the five car.[/quote]
that was like that for years because of the way the buildings were set up with the engine shop up on the hill and the fab shop down below and the team shops apart from each other. it isn’t like that anymore all the teams are under one roof together now with the museum all redone. for years it was a matter of not building more buildings but it is really nice now . they even have a huge lake.
[quote comment="43274"]I agree the only reason he got a shot was because of his name. Oh well once again he is a seat filler cause someone needs to fill his seat at Hendrick. I say put David Stremme in there I would love to see what he could do in a good car.[/quote]
Stremme is under contract to Penske as a r&d driver but if newman leaves i bet he gets the 12 car.
plain and simple tony will go to the 5 team. he go there and start or buy his own team like dale sr. did.
At times it was easy to forget that Hendricks even had a fourth car on the team. They should have cut Casey last year and kept Kyle.