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NASCAR Sprint-Cup Series
CUP: Mears Trying To Remain Focused At RCR
Casey Mears is trying to focus on running well as the Richard Childress Racing organization seeks sponsorship...
Bob Pockrass  | http://www.scenedaily.com  |  Posted September 26, 2009   Dover, DE
Casey Mears was announced as the driver of the #07 Jack Daniel's Chevrolet for the 2009 season prior to the 2008 Sharpie 500 at Bristol Motor Speedway. (Kevin C.Cox/Getty Images Photo)

Casey Mears is trying to focus on running well as the Richard Childress Racing organization seeks sponsorship for the team's No. 07 Chevrolet for next year.

Jack Daniel’s announced Monday that it would not return as sponsor of the car, leaving team members in limbo.

“I’m not certain on anything,” Mears said Friday at Dover International Speedway. “It’s obvious that if a sponsor leaves and we don’t pick up another one, there’s not a fourth car. That’s just plain as day. So there’s really not a whole lot to talk about there other than we’re trying to find a sponsor.

“I’ll be looking all over the place to figure out what I’m going to do for next season. But right now, I’m focused on trying to run the rest of this season the best we can and my hope is we’re coming back next year.”

There have been some good conversations with potential sponsors but it all remains to be seen what happens, Mears said. Mears is 20th in points in his first year at RCR after four years at Chip Ganassi Racing and then two years at Hendrick Motorsports.

Mears already has seen his entire crew swapped with the one of Kevin Harvick, as well as several changes in his pit crew. Mears called the season as a “scattered” one.

“It’s a lot of things piling on top of each other, but the biggest thing I am hoping for is we can put together a good program for next year, have a good solid year, have no changes with the crew chief or the pit crew and we can build something solid and go on,” Mears said.

To do that, there will need to be a sponsor. But Mears said the team just needs to continue working hard.

“The sponsor being gone has not changed the remainder of our season,” Mears said. “We’ve just got to continue to drive hard, and obviously everybody at Childress is working very hard to secure some sponsorship for next year to continue the fourth car.

“But right now, we’ve just got to think about each race and do what we’ve been doing all year, and that’s just trying to be fast each week.”

As far as himself, Mears said he has not had conversations with other teams.

“There’s nobody [needing drivers] to contact anybody,” Mears said. “Right now, it’s just a tough time for our sport and I think there’s not a lot of organizations looking for drivers. … There’s a lot of guys that are secure. There isn’t a whole lot of movement this year other than guys losing their rides.

“So my eyes and ears are open to everything, but at the same time, my main focus is here. We’ll see what happens.”




SceneDaily.com•Ryan Newman hopes to increase his average at his favorite track for Stewart-Haas Racing

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Bob Pockrass

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