Mears to Hendrick; Vickers to Yates #88 or Toyota

[kbsooner21]

Watch out for Mears fellas! This kid is going to win some races in his new Hendrick equipment.

[kbsooner21]

Vickers: Performance not there for No. 25 car

CONCORD, N.C. -- Brian Vickers' decision to leave Hendrick Motorsports following the 2006 Nextel Cup Series season is based solely on the mediocre performance of the No. 25 Chevrolet, Vickers told NASCAR.COM on Wednesday evening.

"Basically it comes down to one thing: performance," Vickers said. "For whatever reason, and this is just as much my responsibility as it is anyone else's at Hendrick Motorsports, me and the 25 car have not performed to the standards we're capable. (Cup point standings)

"Hendrick Motorsports has proven capable of winning championships and so have I, but not me and the 25 car together. So I feel it's best to start looking at other options."

Vickers, the 2003 NASCAR Busch Series champion, would not divulge with whom he is speaking regarding future employment, saying any all discussions will remain private until completed.

Prodded about Red Bull/Toyota and/or Robert Yates Racing's No. 88, he balked.

"I do not have a contract with anybody," Vickers said. "I'm going to look at all options. I'm not aware what rumors are out there, so I don't know what to tell you."

Vickers did say this is the final year in his current contract with Hendrick Motorsports, and that until the end of the current season he is fully vested in the success of the GMAC Chevrolet.

"I'd love nothing more than to win in the GMAC car," Vickers said. "That's what I was hired to do. That's what Ricky [Hendrick] expected of me."

Vickers was hand-picked by Ricky Hendrick to succeed Hendrick in the No. 5 Busch Series car. He followed-through with a championship.

Following a 25th-place points effort as a rookie in 2004, Vickers made several bids for Victory Lane last season, including a runner-up at Pocono and third-place run in the Brickyard 400 at Indianapolis.

But this season has been quite disappointing, aside from a near-miss third-place effort at Talladega Superspeedway.

What changed?

"Performance, again, is bottom line," Vickers said. "At end of day this is a professional sport and requires a certain standard of performance. For whatever reason, that's not happening at the level they wanted, and I wanted."

Not until "very recently" did Vickers begin having reservations about his status at HMS.

"This is not something I've been contemplating for a long time," he explained. "Up until this point, and moving forward, it's about this 25 GMAC team. But at some point I had to make a decision for the best of everybody involved. We both mutually agreed we should look at other options."

Asked whether excessive pressure coinciding with being a teammate to Jeff Gordon and Jimmie Johnson, as well as two-time winner Kyle Busch, was a factor in the decision, Vickers was adamant to the contrary.

He said he was never subjected to undue pressure from sponsors or HMS executives. He simply feels it's time to move on.

"It's a lot of pressure, but I put most of the pressure on myself," he said. "HMS is and always will be where my heart is, and I can't thank Rick and the Hendrick family enough.

"It's an honor to work at such an awesome place. There are very high standards. With that comes pressure. But I didn't feel any more than what I put on myself, because I wanted to win.

"I didn't come into this sport just to have a job. I didn't come here to ride around. I came here to win."

Vickers wouldn't comment on speculation that Casey Mears was already slated as his replacement in the No. 25 car.

"That's a question for Hendrick Motorsports," Vickers said.

[kbsooner21]

Mears to drive No. 25 Hendrick Chevy in 2007

Driver says HMS is 'one of top organizations in all of sports'

CONCORD, N.C. -- Car owner Rick Hendrick on Wednesday announced the signing of driver Casey Mears to pilot Hendrick Motorsports' No. 25 Chevrolets in the Nextel Cup Series beginning in 2007. Financial terms were not disclosed.


When Brian Vickers decided he wanted to leave the No. 25 car, Casey Mears announced he would not return to the No. 42 Ganassi ride. Credit: Autostock

Inside the Numbers
Casey Mears' career statistics
Starts 122
Wins 0
Top-5s 5
Top-10s 21
Poles 2
Laps Led 260
Avg. Start 20.9
Avg. Finish 23.6
Earnings $13,227,815



Mears, 28, inked a multi-year agreement that will keep him with the team through at least the 2009 racing season. He will replace Brian Vickers, who is slated to complete the current schedule after being granted a release from contractual obligations to Hendrick Motorsports beyond 2006.

"Casey is a talented driver and a high-character person who is going to be a great fit with our organization," Hendrick said. "He has the ability to win races and ultimately contend for championships, so we're thrilled to welcome him to Hendrick Motorsports."

In the midst of his fourth full season, Mears has posted two pole positions, five top-five finishes and 21 top-10s on the Nextel Cup circuit. The Bakersfield, Calif., native kicked off the 2006 campaign with a career-best second-place performance in the Feb. 19 Daytona 500 at Daytona International Speedway, where on Jan. 29 he became the first full-time NASCAR driver to be part of a winning Grand American Rolex 24 team.

"I'm committed to winning races and going after championships with the No. 25 team," said Mears, the son of legendary off-road racer Roger Mears and nephew of four-time Indianapolis 500 champion Rick Mears. "This is an opportunity for me to work with close friends and start fresh with one of the top organizations in all of sports. It's an exciting situation for me, both personally and professionally."

Casey Mears began racing competitively at the age of 4, campaigning BMX bicycles before moving to three- and four-wheel all-terrain vehicles at his hometown track of Bakersfield Speedway. He switched to go-karts in 1991, followed by a stint in the Mickey Thompson Off-Road Series (SuperLites) in 1992. Mears later earned the coveted Jim Russell USAC Triple Crown in 1995.

In 1999, Mears finished second in the Indy Lights Series championship standings. He won the ILS Grand Prix of Houston in October 2000 and later that month posted a top-five result in his CART Series (now Champ Car) debut at Fontana, Calif. The following year, he ran a four-race CART schedule as a substitute for the injured Alex Zanardi and made three Indy Racing League starts.

Mears drove his first-ever stock-car race in October 2001, earning a top-10 finish in the Automobile Racing Club of America event at Talladega Superspeedway. He began full-time Busch Series competition in 2002 before joining the Nextel Cup Series as a regular in 2003.

[jcindaville]

[kbsooner21]

Gosh that bitch is hot!!!!!!!!!!!

[Ldawg]

Watch out for Mears fellas! This kid is going to win some races in his new Hendrick equipment.

Mears


Put the Babe back up Jc ......

[kbsooner21]

You aren't a big Mears fan Ldawg??

[Ldawg]

You aren't a big Mears fan Ldawg??

I've Got More Talent In My Little Toe then that guy .....He Just has Better Equipment !



Short answer .... NO !!


Who gave you the weekend off KB ....? you only get online at work.....? Geez NO Wonder GAS COST so much !!

Bwahahahahaha



I see Jr. Got 'er Done this week ......good for you .

[kbsooner21]

I moved and don't have internet at my new place yet. should get it this thursday, but hopefully by the end of next week if those fuckers will show up and do it

[Ldawg]

I feel your Pain Brother.....



I had Nemenuts (Nemechek) in Survivor ....the Bastage !! Wasted play :angryfire