Casey Mears News
Friday, May 21, 2010
Vickers to miss remainder of season with multiply blood clots: Brian Vickers expects to miss the remainder of the 2010 Sprint Cup season as he recuperates with issues brought on by deep vein thrombosis in his lungs and left leg. Vickers announced Friday at Charlotte Motor Speedway that “what has happened and due to the blood thinners I am on, I will be out a minimum of six months – the rest of the year. “If something changes, great, but right now it’s the rest of the year,” Vickers said. “It’s killing me, no pun intended.” Last Tuesday while visiting Washington, D.C. for an appearance, Vickers felt pain in his chest that woke him up during the night. He said the pain was the most intense he’d ever felt in his life, but being “stupid” and thinking he was “invincible” he went back to bed despite having trouble breathing. Casey Mears, who subbed in for Vickers last week at Dover, will be in the 83 car for Saturday night’s All-Star race and will be in the car for the “foreseeable future,” according to Red Bull team director Jay Frye. (Yahoo! Sports)
Wednesday, May 19, 2010
Vickers to miss three months? Sprint Cup driver Brian Vickers is expected to miss at least three months while undergoing treatment for blood clots, a source close to the situation told ESPN.com on Wednesday. Red Bull Racing officials said they continue to wait for final recommendations from doctors and that details of Vickers' prognosis will be announced on Friday at Charlotte Motor Speedway, where the 26-year-old driver and general manager Jay Frye will appear at a news conference. Casey Mears replaced Vickers last weekend at Dover International Speedway and finished 22nd. Mears again will drive the No. 83 in Saturday night's All-Star Race after Red Bull requested a driver change on Wednesday. Vickers' former boss, Rick Hendrick, said Wednesday on his Amp Energy video conference that he has spoken to Vickers. "We are good friends and I actually hooked him up with my doctor," Hendrick said on the chat. "He's doing well. They have to be careful. When you're dealing with blood clots you have to be extremely careful."
Team officials have not used a specific medical term in defining Vickers' condition. Dr. Victor Tapson, an associate professor for the division of pulmonary medicine at Duke University and co-chair of the Council for Leadership on Thrombosis Awareness and Management, and two other doctors said Vickers' symptoms are a sign of deep vein thrombosis with a pulmonary embolism. Tapson, who is not treating Vickers, described the driver's condition as life-threatening and said the length of treatment ranges from three to six months to possibly a lifetime. He added that Vickers was lucky somebody sent him to the hospital so quickly. "Most people die before they're diagnosed," Tapson said last week. "Most people that die aren't even expecting it. Once it's diagnosed you're certainly not out of the woods, but you're ahead of the game." Tapson said he was surprised more drivers don't develop clots because immobility is one of the contributing factors in clotting and drivers are confined to a tight space and have little motion for long periods of time. He said the concern for Vickers is that if taken off blood thinners a clot could develop, move to the brain and be fatal. He said if left on blood thinners, any sort of accident on the track that causes trauma could result in the driver bleeding to death. "Usually when we treat this we treat it with blood thinners," Tapson said. "Usually people on blood thinners, if it's what we call a reversible risk factor, you treat them for three months, sometimes six months. If you decide the patient has a continual list of blood clots then sometimes they take medicine for a lifetime. A lot may depend on what is his apparent risk. If they can't come up with any reason why he has a blood clot other than being a race car driver, then the option may be don't race cars anymore."(ESPN)
Red Bull Racing request driver change: Red Bull Racing Team announced that the No. 83 Red Bull Toyota has requested a driver change and has been cleared by NASCAR to participate in the Sprint All-Star Race Saturday, May 22. Casey Mears will again pilot the No. 83, due to primary driver Brian Vickers' diagnosis of blood clots and on- going testing and treatment. "Given the extenuating circumstances we have dealt with this past week regarding Brian's health, we would like to thank NASCAR for their assistance and understanding of this unique situation by allowing us to compete in the All-Star Race," said Jay Frye, Red Bull Racing Team General Manager & Vice President.(Red Bull Racing)
Wednesday, April 28, 2010
Insurance Co. on No. 36 for TBR at Richmond: The No. 36 Chevy for Tommy Baldwin Racing (TBR) will feature H.D. Segur, Inc. for this weekend's Heath Calhoun 400 at Richmond International Raceway. H.D. Segur, Inc., a full-service independent insurance agency headquartered in Cheshire, CT, will be displayed on the Chevy driven by Casey Mears this weekend. In a statement released by H.D. Segur, Inc., owners Carl Temme, Bill Morris and Scott Sundberg said they are excited about their decision to participate in the sponsorship of Tommy Baldwin and the race team this weekend. "Sponsorship of TBR and involvement with NASCAR offers us a unique opportunity to expand the name recognition of the company beyond our traditional marketing area to a broad base of potential new customers," they stated.(Tommy Baldwin Racing)
Tuesday, April 27, 2010
Mears to drive for Tommy Baldwin Racing: Tommy Baldwin Racing (TBR) has named Casey Mears driver of the No. 36 Chevy, team owner Tommy Baldwin announced. Mears will be behind the wheel of the No. 36 starting this weekend at Richmond International Raceway for the Heath Calhoun 400. Mears takes over for Johnny Sauter, whose two-race stint as driver of the No. 36 ended this past weekend at Talladega, where he finished 41st. "I'm excited to have Casey on board with the No. 36 and TBR," Baldwin said. "It's nice to have someone behind the wheel that is not only marketable but a proven driver as well. We look forward to getting out there at Richmond and seeing what we can do." Mears began the year driving for Keyed-Up Motorsports and also served as Denny Hamlin's backup driver after Hamlin's knee surgery. Mears is eagerly anticipating another chance in the Sprint Cup Series. "I'm excited to have the opportunity to go racing again," Mears said. "Tommy is working hard over at TBR and he is really looking to build something there. It's great to be part of that and I'm looking forward to this weekend at Richmond."(Tommy Baldwin Racing)
Saturday, March 27, 2010
Mears to sub for Hamlin if needed: Hamlin said driver Casey Mears has been hired as his standby in case he needs a substitute or an in-race replacement during the recovery period. Hamlin said he hopes he won't miss any races and that the recovery period will be over by the fall, when he hopes to be competing in the Chase for the Sprint Cup. He is currently 19th in points. Hamlin said he will be on crutches at least until practice for the Phoenix race begins. "From there, we'll just kind of see where our range of motion is and things like that," he said. "As long as they can just pry me in that seat, they'll have a tough time prying me out." Hamlin had planned to have the surgery at the end of the season, but continuing problems with the knee forced a change, he said. "We were doing some further damage to the knee, and, to me, it's not something that's worth suffering forever or having a permanent limp or anything like that," he said. "It just didn't make much sense. The goal right now is to go ahead and get it done on Monday – as soon as I can early Monday morning. "Right now, he (surgeon Dr. Patrick Connor) says that I'll be able to get in the car at Phoenix. There's no doubt that I'll be able to get in it. It's just tolerance of pain is what's going to be the limiting factor." Depending on the speed of the recovery, Hamlin said it's possible that he could start several races and allow Mears to replace him during the event. A driver must start a race to earn points in the driver standings for that event.(SPEEDtv.com)
Thursday, January 21, 2010
Mears to driver No. 90: Keyed-Up Motorsports, the new NASCAR Sprint Cup Series team founded by Raymond Key and debuting in the 2010 Daytona 500, announced it has named Casey Mears as driver of the No. 90 Chevy. Mears has competed at the NASCAR Sprint Cup level since 2003 and spent the 2009 season at Richard Childress Racing. Mears is the nephew of four time Indianapolis 500 winner Rick Mears and the son of Indy and off-road veteran Roger Mears. "I'm really excited about this opportunity to drive the Keyed-Up Motorsports No. 90 Chevy." said Mears. "I'm looking forward to working with Raymond, Doug and the entire team during the 2010 Cup season. We're a new team, but I feel we have everything in place to race. It's going to be a rewarding endeavor."(Keyed Up Motorsport PR)
Monday, November 9, 2009
Mears or Sorenson in the No. 09 in 2010? Casey Mears and Reed Sorenson are among the four drivers No. 09 Phoenix Racing is considering for the 2010 Sprint Cup season. The Spartanburg-based organization will run David Gilliland this weekend at Phoenix and David Stremme in the finale at Homestead-Miami Speedway. If neither earns the ride through performance, then Mears and Sorenson will become the front-runners, general manager Mark Reno said. Reno said both drivers have called him inquiring about the No. 09. "A lot of good candidates," he said. (ESPN.com Insider)
Saturday, October 24, 2009
Menard to replace Mears? Sources say Ask.com could come aboard the fourth car [at RCR] for a partial schedule, but [Mears could just as easily lose the ride to Paul Menard, who can bring a full sponsorship. Doug Randolph, coincidentally, was Menard's crew chief at Dale Earnhardt Inc. And hearing John Menard is pushing for his son to drive for RCR in 2010, but Paul wants to remain in his current situation.(FOXSports.com)
Sunday, Sept. 27, 2009
RCR likely not picking-up Mears' second year option: Richard Childress Racing hasn't picked up the option on Casey Mears' contract and likely won't unless a sponsor is found to keep four cars in the organization. And even that's not a given. "If we don't have the funding to do it, I don't want to hold him back from getting another ride," team owner Richard Childress said Friday at Dover International Speedway. Mears signed a one-year deal, with an option for a second, to drive the No. 07 with Jack Daniel's as the sponsor. Jack Daniel's announced earlier in the week it will not return in 2010. Childress said the goal is to remain a four-car organization, noting a personal responsibility for keeping as many RCR employees as possible under tough economic times. If potential suitors aren't interested in Mears, who is 20th in points, sources said the organization may be forced to turn to another driver. "It all depends on sponsorship," Childress said. "Casey has done a good job. It's just unfortunate circumstances around Jack Daniel's to have to leave the sport."(ESPN.com)
Satruday, Sept. 26, 2009
Mears' uncertain future in 2010: With the announcement this week that Jack Daniels will not continue as a sponsor for the No. 07 Chevy, Casey Mears finds himself in a predicament for 2010. "I don't know what we're doing yet," Mears said. "I do know that Richard (Childress, team owner) is working hard to secure sponsorship for the fourth team." According to team sources, several potential sponsors toured the Richard Childress Racing campus in Welcome, N.C. this week. Possible driver/sponsor combinations for the fourth team could include a deal with Hall of Fame Racing/Ask.com or Paul Menard with the Menards brand. Another name that continues to be mentioned is Bobby Labonte. Childress admitted on Friday that there has been interest from sponsors, but would not elaborate on specifics. Mears signed a three-year deal last August that locked him in for 2009. The final two seasons were contingent on performance and Mears said that he is "just short" on the stipulations.(FOXSports.com)
Monday, Sept. 21, 2009
Hamlin runs over Mears' crew member: Clint Pittman, rear tire changer on the No. 07 Jack Daniel's Chevy of Casey Mears, was clipped by Denny Hamlin during pit stops on Lap 69. Pittman injured his foot and was replaced by Shane Church, who practices with the backup crew at Richard Childress Racing. Mears restarted 27th following the accident and remained outside the top 25 until a call to stay out on Lap 193 by crew chief Todd Berrier. Mears restarted sixth and finished 13th, his third top 15 finish in the last six races. Pittman will see an orthopedic doctor on Monday. Doctors at the track infield care center suspected a small fracture to the top of his foot, according to RCR pit crew coordinator Matt Clark.(FOXSports.com)
Jack Daniels to end sponsorship in NASCAR: Brown-Forman will conclude its Jack Daniel's NASCAR program and will not extend its sponsorship with Richard Childress Racing's No. 07 team. A change in Brown-Forman's spending priorities led to the decision to conclude the sponsorship that began in 2005. The Brown-Forman/Jack Daniel's partnership with RCR will continue for the remainder of the 2009 racing season and the entire team is committed to being competitive on the track each and every race. "Jack Daniel's has enjoyed a good five-year run with Richard Childress Racing (RCR) and NASCAR, and we are pleased with the overall performance of our sponsorship program," said Tim Rutledge, vice president and brand director for Jack Daniel's. "We have enjoyed building strong relationships with the people in Richard's organization and throughout NASCAR. While it is difficult for us to end our formal relationship with RCR, the current economic environment has compelled us to revaluate our spending and we've concluded that other areas in the marketing mix require additional investment. We want to thank the many friends and fans of the Jack Daniel's 07 Racing Team, and we can't say enough about your incredible support over the last five years. And, as we have since 1866, we will continue to find ways to thank you and keep your loyalty of Jack Daniel's Tennessee Whiskey." Brown-Forman, Jack Daniel's, and RCR are particularly pleased to have taken a leadership role in communicating a responsible drinking message throughout its NASCAR sponsorship through its core message of Pace Yourself, Drink Responsibly, featured in all NASCAR promotional materials, including on the race car itself.
"Brown-Forman has been a great partner of RCR for the past five years through its Jack Daniel's brand," said Richard Childress, president and CEO of Richard Childress Racing. "They quickly became a NASCAR-industry leader in the promotion of the Jack Daniel's brand through the Pace Yourself, Drink Responsibly messaging, which our fans have embraced. We understand the shift in their spending priorities during these tough economic times and the No. 07 Jack Daniel's Racing program will continue to provide that successful platform for the rest of the 2009 season. We have built many valuable relationships with the loyal Brown-Forman employees and their distributors during our partnership and look forward to maintaining those relationships in the future."(RCR PR)
Thursday, July 30, 2009
Jack Daniels leaving RCR after season? Jack Daniel's, sponsor of the No. 07 Chevy that Casey Mears drives, has until Sept. 1 to inform Richard Childress Racing of its status for 2010. Some people in the NASCAR marketing circle say that Jack Daniel's will not be coming back full-time next year, so do they become an associate sponsor on the other RCR cars or go elsewhere? That decision will determine if there will be a fourth team at RCR next year. Certainly expanding to four teams has depleted the organization as a whole because Mears' team was a testing team last year. Childress needs to decide if he wants to field four teams or have three Cup teams and one testing team.(FOXSports.com)
Tuesday, April 21, 2009
NASCAR places Earnhardt, Mears on probation: NASCAR announced today that it has placed Dale Earnhardt Jr. and Casey Mears on probation for the next six races in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series, as a result of their on-track incident last Saturday at the conclusion of the race at Phoenix International Raceway. Earnhardt, driver of the No. 88 team and Mears, driver of the No. 07 team, both violated Section 12-4-A (actions detrimental to stock car racing; hitting another competitor’s car after the race had concluded) of the 2009 NASCAR rule book. The probation takes effect beginning with this weekend’s event at Talladega Superspeedway. (NASCAR PR)
Earnhardt and Mears won't be penalized: NASCAR will NOT penalize Dale Earnhardt Jr. and Casey Mears for their post-race incident at Phoenix (The Virginian-Pilot)
Monday, April 20, 2009
Earnhardt, Jr. and Mears likely to be fined? NASCAR officials will likely lower the boom on Dale Earnhardt Jr. and Casey Mears for late-race and post-race antics here Saturday night at Phoenix. The two tangled several times late, bringing out the final caution that almost cost Mark Martin the win. Mears: "I didn't mean to get together with Dale Jr. I think he was trying to save fuel and make it to the end without stopping, and I wheel-hopped the car getting into the corner and ended up making contact with him. I guess he was a little bent out of shape about it because he spun me out after the checkered flag."(mikemulhern.net)
Tuesday, March 24, 2009
Mears test at "Little Rock" Monday: In preparation for this Sunday’s 500-lapper in Martinsville, Casey Mears, Gil Martin and No. 7 crew spent Monday testing at the "Little Rock" – a flat half-mile speedway, similar in configuration to the paper clip-shaped oval, located on the grounds of Rockingham Raceway Park in Rockingham, N.C. (PR)
Saturday, February 7, 2009
Mears tested three times in offseason: Casey Mears and the No. 07 Richard Childress Racing crew tested three times prior to Speedweeks in an effort to get to know one another and be better prepared for 2009. The group was at Nashville Superspeedway on Nov. 4, 2008, at GM’s Desert Proving Grounds in Mesa, Ariz., from Jan. 12-14 and at New Smyrna Speedway in New Smyrna, Fla., on Tues., Jan. 27.(RCR PR)
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Born: 03/12/1978