Mears’ performance strikes blow for young drivers

Tuesday, Oct. 31, 2000 | 9:49 a.m.

FONTANA, Calif. -- Although the CART FedEx Championship Series season ended with only three full-time American drivers competing on the circuit, Casey Mears' performance in his CART debut may signal a resurgence of young American drivers.

Mears, the 22-year old son of former Champ Car driver Roger Mears and the nephew of three-time CART champion Rick Mears, finished fourth in Monday's Marlboro 500 at California Speedway.

Mears, a three-year veteran of Dayton Indy Lights competition who finished third in this year's championship, led for 10 laps Monday before making a routine pit stop.

"I had a blast -- I've got to do this some more," a beaming Mears said after his one-off ride for Team Rahal. "It was just an awesome day. To finish fourth in my first start ... I'll take it.

"At about the halfway point, I got comfortable and was really relaxed in the car. We were out there passing guys, except when we were saving fuel. Just to be in this field, and to be up here with these guys is unbelievable."

Mears said he hoped his performance would open the doors in the CART series for other young Americans -- including himself. At this point, Mears does not have a CART ride for next season.

"I think bringing us American drivers back will really bring interest back into the sport," Mears said. "It will give a lot of people someone to root for here at home. I think (Indy) Lights does a great job preparing drivers for Champ Cars."

Vasser, who was fifth when the Marlboro 500 was resumed Monday, moved into the lead for four laps before a faulty gearbox put him out of the race after only 71 laps.

"The engine was still fine but I just didn't have anything" Vasser said. "Our game plan was to run back a little and conserve our fuel and make a run for it near the end. The car was great; I could go low and high -- basically all over the track. It was disappointing to finish the season this way but I have to give credit to my guys at Team Target ... we ran hard all year."

Vasser, who is expected to drive for team owner Mo Nunn next year in the FedEx Championship Series, had one win, 14 top-10 finishes and placed sixth in points this season.

This year's other winners were Max Papis, Paul Tracy, Adrian Fernandez, Michael Andretti, Gil de Ferran, Juan Montoya, Helio Castroneves, Roberto Moreno, Cristiano da Matta and Vasser.

Ford finished the season with 335 points, defeating runner-up Honda by 22. Honda had won three of the previous four CART manufacturer's titles, in 1996, 1998 and last year. Toyota finished third with 275 points.

Bryan Herta, who will drive next season for the newly created Team Zakspeed Forsythe Racing, is a co-owner of the karting complex near Jean.

The event will be structured like a Champ Car race weekend, with driver performances closely evaluated by Skip Barber Racing School instructors and a panel of CART drivers.

Five drivers from the senior classes will be awarded the title "Championship Auto Racing Teams Stars of Tomorrow." The winners will participate in a Skip Barber three-day racing school, culminating in a test in the Team Rahal Champ Car.