Casey Mears. (Photo by Chris Trotman/Getty Images for NASCAR) » More Photos

Wendy Venturini "I would consider you maybe the underdog of the four Hendrick teams, but that’s what I like about you. You have this quiet success about you. Does that give you extra motivation, knowing people may see you in that light?"

Casey Mears "We have a lot of motivation. I don’t mind being the underdog; I don’t mind people not putting the spotlight on us. If we go out and perform and win races, people have to put the notice you. So definitely, it gives us an extra incentive to go out and do well. People don’t expect us to do well, and that gives us the extra drive to go out and do well."

Wendy Venturini "I know your contract is good through 2009, but when you look at the free agent class this season we have people like Greg Biffle, Ryan Newman, possibly Tony Stewart looking for rides, year you have for guys looking for rides, does that ever weigh in on your mind when you are having a bad day?"

Casey Mears "I hadn’t even thought about it until you just said it. I didn’t know who was available and what was going on."

Wendy Venturini "Drivers don’t pay attention do they?"

Casey Mears "We’re just focused on what we are doing right now, doing the best job we can, and talking to Rick, he is very happy where looking at where our team is coming right now. Obviously, we want to perform better on a weekly basis, and we are slowly getting to that point. We got the tools; we have the people, and are looking forward to a good rest of the year."

Wendy Venturini "Is it fair to say that the media is the only ones who care about that stuff?"

Casey Mears "I would say most of the time yeah. We just go out and go racing and do our thing don’t pay attention to it a whole lot. I mean if you think about those things and stuff, you’re not putting your time and effort where it needs to be, and where it needs to be is with the race team."

Wendy Venturini "Where is the time an effort going for this season? What are you goals for the team this year?"

Casey Mears "Our goal going into this year was to win races and make the chase. That goal hasn’t changed. It’s definitely within in our grasp, and we’re going to continue to work at it."

Wendy Venturini "And that’s the latest from Casey Mears. Of course, I talked to him about that free agent list of 2008, what’s going to happen the remainder of the season. One of those dominoes has fallen, as we told you Carl Edwards has re-signed with Roush-Fenway racing, it was announced yesterday here at the speedway."

SOURCE: SPEED/Edited by Michael Pomeroy and Steve Keller

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