He'll get it, beginning Friday when practice starts for the Texaco/Havoline Grand Prix on a temporary street course in downtown Houston.

	Casey Mears will step in for Alex Zanardi for the final four CART races.

Mears, the nephew of three-time CART champion Rick Mears, was given an audition last fall by Team Rahal at the season-ending race in Fontana, Calif., and finished fourth. That showing won praise but no full-time job.

Now the 23-year-old Mears is getting another opportunity, driving the No. 66 Reynard-Honda for Mo Nunn Racing, replacing Alex Zanardi for the last four races of the season.

Zanardi was injured in a devastating crash last month in Germany, where his car was sliced in two in a collision with Alex Tagliani. Both legs were amputated above the knee, and Zinardi is recuperating in a Berlin hospital.

Nunn held the car out of competition in the race the following week in England before selecting Mears to finish out the season as Tony Kanaan's teammate.

These were not the circumstances under which Mears would have chosen to get another chance to race in the series, but he's still hoping to take advantage of the situation.

"Alex has an incredible amount of fans and loyal supporters, and I am definitely one of his biggest," Mears said.

"Fortunately, we get to start this run at race tracks that I am very familiar with."

Mears has driven the Houston course in the Indy Lights series. He won from the pole here last year and finished second from the pole at Laguna Seca, another of the four races left on the CART schedule.

Mears knows that getting into the car with no testing time could make it tough to be competitive for a while.

"Right now, I have to say I'm going into this with an open mind about everything," he said. "But I feel really good about this weekend because I won at Houston last year."

He's anxious but realistic, saying it will take some time to get up to speed in a Champ Car and get to know the team better. Nunn isn't worried, but is delighted for Mears.

"It's a great opportunity for us to showcase a young American driver," Nunn said.

Mears joins Michael Andretti, Jimmy Vasser, Bryan Herta and Memo Gidley as the only American drivers in CART.

Nunn is also pleased about the news from Germany, where Zanardi, a two-time series champion, appears to be making good progress in his recovery.

Dr. Steve Olvey, CART director of medical affairs, said the Italian driver has required several minor operative procedures on his left leg, but that the process was expected to be completed soon.

Once it is done, Zanardi will be discharged from the hospital and taken to Italy to begin rehabilitation.

Olvey, who spoke with Zanardi, said he sounds upbeat and has been talking with friends from around the world as well as moving around the hospital in a wheelchair.

Mears is just thankful that Zanardi survived the accident and will eventually be able to go home to be with his wife and son. Meanwhile, the young American hopes to make the most of this chance.

"I haven't run a temporary street course in a Champ Car," he said. "But I have run on road courses."

He's also excited about working with Nunn, one of the top engineers in CART before starting his own team in 2000.