IN SIGHT Predators. FOCUS: CASEY MEARS Mears By most accounts, Jamie McMurray and Greg Biffle were each expected to have strong rookie seasons in Winston Cup. Maybe not quite Ryan Newman or Jimmie Johnson levels, but still competitive and respectable. On the other hand, Larry Foyt, Tony Raines and Jack Sprague were believed to have the potential for success, but wouldn't be as competitive week in and week out as McMurray and Biffle. The one wild card in the rookie class? Casey Mears. Mears certainly has the racing heritage. And, as McMurray and Sterling Marlin's teammate with Chip Ganassi, he's presumably got the equipment. But decent yet very unspectacular numbers in the Busch Series left some doubt as to how well Mears would perform in Winston Cup. After ten races, Mears has finished in the top-20 just once and sits 37th in points -- well behind McMurray and Biffle, but ahead of Sprague, Raines and Foyt. And Sunday's 34th-place finish was his third consecutive (and fifth in six races) finish outside the top 30. "Overall, it really wasn't a good run," Mears said. "We really weren't very happy with the car in happy hour. We changed almost everything and we knew we were going to have a long day ahead of us with making adjustments. We had a couple of long runs, so it took a while to make those adjustments. "We fell behind, fell a lap down about halfway through the race and could never make them back up. Then we got caught in that late crash and that kind of put us behind the eight-ball big time." But despite recent struggles, Mears remains optimistic about the team's progress thus far in 2003. "Where our team is right now, I feel really good about it. I've got a ton of support from (team sponsor) Target, from Chip, from all the guys within the team. We all know that we've got something good. Once we hit it right and get the car set up just right and get me feeling good, it's going to be big and it's going to be good. "That's the general feeling within the team even though we haven't had the success that we really want. Obviously, I want to be running a lot better. But I think there's a lot of hope for a successful future." As for the rookie race, Mears sits just 19 points behind McMurray in NASCAR's convoluted rookie points system (just ask Johnson what he thinks of it). But Mears isn't focused on catching McMurray and Biffle. He's just worrying about righting his own ship. "I'm going out there trying to learn as much as I can right now," he said. "I'm just trying to get every lap in that I can and learn all I can. Hopefully, when we start coming back to these places we'll be better." Though after Sunday, Mears is probably happy that the series doesn't return to Fontana until 2004 rolls around. PIT PASS Double your fun: Book your Indy to Charlotte flight now. Robby Gordon already has. Gordon will again attempt the Indy 500/Coca Cola 600 double this year, the fourth time Gordon has attempted the feat. Last year he finished eighth at Indy and 16th in Charlotte. "I'm thrilled to have the chance to attempt one of the ultimate racing challenges again this year and hopefully win both races," said Gordon, who nearly won the Indy 500 in 1999 before running out of fuel with less than two laps remaining. "I've run the Indy 500 eight times and been competitive and run near the front each year. I certainly haven't given up on the goal of winning both races and hope 2003 will be my year to do it. Running in an Andretti Green prepared-car will no doubt give me a good shot at having one win down and one to go when I head to Charlotte that afternoon." There's been plenty of hype surrounding the Andretti Green car in the past few weeks. From injuries suffered by Dario Franchitti -- whose seat Gordon is taking for Indy -- and Tony Kanaan to Mario Andretti's spectacular crash during an Indy test to the fact that this year's Indy 500 will be Michael Andretti's last race and final chance to win at The Brickyard, handing the ride to a driver whose name is synonymous with attempting the double only increases the attention that will be on this team during May. But all Andretti isn't interested in turning heads with pre-race publicity. Rather, he just wants on-track results. Enter Gordon to help. "Having Robby in our car for the month of May gives us a great shot to win the Indy 500, although we expect all four of our cars to compete for the win," said Michael Andretti, who has led the most laps at the Indy 500 without ever winning the race. "It's just peace of mind for us, knowing we've added another veteran in our lineup who knows his way around the Speedway and knows how to prepare for the biggest race of the year," he said. The No. 18 Interstate Batteries Chevrolet team is charged up. Bobby Labonte's been doin' darn good lately -- for the most part. It's been a bit of feast or famine, actually. Last eight starts, Labonte has finished in the top-five four times. The other three finishes? 37th, 37th, 32nd. But his two consecutive runner-ups, including his second-place Sunday at California, have him sitting a comfortable eighth in points. Not bad for a guy who was hit by horrible luck -- not to mention Ken Schrader's car -- and finished 41st in the season-opening Daytona 500. Labonte is only a few years removed from a championship. But he is also just one year removed from a disappointing 16th-place finish in points. Sure, teammate Tony Stewart won the title last year. But both Stewart and Labonte's crews need to adjust to Chevrolets this season, and Labonte must learn to work with new crew chief Michael McSwain. So far so good on both accounts. "Everything's been good," said McSwain, who served as Ricky Rudd's crew chief before joining the No. 18 team late last year. "We've had a good year. We've got no complaints. Other than a couple of wrecks, we've been a top-five car almost every week." Things have fallen into place perhaps a bit quicker than expected for Labonte and Co. After all, Labonte is eighth in points, three spots ahead of reigning champ Stewart. So why has the team enjoyed such success -- including a win at Atlanta -- so early in the season? "A great race team. A great organization," McSwain said. "These guys have been working really hard at the track and off the track. Chevrolet gave us a great car to work with, the Monte Carlo. It's just been a good year." Not to mention the ability of the driver, which was clearly on display in Sunday's Auto Club 500 at Fontana. Rusty Wallace passed Labonte late to take over second place, only to have Labonte respond by diving low and taking the spot back just before the duo crossed the finish line. But a duel for second wasn't the battle Labonte wanted to fight. "Kurt (Busch, eventual winner) was up front and I was getting on him pretty good, but I just burned up my right front tire," Labonte said. "I was chasing him pretty hard. We got single file there and I just chased him pretty hard, chased him pretty hard. Finally, one lap I came off (Turn) 4 -- and he probably saw it -- it just died on me because I couldn't get it to turn. "Then, I had to worry about (Wallace). I couldn't worry about Kurt anymore because he was too far gone. But, my car just got tighter as it went." Despite the tight condition, Labonte managed to outrace Wallace, who had one of the stronger cars in the field and had led earlier in the race. And that's a testament to Labonte's sheer ability. "He's pretty good, ain't he? I always knew he was really good, but I didn't know how good," McSwain said. "But after working with him for the first 10 races of the year, I'm really impressed by his talents and his feel for a race car." All in all, Labonte was just happy to run well at the Southern California track. "We fought all day and it was fun," he said. "It was fun. I hadn't run here the past two years, basically, because two years ago we were just terrible -- might as well have not even been here. Then, last year the belts fell off in 10 laps, so I really haven't run a race here in a long time, so it felt good." At this rate, Labonte might be feeling good for a while in '03. EXHAUST FUMES Cheating Canadian: So Paul Tracy was a cheater. Do we care? Tracy admitted this week to using traction control when it was banned in CART. It's actually banned now, but using that particular driver aid -- and several others -- is essentially pointless now that there is only one engine manufacturer in the series -- Ford. But for seven years, Tracy used traction control. And he claims he's not the only one. "People were saying there was no traction control," Tracy said. "We actually had it, but you weren't allowed to say you had it or you'd get your arm cut off by your team owner and engine supplier." Tracy has always been outspoken and forthright -- part of his charm. Straight ahead, to the point. Much like his driving style. But his three wins in three events this season has transformed the 34-year-old from series rebel to beloved Champ Car veteran and spokesman. So does this admission tarnish his image? Not at all, according to our own Robin Miller. "That's just part of why we like him," he said. "He's not afraid to tell the truth. ... When you are driving for Roger Penske, you've got that PR chip to deal with all the time. It even stifled Paul Tracy on occasion. But thankfully, he always spoke out when he felt like it." The idea that the use of traction control might have been widespread in CART isn't exactly shocking, either. "Everybody was convinced in '94 -- if you stood down in the last corner at Laguna Seca, you could hear the traction control working," Miller said. "I don't think anybody is shocked by the revelation." Final verdict? It's just Tracy being Tracy. Maybe he shouldn't have admitted to using traction control. But keeping to himself would be too out of character. And his character is one of CART's biggest assets. OVERHEARD John Andretti On his season-best eighth-place run in California: "Racing hasn't been a lot of fun for awhile, but this was a lot of fun." Tony Pedregon On his feud with Whit Bazemore: "If Whit wants an apology, I say 'Pull up a chair, Whit,' because there isn't one coming." Rusty Wallace On his third-place finish at California: "We were so close. I told my guys that we've got a winning team. We just haven't won yet."

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