Team Chip Ganassi Racing with Felix Sabates Car/Make No. 41/Dodge Sponsor Target Crew Chief Jimmy Elledge
STATS	2003	CAREER
Rank	35	35*
Wins	0	0
Top 5	0	0
Top 10	0	0
DNFs	10	10
Top Finish	15 (Las Vegas)	15
*Indicates best career points finish

2003 recap
The good: It admittedly was a struggle for Mears in his first season in Cup racing, but there were some bright spots. The most notable is the 25-year-old qualified for all 36 races this past season. Given the fact he had only one full season in NASCAR under his belt prior to jumping to the Cup level, Mears managed to hold his own as a rookie.

The bad: Rookie driver, lots of rookie mistakes. That was the tone for much of the season for Mears. The worst part was his 10 DNFs, including six that were crash-related (two other were engine issues, while the remaining two were due to overheating and transmission problems).

Key stat: While his best finish was 15th, and he had three other top-20 showings in 2003, Mears did develop a knack of sorts for qualifying, with one top-five start, four other in the top-10 and 13 others in the top-20.

2004 outlook
What needs to be done: Hopefully, Mears will have learned a great deal from the mistakes he made in 2003, as well as some of the trying times he endured, and it will make him stronger and more competitive as a driver. He still has a lot to learn and a long way to go, but he also has an organization and team owner with the direction (not to mention past championships in other forms of motorsports) and the resources to remain patient and work on improving Mears' weaknesses. If he can crack the top-25 by season's end, it'll be a major accomplishment.

Key change: A full year of experience from 2003 should go a long way toward making Mears a much better driver in 2004. He has to work harder on his competitiveness and be more aggressive on the racetrack, but don't forget his last name is Mears, which is synonymous with championships and winning.

Guarantee: Mears will NOT finish 35th this season. In fact, don't be surprised if he makes a big leap upward in performance in 2004.

Prediction: Barring any unforeseen circumstances, and with the large crop of rookie drivers in Nextel Cup this season, Mears should easily crack the top-30 in his sophomore season and has the potential to finish in the top-25.

Did you know: Mears is the second-youngest driver in USAC history to win a feature race (at the age of 16 in 1994).

Your take
Can Casey Mears shake off a mediocre rookie season and make some significant progress as a Cup driver in his second full season? Will Ganassi Racing remain patient and let him to continue his development program? Share your thoughts on Mears' prospects for 2004.