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Casey Mears
It's a new season and a new opportunity for Mears, 27, who has moved from Chip Ganassi Racing's No. 41 to its 42 car, which is under crew chief Donnie Wingo. Mears and his team made strides last season, but ultimately their efforts were hampered by the Chargers' lack of competitiveness. Ganassi crews went to work on the Dodges in the offseason and say they made improvements. Building confidence will be the key to turning Mears from a middle-of-the-pack performer to a front-runner. He already is off to a strong start; he became the first Cup driver to help win the Rolex 24 road race in January at Daytona.
JAMIE MCMURRAY
McMurray had to deal with contract issues last season, and his concentration wasn't always on driving a racecar. That was exacerbated by the aerodynamic problems Ganassi Racing experienced with the new Charger. McMurray's lame-duck status led to a team that eventually lost faith. Now he has inherited the 2004 championship team and crew chief Jimmy Fennig at Roush Racing, so McMurray has no excuses. He must perform at the same level as his four Roush teammates, who all qualified for the Chase last season. A solid start to the season should provide the momentum to crack the too 10. McMurray has downforce prowess; he needs to work on short tracks. KEVIN HARVICK Last season's crew lacked the determination to contend for the Chase, especially after crew chief Todd Berrier was suspended for four races. "Happy" says the team made too many mistakes in the past and needs to capitalize on opportunities to produce ...