Rookie Casey Mears may be on the hot seat at Chip Ganassi’s, and crew chief Jimmy Elledge said he realizes the team will have to pick up its performance the second half of the season [seems to have done pretty good at Chicago so far]. Mears’ best finish is a 15th at Las Vegas, and his average is 29.0. ‘I’m sure the boss isn’t too happy this team is on this side of the garage (34th in the standings),’ Elledge said. ‘I haven’t heard anything … but if we don’t pick up, we may all be looking for jobs.’ John Andretti [sure won’t be Michael] is one name being mentioned for the ride. Andretti was under consideration for the ride last fall.( Winston Salem Journal )(7-12-2003) UPDATE: Chip Ganassi was adamant: Casey Mears will not be released in the near-future, nor is Tony Stewart signed to be his replacement. As far as I know, Tony Stewart is still under contract, Ganassi says. But who in his right mind wouldn’t consider hiring a former Winston Cup champ if he was available? Ganassi, whose Cup teams use Dodges, says Joe Gibbs, Stewart’s current boss, can offer the driver more, but that’s rubbish. Sterling Marlin proved last year that Ganassi’s equipment is capable of winning a NASCAR championship. The bigger prize for Stewart could be winning the Indy 500, a feat Ganassi accomplished with Juan Montoya in 2000. Stewart already is building his relationship with Dodge through his World of Outlaws team, and DaimlerChrysler would be thrilled to have him behind the wheel of an Intrepid in Winston Cup.( Sporting News ) AND As quickly as that buzz was killed, a new one emerged: Ganassi was supposedly working on a deal with John Andretti, who was released in June by Petty Enterprises. The rumors are fueled in part by Casey Mears’ mighty struggle as a Winston Cup rookie. Yesterday in the Tropicana 400, he started a five-car chain-reaction crash before eventually going into the wall himself on lap 233. “I read all the same rumors,” said Ganassi, who also fields cars for Sterling Marlin and Jamie McMurray. “That’s what they are — rumors. We like the job all the guys are doing. I wouldn’t be surprised if you would see all three of them back here next year.”( Pittsburgh Post-Gazette )(7-14-2003)
