Matter of trust

Friendship with Johnson aiding Mears in Winston Cup

You don't have many secret weapons when you're a Winston Cup rookie, even when you debut with a powerhouse.

Just because you have all necessary personnel, horsepower and equipment doesn't mean on-the-job training comes any easier. Knowledge either trickles or gushes, and sometimes the learning curve is so steep, you wonder why you tackled it in the first place.

Casey Mears, however, does have an ace. It's named Jimmie Johnson.

"You can ask anybody in the paddock," Mears said. "He's probably one of the best guys out here as far as just personality and as far as just getting along with somebody."

Mears, a rookie, and Johnson, a second-year guy, are tight on and off the track. They're also close in age -- Mears is 25, Johnson 28 -- and both grew up in other racing series before migrating to NASCAR.

But their bond wasn't forged just because Johnson experienced sympathy pangs at the sight of Mears' mandatory yellow bumper stripe. The two date back nearly 12 years, when both were young, nobody teenagers chasing dreams and competing in off-road circuits. Eventually, one driver chose one path, and the other chose another. Yet Johnson's dedication to stock cars and Mears' perpetuation of his open-wheel heritage didn't tear apart the friendship.

"He'd have a big crash, and I'd call him and make sure he was all right," Mears said. "And I'd crash, and he'd call me and make sure I was OK. He'd always tease me about, 'Hey, you need to have a roll cage around you.'"

When Mears committed full-time to NASCAR two years ago, Johnson showered him with advice on balance, set-ups and handling differences.

"Before I even set foot in a stock car, he was explaining that stuff to me," Mears said. "He's just been helpful all the way around."

Johnson and Mears could have been teammates, too. Before Chip Ganassi Racing secured Mears last December, he was thinking about Hendrick Motorsports' Busch series opening.

"It would've been a real natural fit," said Mears, who also gets along well with Jeff Gordon, Johnson's Hendrick teammate and car owner. "But my whole reason for coming back here was to go Winston Cup racing. I'd gone through the ranks. I'd spent four years in Indy Lights and finally made it to Indy cars [CART], and I didn't want to spend another four years in Busch and then get to Winston Cup."

Mears knows he's lucky. He not only has Johnson's ear, but also those of his Ganassi Racing teammates, fellow rookie Jamie McMurray and Sterling Marlin. And learning the Cup ropes is just like anything else -- you trust those who have proven trustworthy, and few others.

For Mears, that circle includes Gordon, Ricky Rudd and Mark Martin, veterans who have volunteered encouragement and straight-answer advice. For Johnson, it's an opportunity to do unto others.

"It's not just rookies," Johnson said of generosity. "People that I'm friends with and care about and get along with."

But you don't make the three-to-four-hour drive from Charlotte to Tennessee with just anybody just to be nice. Mears and Johnson carpooled to Bristol last weekend "and the whole way we talked what we were doing about the track, and the difference between the Busch car and the Cup car," Johnson said.

Those discussions continued during Friday qualifying for the Food City 500.

"Before we went out to qualify I tried to give him a piece of advice, something I'd learned throughout the day," Johnson added. "But it's not just to Casey. I get along with Jamie McMurray. I get along with quite a few people. It's just one of those things, you make friends and you want to make sure your friends are okay and doing good."

Mears hardly got to utilize Johnson's advice, or the info he gleaned from Gordon after practice on Saturday. In Sunday's Cup race, Mears' No. 41 dodge was one of four cars involved in a Turn 1 crash just 14 laps into the event. After lengthy repairs, he spent the rest of the day riding around to protect points and finished 32nd. Heading into Texas, he's 31st in the standings, approaching another learning curve.

"You can always go to people for advice, but you never know if it's going to be the right or the wrong stuff, you know?" Mears said. "With Jimmie, I can go to him and get a straight answer. And that's good and also reassuring."

Denise N. Maloof covers NASCAR for SI.com.

 

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