Mears comfortable in the shadows

MEARS

With all the attention being focused on Earnhardt Jr., and Jimmie Johnson and Jeff Gordon because of their 1-2 finish in the championship standings last year, it's easy to overlook the fourth member of the team, Casey Mears.

But Mears, who has been somewhat overlooked most of his Cup career, said he's used to it.

"With the way that my career started, getting involved in NASCAR at this level so early, before I was probably prepared to be here, we came in with kind of a splash and then it kind of mellowed out and I've been under the radar ever since," Mears said.

"The biggest thing I'm concerned with is that we have all the same tools that everybody else does, and we do.We got all the parts and pieces we need. Rick Hendrick makes sure that all teams are equal."

Mears, who will be working with crew chief Alan Gustafson this year, said the lack of attention has a silver lining. It gives them more time to focus on the task at hand.

"The fact that we're under the radar a little bit gives us an opportunity to focus on what we need to do and not worry about any outside issues," he said.