QUOTES FROM CASEY MEARS ABOUT TEST MONDAY, JUNE 7 SESSION

Today, NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series driver Casey Mears began a two-day test session in preparation for the July 9-11 NASCAR weekend at Chicagoland Speedway. Joining Mears Tuesday, June 8 will be NASCAR Busch Series drivers Mike Bliss and Todd Szegedy...More Information

Click here for photos of the test session.

This test session is not open to the general public

Question: What were you mainly working on during today's test session?
Answer: "So far the test has gone well. We've had little hiccups here and there, but so far things are going ok."

"We are working on the normal stuff during a test, not anything in particular, just trying a lot of different things. We had a really good car here last year so we're just trying to look for little ways to improve it. This year, the bodies are a little different, the tires are different and our chassis are a different as well. We're trying to find out what we are going to have to compensate for since last year."

Question: What are your expectations of the race this year?
Answer: "I don't know if it is today's track conditions or the tries we got, but it seems the lap tap times will be a little faster than they were last year. We've already ran three-tenths faster in race trim than last year so I'm sure when we come back here (in July), the track will be hotter, but right now it seems it will be faster."