NASCAR Ganassi drivers are fast learners

Casey Mears and Jamie McMurray are hoping for strong performances.
DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (AP) -- Casey Mears and Jamie McMurray are no longer rookies. It's starting to show.
The Chip Ganassi Racing teammates were the fastest Wednesday during the final practice before the Daytona 500 qualifying races. Their runs put them in the top five on the speed chart for the second consecutive day.
Their times might not mean anything for the twin 125-mile qualifying races which were held today, but it gives the drivers plenty of confidence as they enter their second season in NASCAR.
"Our cars are working well together," said Mears, whose uncle Rick is a four-time Indianapolis 500 winner. "If we can make them a little better, we'll be in good shape. We've got fast cars. It's just a matter of getting the balance right."
Up-front guys
Greg Biffle and Elliott Sadler ran the fastest qualifying laps Sunday to ensure their starting positions in the front row for the big race. Most of the balance of the 43-car field was to be determined by outcome of the 50-lap qualifiers at Daytona International Speedway.
Mears and McMurray were the only drivers to top 191 mph Wednesday. They were two of six Dodge drivers in the top nine on the speed chart. The redesigned Fords had just three cars in the top 24.
Handling is more important at restrictor-plate tracks such as Daytona, as is a driver's ability to draft well and find good drafting partners. Mears and McMurray are in the same qualifying race and expect to work together.
They were the only rookies to qualify for all 36 Winston Cup races last year, but neither won.
The 25-year-old Mears didn't score a single top-10 finish and ended up 35th in the series standings. He also failed to complete 10 races, leaving him plenty of room for improvement.
There were even whispers midway through last summer that Mears would be replaced by the results-driven Ganassi. Instead, the car owner began entering Mears in every race he could from ARCA to the Busch series to slowly bring him along.
Made progress
It seemed to work, because by the end of the season, Mears was qualifying strong and showing progress in Winston Cup events.
"Last year was a huge learning experience for me," Mears said. "I have much higher expectations for this season. When I came to Daytona last year I thought I was mentally prepared for what I was facing, but it is nothing like the feeling I have this year.
"I have a lot more confidence in myself and this team. I think that comes from the experience of knowing what to expect and what it takes to be successful on and off the track."
The 27-year-old McMurray won the Rookie of the Year title last year, but he did it without a single trip to Victory Lane. He had one pole -- in the season finale -- five top fives, 13 top 10s and wound up 13th in the standings.
McMurray edged Biffle in the rookie race, but it hardly lived up to the success of recent rookie classes that included Tony Stewart, Matt Kenseth, Dale Earnhardt Jr., Kevin Harvick, Ryan Newman and Jimmie Johnson.
Even though McMurray was the top rookie in 2003, it was a disappointing season for a driver who set a NASCAR record by winning in his second career start the previous year.
Now McMurray and Mears are trying to forget about their first seasons. A strong performance in qualifying -- and maybe even the Daytona 500 -- would help.