Casey Mears lands Mo Nunn drive

Mears, the nephew of Champ Car great Rick Mears and son of versatile racer Roger Mears, will be making his second CART race start. He finished fourth in a one-off ride with Team Rahal in last year's season finale at California Speedway.

"First of all, I just want to say I was shocked, along with the rest of the racing universe, at what happened to Alex," said Mears. "Alex has an incredible amount of fans and loyal supporters, and I am definitely one of the biggest.

"With that, I am very thankful for this tremendous opportunity. Fortunately, we get to start this run at racetracks that I am very familiar with. I'm looking forward to driving for Mo Nunn, and I just hope I can help carry on the legacy of Alex Zanardi."

Nunn said he took into account Mears' performance in Indy Lights last year on the remaining circuits on the CART schedule. He won at Houston and finished second at Laguna Seca.

"Casey's experience at those three events was a big plus for him in our search for a driver," Nunn said. "Plus, he already has a strong relationship with our sponsor WorldCom, and it's a great opportunity for us to showcase a young American driver."

Mears started 2001 driving a third Galles Racing entry in the Indy Racing League. But the addition of a third car alongside Al Unser Jr. and Didier Andre stretched the team too thin, and Mears and Galles fell out at the Indianapolis 500.