Mears to join Hendrick in 2007.

Hendrick Motorsport have confirmed that Casey Mears will replace Brian Vickers in the #25 GMAC Chevrolet next season.

Mears, in his fourth year with Chip Ganassi Racing, has signed a three-year deal with Hendrick, joining quadruple Cup Series Champion Jeff Gordon, current championship leader Jimmie Johnson and 2005 Raybestos Rookie of the Year Kyle Busch in what is arguably NASCAR's top team.

Despite having yet to win a Nextel Cup race, the nephew of Indycar legend Rick Mears had been targeted by several front-running teams from the moment he announced that he wouldn't be returning to the Ganassi fold in 2007 including Hendrick, Robert Yates Racing and the new Red Bull Racing team.

"I'm committed to winning races and going after championships with the #25 team," said the 28-year old Mears. "This is an opportunity for me to work with close friends and start fresh with one of the top organisations in all of sports. It's an exciting situation for me, both personally and professionally."

"Casey is a talented driver and a high-character person who is going to be a great fit with our organisation," team boss Rick Hendrick added. "He has the ability to win races and ultimately contend for championships, so we're thrilled to welcome him to Hendrick Motorsports."