Casey Mears is on the verge of reaching a major milestone in his NASCAR Cup Series career, with 490 starts to his name and just 10 more needed to join the exclusive 500 starts club. Only 47 drivers in the history of <a href="https://www.big14news.com/nascar/”>NASCAR have surpassed that mark, including a distinguished group of active drivers such as Kyle Busch, Denny Hamlin, Joey Logano, Brad Keselowski, and Michael McDowell. Mears’ pursuit of his 500th start highlights his enduring presence in top-tier NASCAR competition.
Highlight of Career: Victory at the Coca-Cola 600
Among his career achievements, Mears’ win at the prestigious Coca-Cola 600 held at Charlotte Motor Speedway during Memorial Day weekend in 2007 stands out. This victory places him among the relatively small group of just 206 drivers who have captured a NASCAR Cup Series race win across the sport’s 77-year history. This triumph underscores Mears’ skill and success at one of NASCAR’s most demanding events.
Exceptional Performance at Daytona International Speedway
Daytona International Speedway has been a decisive track in Casey Mears’ career, where his skill and patience have earned him widespread recognition. Despite the chaos often associated with racing on the high-speed 2.5-mile tri-oval, Mears has completed 4,234 of 4,528 laps in his starts at Daytona—a remarkable 93.5% lap completion rate. Known as one of the best restrictor-plate racers, Mears’ ability to navigate the tumultuous track reflects his sharp instincts and strategic acumen.
A Partnership Rooted in History and Shared Experience
Mears currently drives the No. 66 S.I. Yachts Ford Mustang, a car that carries number significance throughout his career. Before this, he piloted the No. 66 Pioneer–WorldCom Honda–Reynard in the CART FedEx Championship Series (now NTT INDYCAR SERIES), as well as the No. 66 Phillips 66/Injex Chevrolet in the NASCAR Xfinity Series. His connection to the Germain family, the owners of S.I. Yachts and the Germain Motor Company, is deep-rooted. From 2010 to 2016, Mears drove the No. 13 NASCAR Cup Series car for Germain Racing, fostering a lasting relationship with team owner Bob Germain.
“It’s really special running with Bob and having his and his family’s support for Daytona. I think when I ended up at Germain Racing in 2010, I needed them and they needed me. I was at a point in my career where I wasn’t sure which direction to take, but I had accumulated a lot of experience and knowledge from working with elite organizations and had the tools to help them grow. When you collectively go through something like that, growing a Cup team from the beginning, it creates close relationships with the people around you. I was with Germain Racing for nearly seven seasons, so working with them to build the program from a part-time effort to a competitive, full-time program was super rewarding. But you navigate a lot of challenges together, which resulted in a special, lifetime relationship between Bob and me. For him to step up now to help me hit the 500 start mark is incredibly generous, and I lack the words to quantify my appreciation. He means a lot to me, and I’m thankful we get to do this together.”
—Casey Mears, NASCAR Driver
Race Preparation and Sponsorship Support
Mears returns to racing at Martinsville with significant backing from S.I. Yachts, a major dealer for Viking Yachts and Valhalla Boatworks. This sponsorship ties into the Germain family’s longstanding involvement in motorsports through their Germain Motor Company. Acrisure, another key associate sponsor, has continued its partnership with Mears since debuting alongside him at Martinsville earlier this year. This combined team and sponsor support provides a solid foundation for Mears as he pursues further success.
Mastering the Challenges of Daytona’s High-Speed Racing
Casey Mears brings extensive experience to his Daytona starts, where races are notorious for their unpredictability and frequent crashes. Adaptability has been central to his success, as he has learned to navigate changing race rules and varying race-day packages effectively. His strategy often involves recognizing when to avoid the turmoil by dropping to the back of the pack temporarily. This approach enables him to outlast incidents and make a push toward the front in the final laps.
“We all know Daytona can be unpredictable, but over time, they’ve constantly changed the rules there, so I think being able to adapt to different packages and the change in the style of racing is beneficial. Early in my career, I got caught up in a lot of incidents, but the longer you’re around it, you’re able to start reading the room better and get a feel for if the drivers around you are getting antsy, and you sense the potential for a crash. You’re able to quickly put yourself in a better situation, and sometimes that’s dropping to the rear of the field, which is often a prevailing strategy at the plate races, and a smarter decision. The key is to make it to the end of the race, make your way to the front and have a shot at it. I haven’t been in the pack for a while, so it’s going to be interesting to see how it plays out this weekend, but hopefully it all comes back to me like it did at Martinsville.”
—Casey Mears, NASCAR Driver
Aspirations for the Upcoming Daytona Race
As he prepares to compete at Daytona once again, Mears has set ambitious goals fuelled by his past achievements at the track. While he acknowledges the challenges posed by limited practice time—qualifying laps will be the only on-track preparation before the race—he remains optimistic about his chances.
“It’s really going to depend on how the car feels. I have lofty goals, thanks to my past experience, so if we can get the car halfway decent, we can hopefully get up front and get a really solid finish, or even a win if favorable circumstances present themselves. The caveat is that there will be zero practice this weekend, so my qualifying laps will be the only track time I get before being in the middle of the pack. I will need the opening laps of the race just to get a sense of how my car will draft with the other cars around me. In the past, I’ve taken cars at Daytona that have struggled with single-car speed and got to the front and got a good result, but I’ve also had a really good car and got caught up at the wrong place and wrong time, so you never know, but I’m always optimistic. Carl (Long) was able to get us a good Roush-Yates engine under the hood and a strong pit crew, and the guys in the Garage 66 shop have put together a good car, so I’m excited to get on the track. As long as we do our job and put everything together properly, there’s no reason we can’t run up front and compete for a win.”
—Casey Mears, NASCAR Driver
Looking Ahead: What the Future Holds for Mears
Casey Mears is well-positioned to reach the 500 NASCAR Cup Series start milestone soon, reinforcing his legacy as a consistent and determined presence in the sport. With the support of longtime allies like Bob Germain and the technical expertise of team owner Carl Long, along with sponsors like S.I. Yachts and Acrisure, Mears aims to leverage his experience and skill to achieve further successes, especially at Daytona. His approach shows confidence and adaptability, traits that should continue serving him as NASCAR evolves.
As Mears nears this rare accomplishment, the racing community watches closely to see if he can capitalize on favorable circumstances at Daytona and add another memorable victory to his career.
