Casey Mears Daytona 500 return is officially in motion as Garage 66, led by Carl Long, locks in plans to field Mears at the 2026 NASCAR Cup Series race at Daytona International Speedway. As the new year arrives and teams finalize their entries, Mears’ comeback with Garage 66 positions him as a key figure in the upcoming Daytona 500, highlighting renewed aspirations for both driver and team.
Garage 66 Commits to Daytona and Talladega with Mears at the Wheel
Carl Long has confirmed that Garage 66 will aim for a spot in the 40-car field for the 2026 Daytona 500, thanks to an engine lease arrangement for Daytona and Talladega. Mears, who recently ended his lengthy break from NASCAR by racing with the team during five events in 2025, will return in the No. 66 Ford Mustang Dark Horse for Daytona. The team, aiming to capitalize on solid performances and experience, views Mears as the ideal fit for their 2026 campaign. Long shared the extent of their preparations and the reasons behind their commitment:
“I’ve got enough stuff going on, I’m about as messed up as a soup sandwich right now,”
Carl Long, Owner/Team Principal, stated when asked about Garage 66’s packed agenda. Long elaborated,
“But I can put it out here for you. We have committed [to] leasing engines [from Roush-Yates Engines] for our Cup car for the Daytona and the Talladega races this year. So, that’ll be four of them that we know. We have Casey Mears lined up to drive for us at Daytona. We’re just trying to get one sponsor deal back with us. I think Casey did an excellent job with us last year.”
– Carl Long, Owner/Team Principal
Mears’ Impact and Importance to the Team
Mears, now 47, made a significant difference in the team during his 2025 stint. His experience translated into both strong stewardship of equipment and positive interactions on track. Long recognized marked changes in how competitors reacted to Garage 66 when Mears was driving versus other recent drivers, reflecting both Mears’ reputation and rapport within the NASCAR community. Long emphasized this point:
“The one thing that I have with Casey that my Timmy Hills, Josh Bilickis, and Chad Finchums don’t get, like Casey does, is the respect on the racetrack,”
Carl Long, Owner/Team Principal, explained. Long continued,
“Casey was out [there], and if he got out of the groove a little bit or got a bad run or somebody left him out — nobody really left him to hang out and dry. Denny Hamlin worked with us. The young kids knew him, respected him, and worked with him. To me, it was a lot better because most of the time, we get hung out. But Casey has a lot of friends and people willing to work with him, so we want Casey as our driver even if we don’t get some of the sponsors to return.”
– Carl Long, Owner/Team Principal
Pursuit of a Major Milestone
Casey Mears’ return to Daytona carries personal significance beyond the race itself. With 494 career NASCAR Cup Series starts, he is just six appearances shy of reaching the coveted 500-start milestone, a testament to his longstanding career since his major victory at the 2007 Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway. Mears’ drive for this achievement brings added motivation to his season and strengthens his value to Garage 66 as a driver with both experience and a personal mission.
Additional Events and Driver Lineup Expansions for Garage 66
In addition to their Daytona ambition, Garage 66 will once again attempt to participate in the preseason exhibition Cook Out Clash at Bowman Gray Stadium, likely with Chad Finchum or Josh Bilicki as drivers for that specific event. Garage 66, managing a fleet of three Next Gen chassis, plans to target up to 26 Cup Series races if additional sponsorships materialize. At present, their anchor commitments, besides Daytona and Talladega, include the Texas Motor Speedway and the Spring Bristol Motor Speedway races, both with Finchum in the cockpit. Carl Long remains open to expanding the schedule should financial support increase to support more competition throughout the year.
Challenges and Expansion Plans for MBM Motorsports
Alongside his Garage 66 ambitions, Long continues to oversee MBM Motorsports, which operates in the NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series and the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series. Despite possessing a large inventory of O’Reilly Auto Parts Series chassis, Long faces financial limitations in fielding a regular entry unless significant funding is secured. He articulated the realities of the cost-intensive landscape:
“I have 26 Xfinity cars just sitting still. But without having a tie-in with a big team or a factory or somebody like that, and a bunch of money — if I can go out and have the engine program all year, then it opens the doors, but you’ve got to pay to be with these guys in an association,”
Carl Long, Owner of MBM Motorsports, stated.
On the Truck Series front, Long has acquired competitive chassis from Front Row Motorsports, including vehicles with proven track records at North Wilkesboro Speedway. If plans proceed as expected, MBM Motorsports will compete in the season-opening Truck Series event at Daytona International Speedway in 2026 with Tyler Tomassi, who previously drove for the team at Talladega, finishing 27th.
Derek White Returns in ARCA Menards Series with MBM Motorsports
MBM Motorsports is also gearing up for participation in the 2026 ARCA Menards Series, entrusting the season-opening drive at Daytona International Speedway to Derek White. White, who hails from Kahnawake, Quebec, Canada, endured an indefinite NASCAR suspension in 2016 after legal issues involving tobacco smuggling between the United States and Canada. His story inspired the iHeartRadio series ‘Running Smoke’ in 2022. However, with the Canadian Superior Court overturning his earlier ruling in 2025, White was reinstated by NASCAR and returned to competition, achieving a 19th-place finish at Watkins Glen International while driving for MBM Motorsports last season.
Looking Ahead: Anticipation and Significance for the 2026 Season
The Casey Mears Daytona 500 return not only marks a notable milestone for Mears personally but also brings renewed attention to the efforts of Garage 66 and MBM Motorsports under Carl Long’s direction. Their persistent attempts to increase their presence in Cup, Truck, and ARCA racing underscore the challenges smaller teams face in a sponsorship-driven sport. As February approaches and entries are finalized, all eyes will be on Mears and Garage 66, whose collaboration is positioned to bring fresh competitiveness and compelling stories to the 2026 NASCAR season.
