Casey Mears Bio
Casey James Mears (born March 12, 1978) is an American professional off-road and stock car racing driver. He competes part-time in the NASCAR Cup Series, driving the No. 66 Ford Mustang Dark Horse for Garage 66, and part-time in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series, driving the No. 69 Ford F-150 for MBM Motorsports. He has raced in IndyCar, NASCAR’s three national series, including fifteen seasons in the Cup Series, SCORE International, and the Stadium Super Trucks. A former winner of the Coca-Cola 600, Mears is a member of the Mears racing family as the nephew of four-time Indianapolis 500 winner Rick Mears and the son of IndyCar and off-road veteran Roger Mears.
Early Life and Background
Casey Mears is a native of Bakersfield, California, where he grew up surrounded by motorsports. As a member of the Mears racing family, he was introduced to racing at a young age, with his uncle Rick Mears earning four Indianapolis 500 victories and his father Roger Mears building a respected career in IndyCar and off-road competition. The family’s deep racing heritage gave Casey early access to cars, tracks, and mentorship that few aspiring drivers experience.
After racing in go-karts for a season in 1991, Mears began competing in the SuperLites Off-Road Series in 1992, where he posted several top-three finishes. He moved to sprint cars in 1994 and finished third in the Jim Russell USAC Triple Crown Championship, with a win at Mesa Marin Raceway. The next season, he captured the USAC championship, signaling that his transition from regional competitor to national prospect was underway.
Path to NASCAR
Mears shifted toward open-wheel racing in 1996, making his Dayton Indy Lights debut at the Cleveland Grand Prix and finishing eighth. The following year, he competed full-time in the Indy Lights championship, and in 1999 he finished second in points, losing the title by only fourteen points. He also became just the fourth driver in Indy Lights history to complete every lap in a single season. In 2000, he won his first Indy Lights race at the Grand Prix of Houston meeting in October.
After testing Indy cars for multiple teams in 2000, Mears was offered a chance to drive a third entry for Team Rahal at California Speedway in October. After qualifying fifteenth and leading ten laps, he posted a career-best fourth-place finish in his CART Series debut. He ran three IRL events at the start of the 2001 season and attempted to qualify for the 2001 Indianapolis 500, but ultimately did not make the field. He ended the season by filling in for injured Champ Car driver Alex Zanardi, posting one top-ten finish in four starts.
Casey Mears Career
Early Career (2001-2002)
Mears made his NASCAR debut in the Busch Series in 2001 at Homestead-Miami Speedway, driving the No. 66 car for Cicci-Welliver Racing. He started 21st and finished 28th. When the team was sold to Wayne Jesel the next season, Mears drove for them full-time, finishing 21st in points with two top-ten finishes.
To the surprise of many, he was selected by Chip Ganassi Racing to drive the No. 41 Target Dodge in 2003. In his rookie Cup season, he finished 35th in the final points standings after failing to finish in the top ten in any race. Throughout 2003, Mears also drove a number of ARCA races for Ganassi, winning three times, once at Michigan, and sweeping both Pocono races. He drove the No. 41 Cup car for two additional seasons and won two poles in 2004.
NASCAR Cup Series Breakthrough (2006-2009)
Mears came close to several victories during the 2004-2005 period. He led late in the 2004 Sirius at the Glen but got passed with twelve laps to go and finished fourth. At Homestead in 2005, Mears controlled the final 100 laps of the Ford 400, but a late yellow flag erased his 28-second lead, forcing a pit stop and costing him the win. During the 2005 season, it was announced Mears would move to the No. 42 Texaco/Havoline Dodge for Ganassi, replacing Jamie McMurray.
Mears started off 2006 with a then-best career finish of second, passing Ryan Newman at the line as future teammate Jimmie Johnson won the 2006 Daytona 500. On June 6, 2006, Mears announced he was leaving Chip Ganassi Racing at the end of the season to join Hendrick Motorsports for 2007. On July 8, 2006, he won his first NASCAR race, a Busch Series event at Chicagoland Speedway, coasting to the finish after running out of fuel.
For the 2007 season, Mears assumed driving duties for the No. 25 Hendrick Chevrolet, with co-primary sponsorships from the National Guard of the United States and GMAC. On May 27, 2007, he won the Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte, his first career Nextel Cup victory. Mears secured the win with a fuel gamble, taking the lead with five laps remaining when most lead-lap cars stopped for fuel, and he stretched his fuel to the finish, running out moments after the checkered flag.
In 2008, Mears moved to the Alan Gustafson-led No. 5 Kellogg’s Carquest Chevrolet Impala previously driven by Kyle Busch. After going winless, Mears was released by Hendrick and replaced by Mark Martin. On August 23, 2008, Mears was announced as the driver of Richard Childress Racing’s No. 07 Jack Daniel’s Chevrolet Impala SS. In his first season at RCR, Mears notched two top-ten finishes, and a crew chief switch between the Nos. 07 and 29 cars improved results for both drivers. After struggling through 2009 with multiple crew chief changes, Mears was released by Richard Childress Racing following the season.
Mid-Career Transitions (2010-2018)
On January 20, 2010, Mears was announced as the driver of the No. 90 Key Motorsports Chevrolet. He failed to qualify for the 2010 Daytona 500, ending a starting streak of 252 consecutive races, and was later released by the team. He then drove briefly for Tommy Baldwin Racing and Team Red Bull before stepping into his fourth car of the season at Atlanta in September, driving the No. 13 GEICO Toyota for Germain Racing. It was also announced that Mears would continue in that car for the remainder of 2010 and all of 2011.
The 2011 season started with his second DNQ at the Daytona 500 due to engine failures during Speedweeks. Germain Racing secured sponsorship from GEICO and Hard Rock Vodka for a combined 29 races, and Mears finished 31st in driver points. On January 6, 2012, GEICO signed a two-year deal with Mears and Germain, who switched to Ford from Toyota for 2012 with technical support from Roush Fenway Racing and engines from Roush-Yates. On August 24, 2012, Mears won the pole for the Irwin Tools Night Race at Bristol after Friday qualifying was rained out, finishing 30th in the final standings.
On February 21, 2013, GEICO announced full-time sponsorship of Mears and Germain for 2013 and 2014. In the 2013 Coke Zero 400 at Daytona International Speedway, Mears recorded the team’s best oval finish of ninth, and he finished 24th in points. For 2014, Germain partnered with Richard Childress Racing to field Chevrolets, and Mears opened with a tenth-place finish in the Daytona 500. During the 2014 season, he recorded fourteen top-twenty finishes, including three top-tens and one top-five, finishing 26th in points. Mears extended with Germain and GEICO through 2018, but on November 28, 2016, Germain announced that Ty Dillon would replace Mears in the No. 13 starting in 2017.
Garage 66 Era (2023-Present)
On February 20, 2017, Mears announced via Twitter that he would drive the No. 98 Ford Mustang for Biagi-DenBeste Racing in the Xfinity Series for twelve races, eventually running fourteen with a best finish of ninth. In 2019, Mears returned to the Cup Series with Germain, driving the No. 27 Chevrolet at the Daytona 500, finishing 40th after an early-race shunt with Parker Kligerman.
In 2023, Mears expressed a goal of reaching 500 career NASCAR Cup Series starts, and following a five-year absence, MBM Motorsports and their Cup entry Garage 66 announced his return at the Cook Out 400. Mears finished 35th, eleven laps off the pace, and later returned for the Coke Zero Sugar 400 and the final three races of the season. He currently competes part-time in the NASCAR Cup Series for Garage 66 and part-time in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series for MBM Motorsports.
Notable Races and Milestones
Casey Mears’s signature victory came at the 2007 Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway, where he stretched his fuel to the finish to claim his only Cup win. He also won the 2006 24 Hours of Daytona alongside Scott Dixon and Dan Wheldon, setting a Daytona Prototype race record and becoming the first full-time NASCAR driver to win the Rolex 24 overall. Mears captured his first NASCAR national series win at Chicagoland Speedway in the 2006 Busch Series race, and he scored a memorable pole at the 2012 Bristol Night Race after rain cancelled qualifying.
Casey Mears Career Wins
Casey Mears has accumulated victories across NASCAR’s national series and major endurance events. His most celebrated win is the 2007 Coca-Cola 600, a crown jewel of the NASCAR Cup Series. He also claimed the 2006 24 Hours of Daytona overall, a prestigious Grand-Am Rolex Sports Car Series victory shared with Scott Dixon and Dan Wheldon.
NASCAR Cup Series Highlights
Casey Mears won one NASCAR Cup Series race during his career, the 2007 Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway. The victory came through a bold fuel-mileage strategy, with Mears taking the lead with five laps remaining when most competitors pitted. He remains a notable one-time winner of one of NASCAR’s most prestigious events.
Other Wins and Performances
Beyond Cup competition, Mears won the 2006 24 Hours of Daytona overall with Chip Ganassi Racing teammates Scott Dixon and Dan Wheldon, setting a Daytona Prototype lap record. In the NASCAR Xfinity Series, he won the 2006 race at Chicagoland Speedway. Earlier in his career, he won three ARCA Re/Max Series races in 2003 for Chip Ganassi Racing, including the Michigan event and both Pocono races. He also captured the 1995 USAC Triple Crown Championship and posted a runner-up finish in the 1999 Indy Lights standings.
Casey Mears Family
Family Background and Racing Lineage
Casey Mears comes from one of the most storied families in American motorsports. He is the son of Roger Mears, a respected IndyCar and off-road racing veteran, and the nephew of Rick Mears, the four-time Indianapolis 500 winner and one of the greatest open-wheel drivers in history. The Mears family’s influence shaped Casey’s path from go-karts and off-road competition to Indy Lights and eventually NASCAR.
2025 Season Performance
Casey Mears continues his part-time NASCAR schedule in 2025, splitting time between the NASCAR Cup Series with Garage 66 and the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series with MBM Motorsports. In the Cup Series, he drives the No. 66 Ford Mustang Dark Horse, while in the Truck Series he pilots the No. 69 Ford F-150. His part-time approach allows him to build toward his long-stated goal of 500 career Cup Series starts.
Although specific 2025 race-by-race results are still developing, Mears’s partnership with Garage 66 and MBM Motorsports has provided steady opportunities to compete at the national level. His experience and engineering feedback continue to be valuable assets for both organizations as they expand their Cup and Truck programs.
Looking ahead, Mears remains focused on adding more Cup Series starts to his ledger while mentoring younger drivers within the Mears racing family tradition. His enduring presence in the garage and his connection to the Mears legacy ensure he remains a respected figure in American stock car racing.
