Casey Mears extends Cup Series journey, adding more races after 491 starts in 16 years

Casey Mears retired from full-time racing back in 2016, but it seems that the itch to race hasn’t died in the 47-year-old. With S.I. Yachts as his primary sponsor, the Bakersfield, CA, native will run the final three races of the 2025 season, adding to his Cup Series repertoire.

Mears is now at 491 starts, just nine shy of an impressive milestone. This time around, he will drive Garage 66’s No. 66 Ford Mustang Dark Horse at Talladega on October 19, Martinsville on October 26, and then finally, at Phoenix on November 2.

“I’m excited we were able to put these three races together, and I appreciate the ongoing support from Bob Germain, S.I. Yachts, and Acrisure,” Casey Mears said in a statement. “Given our close friendship, it’s touching that Bob is willing to invest in me after all these years; it shows his character and who he is as a person.” “It also means a lot that Acrisure continues to support us; they stepped up first this year at Martinsville and helped get this program started. Thanks to Carl Long and Garage 66 for all of their hard work because they’ve worked hard to ramp up and make it happen,” he further added.

Mears was seen competing in the spring Martinsville race and the regular season-ending event at Daytona International Speedway earlier this year. From entering the Cup Series back in 2003 to his retirement in 2016, he recorded 51 top-10 finishes and a win at the 2007 Coca-Cola 600.

For now, all eyes are on New Hampshire Motor Speedway for the fourth race of the 2025 playoffs. Named Mobil 1 301, the 301-lap event will stream on the USA Network (2 pm ET). Fans can watch that or listen to live radio updates on PRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio.

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Casey Mears faced dual setbacks ahead of his first Cup Series start since 2019

Years after quitting formal NASCAR racing, Casey Mears made one start in 2019 and then returned for a two-race, part-time schedule with MBM Motorsports' Garage 66 Ford Mustang in 2025. His first race of the season was the Cook Out 400 at Martinsville Speedway.

However, things didn’t go as expected for Mears and his team. Besides a last-minute sponsorship change, the team was penalized for failing the pre-race inspection twice. For that reason, race engineer Hector Flores was instructed to stay out for the race weekend, and the team was not allowed to select their pit stall.

Nevertheless, speaking of his new partnership with Canter Power Systems, Mears said in a release,

“I appreciate the support of Canter Power Systems and look forward to a productive weekend at Martinsville. Canter is an expert in the generator industry and is dedicated to providing personal, reliable and high-quality service. I'm proud to have them on board."

In the end, it was Denny Hamlin who emerged victorious, marking his maiden triumph of the 2025 season. That win locked him into the playoffs as well. Casey Mears, on the other hand, managed to deliver a P35 finish.

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Edited by Anisha Chatterjee