Chasing 500: Mears Making Cup Return At Martinsville

Casey Mears (Brett Moist/Nigel Kinrade Photography)

STATESVILLE, N.C. – Longtime NASCAR Cup Series veteran Casey Mears will make his return to the NASCAR Cup Series March 30 during the Cook Out 400 at Martinsville (Va.) Speedway.

Mears will pilot the non-chartered No. 66 HitchGO Ford Mustang Dark Horse for Garage 66, a single-car, part-time organization co-owned by former racer Carl Long.

When he takes the green flag at the .526-mile paperclip, the 47-year-old will be just 10 starts away from 500, making his 490th appearance at the sport’s top level. The 500-start threshold is a benchmark shared by the likes of Kyle Busch, Denny Hamlin, Joey Logano, Brad Keselowski, and Michael McDowell among active drivers.

If the Bakersfield, Calif., native can achieve the milestone with additional starts in his future, he’ll join fellow Californian Kevin Harvick, who went well beyond 500 in his own career with 826 Cup Series starts.

Mears’ Cup Series career began full-time in 2003, piloting the No. 41 Target Dodge for Chip Ganassi Racing, after Jimmy Spencer was abruptly released from the team at the close of the 2002 season due to a mixture of lackluster results and being outperformed by teammate Sterling Marlin.

Mears went on to earn 51 top-10 finishes and three pole awards – including at the Brickyard 400 in 2004 – but his biggest career highlight was driving to victory lane in the 2007 Coca-Cola 600 in the No. 25 Chevrolet for Hendrick Motorsports on Memorial Day Weekend.

Martinsville will mark Mears’ first time in the Cup Series since the 2019 Daytona 500, where he finished in last place just over halfway through the race after making contact with Parker Kligerman.

As he prepares to return, Mears’ eagerness to get back behind the wheel is further fueled by the venue where he’ll begin his push for 500.

Casey Mears' No. 66 Ford Mustang Dark Horse for Martinsville Speedway. (Garage 66 photo)

“I’m happy to be back in a race car and look forward to returning to Martinsville, one of my favorite tracks,” Mears said. “I appreciate Carl working with me to make it happen; he’s a well-respected, great guy who’s worked hard to experience longevity in the sport. I’m excited to have HitchGO, Mosby’s Towing and Transport, and Coble Enterprises on board as we chip away at 500 NASCAR Cup Series starts.”

HitchGO, a midwestern mobile RV repair, camper and trailer services company, will serve as the primary sponsor for Mears and Garage 66 at Martinsville. Major associate sponsors will include Mosby’s Towing and Transport, as well as Coble Enterprises.

Long understands the caliber of driver he is getting out of Mears, and feels the excitement of the entire shop in Statesville as they prepare for the coming task at hand.

“Having Casey Mears drive a Garage 66 car is a proud day for our organization,” Long said. “He’s driven for NASCAR’s elite, such as Chip Ganassi Racing, Hendrick Motorsports and Richard Childress Racing. Adding Garage 66 to that list means a lot to me and everyone who’s helped build our team.”

The Cup Series season has not gotten off and running like anyone would have hoped for Garage 66 this year. The team made an early-February appearance at the Cook Out Clash at Bowman Gray Stadium in the LCQ, where Garrett Smithley failed to transfer into a tight main-event field of just 23 cars.

The next and most recent attempt for the team was a shot at making the field for the 67th Daytona 500 with driver Chandler Smith. That chance for the No. 66 Ford also ended in heartbreak, as Smith slammed the SAFER barrier in the first Duel qualifying race, failing to make the grid for the Great American Race.

Long and everyone at Garage 66 hope to make a big impression at Martinsville, with a driver whose last name is widely recognized in the world of motorsports.

As Long will point out, however, the racing royalty narrative is simply not what Mears is about.

“Casey and I first connected many years ago when I was driving, and he always treated me and our fellow competitors with respect on and off the track,” Long noted. “He hails from a historic racing family, but it’s not something he boasts about. He always takes time for everyone, which is indicative of his character. I love having the opportunity to work with good people, especially when they drive fast.

“I’m excited to get to Martinsville with Casey and have a successful weekend for HitchGO, Mosby’s Towing and Transport, and Coble Enterprises.”

Mears will be returning to his past in a way at Martinsville, as his NASCAR debut came in the Xfinity Series in 2001, where he also drove a No. 66 entry fielded by Cicci-Welliver Racing at Homestead-Miami (Fla.) Speedway.

Broadcast coverage of the Cook Out 400 is set for Sunday, March 30 at 3 p.m. ET, live on FS1, the Motor Racing Network, and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio, channel 90. Hendrick Motorsports’ William Byron is the defending winner of the spring race at the historic paperclip.