Casey Mears Bio
Casey James Mears, born on March 12, 1978, in Bakersfield, California, is an American professional off-road and stock car racing driver. He currently 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. Over a long and varied career, Mears has raced in IndyCar, NASCAR’s three national series, SCORE International off-road events, and the Stadium Super Trucks.
A former winner of the prestigious Coca-Cola 600, Mears is a member of the famous Mears racing family. He is 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 James Mears was born on March 12, 1978, in Bakersfield, California, a city with deep roots in American motorsports. He grew up surrounded by racing through his family’s long involvement in the sport, with his father Roger Mears a respected IndyCar and off-road competitor, and his uncle Rick Mears one of the greatest IndyCar drivers in history.
After a brief season racing go-karts in 1991, Mears began competing in the SuperLites Off-Road Series in 1992 and posted several top-three finishes. He moved into sprint cars in 1994 and finished third in the Jim Russell USAC Triple Crown Championship, with a win at Mesa Marin Raceway. The following year, he captured the USAC series championship.
Path to NASCAR
Mears shifted toward open-wheel racing in 1996, making his Indy Lights debut at the Cleveland Grand Prix. He ran the Indy Lights championship full-time in 1997, finished second overall in 1999, and became the fourth driver in series history to complete every lap in a single season. He earned his first Indy Lights victory at the Grand Prix of Houston in October 2000.
After testing Indy cars for several teams in 2000, Mears made his CART Series debut with Team Rahal at California Speedway, qualifying fifteenth and finishing a strong fourth. He ran three IRL events in early 2001 and attempted to qualify for the 2001 Indianapolis 500. To close the season, he substituted for the injured Alex Zanardi in Champ Car, posting one top-ten finish in four starts. Mears made his NASCAR debut in 2001 in the Busch Series at Homestead-Miami Speedway, beginning a long career on American oval tracks.
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 for Cicci-Welliver Racing. He started 21st and finished 28th in that first race. When the team was sold to Wayne Jesel the following season, Mears drove for them full-time, finishing 21st in points with two top-ten results.
During this period, Mears also returned to the ARCA Menards Series and gained valuable stock car experience. He would later add three ARCA wins, including victories at Michigan and both Pocono races in 2003, while serving as a development driver for Chip Ganassi Racing.
Chip Ganassi Racing (2003-2006)
In a surprise move, Mears was selected by Chip Ganassi Racing to drive the No. 41 Target Dodge in 2003. His rookie Cup season was challenging, ending 35th in points without a top-ten finish. He also ran several ARCA races for Ganassi that year, winning three times and sweeping both Pocono events.
Mears drove the No. 41 for two more seasons, earning two poles in 2004 and coming close to multiple wins, including a late-race lead at Watkins Glen and a near victory at Homestead in 2005. In 2006, he moved to the No. 42 Texaco and Havoline Dodge after Jamie McMurray’s departure, opening the year with a then-career-best second-place finish at the Daytona 500.
Hendrick Motorsports (2007-2008)
On June 6, 2006, Mears announced he would leave Chip Ganassi Racing to join Hendrick Motorsports in 2007, replacing Brian Vickers. He won his first NASCAR race on July 8, 2006, capturing a Busch Series event at Chicagoland Speedway when his car ran out of fuel crossing the finish line.
Driving the No. 25 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet in 2007 with sponsorship from the National Guard and GMAC, Mears won the Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway on May 27, 2007. The victory came through a fuel-mileage gamble that gave him the lead with five laps remaining, and he ran dry just after taking the checkered flag. It remains his only Cup Series win. In 2008, he moved to the No. 5 Chevrolet, and after a winless year was replaced by veteran Mark Martin.
Richard Childress Racing (2009)
On August 23, 2008, Mears was announced as the driver of Richard Childress Racing’s No. 07 Jack Daniel’s Chevrolet for 2009. During his single RCR season, he earned two top-ten finishes. Richard Childress swapped crew chiefs between Kevin Harvick and Mears during the year in search of improvement, and the change helped both drivers.
Midseason, Mears received a third crew chief of the year when Doug Randolph took over the No. 07, and he was released by RCR after the 2009 season finale at Homestead-Miami Speedway.
Various Teams (2010)
In January 2010, Mears was announced as the driver of the No. 90 Keyed-Up Motorsports Chevrolet, but he failed to qualify for the Daytona 500, ending a 252-race starting streak and recording the first DNQ of his career. After several more failed qualifying attempts, he was released by the team. He also spent time on standby with Joe Gibbs Racing, drove briefly for Tommy Baldwin Racing, and substituted for the ill Brian Vickers at Team Red Bull.
Germain Racing (2010-2016)
Mears joined Germain Racing’s No. 13 GEICO Toyota late in 2010 and continued with the team through 2016. The organization switched to Ford for 2012 with technical support from Roush Fenway Racing, then partnered with Richard Childress Racing to field Chevrolets beginning in 2014. Mears earned the pole for the 2012 Irwin Tools Night Race at Bristol when qualifying was rained out, opened 2014 with a tenth-place Daytona 500 finish, and recorded a sixth-place result in the 2015 Daytona 500.
During his long Germain tenure, Mears posted fourteen top-twenty finishes in 2014, including three top-tens and a top-five, and finished 24th in 2013 points, his best since 2009. On November 28, 2016, Germain announced that Ty Dillon would replace Mears in the No. 13 beginning in 2017.
Garage 66 and Part-Time Era (2017-Present)
On February 20, 2017, Mears announced he would drive the No. 98 Ford Mustang for Biagi-DenBeste Racing in the NASCAR Xfinity Series for twelve races, later expanding the schedule to fourteen events with a best finish of ninth. In 2019, he returned to the Cup Series with Germain Racing for the Daytona 500.
After a five-year absence from Cup competition, MBM Motorsports’ Garage 66 program announced his return in 2023 at the Cook Out 400. He has since continued running a part-time Cup schedule with Garage 66 in the No. 66 Ford Mustang Dark Horse, while also competing in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series for MBM Motorsports.
Driving Style and Strengths
Mears built his reputation on patience, fuel-mileage strategy, and clean race craft. His lone Cup victory came on a fuel-save gamble at Charlotte, and he was similarly sharp on intermediate tracks during his years at Chip Ganassi Racing and Hendrick Motorsports. He adapted quickly when switching manufacturers, from Dodge to Chevrolet to Toyota and back to Ford, showing strong versatility across team environments.
Notable Races and Milestones
His signature moment is the 2007 Coca-Cola 600 win at Charlotte Motor Speedway, where he stretched his fuel to the finish and ran dry after the checkered flag. He also co-drove the 2006 24 Hours of Daytona overall victory with Scott Dixon and Dan Wheldon, setting a Daytona Prototype lap record. Earlier in his career, his USAC sprint car championship and a strong Indianapolis Lights campaign marked him as one of America’s most promising open-wheel talents.
Casey Mears Career Wins
Casey Mears has built a versatile resume across open-wheel, sports car, and stock car racing. His most celebrated victories are the 2007 Coca-Cola 600 in the NASCAR Cup Series and the 2006 24 Hours of Daytona overall, which he shared with Scott Dixon and Dan Wheldon. He also won a Busch Series race at Chicagoland Speedway in 2006 and captured three ARCA Menards Series events in 2003, including both Pocono races.
NASCAR Cup Series Highlights
Mears has one NASCAR Cup Series victory, scored at the 2007 Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway. The win came through a strategic fuel gamble and remains the highlight of his premier-series career, with three poles and 51 top-ten finishes supporting 15 seasons of Cup competition.
Other Wins and Performances
Beyond his Cup triumph, Mears has a 2006 Busch Series win at Chicagoland, a runner-up finish in the 1999 Indy Lights championship, a USAC Triple Crown title in 1995, and a 2003 ARCA sweep of Michigan and Pocono. He is also a former winner of the 24 Hours of Daytona in the Grand-Am Rolex Sports Car Series.
| Series | Wins | Top Tens | Poles |
|---|---|---|---|
| NASCAR Cup Series | 1 | 51 | 3 |
| NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series | 1 | 34 | 4 |
| ARCA Menards Series | 3 | 5 | 2 |
Casey Mears Family
Family Background and Racing Lineage
Casey Mears comes from one of America’s most storied racing families. He is the son of Roger Mears, a former IndyCar driver and off-road racing veteran, and the nephew of Rick Mears, a four-time Indianapolis 500 winner and one of the all-time greats of American open-wheel racing. The Mears name carries weight in nearly every major form of American motorsports.
Personal Life
Born and raised in Bakersfield, California, Mears has long ties to the West Coast racing scene and has carried the family tradition into modern NASCAR and off-road competition. He has continued to honor the Mears name through his work in stock car and desert racing.
2025 Season Performance
Casey Mears is running a part-time schedule in 2025, splitting time between the NASCAR Cup Series with Garage 66 in the No. 66 Ford Mustang Dark Horse and the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series with MBM Motorsports in the No. 69 Ford F-150. His Truck Series debut came at the 2025 Slim Jim 200 at Martinsville Speedway, giving him starts across all three of NASCAR’s national series during his career.
As an established veteran and respected mentor within smaller teams, Mears focuses on delivering clean, competitive runs and helping develop team operations. While the part-time schedule limits championship opportunities, his experience remains valuable for race strategy, setup feedback, and manufacturer collaboration with Ford. Fans can expect Mears to continue adding starts to his record while pursuing his stated goal of reaching 500 career NASCAR Cup Series starts.
