Casey Mears is making a return to NASCAR—for one race, at least.
The 47-year-old veteran, who last competed in the NASCAR Cup Series at the 2019 Daytona 500, is set to drive in the Cook Out 400 at Martinsville Speedway on March 30. Mears will pilot the No. 66 HitchGo Ford Mustang Dark Horse for Garage 66, a team based in Statesville, North Carolina, co-owned by former Cup Series driver Carl Long.
This appearance will mark Mears’ 490th career Cup Series start. He raced full-time in the series from 2003 through 2016, with his most successful season coming in 2007 while driving for Hendrick Motorsports. That year, he secured his lone Cup victory at the Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway, earned 10 top-10 finishes, and claimed a pole position at Chicagoland Speedway.
Expressing his excitement, Mears shared his enthusiasm about returning to one of his favorite tracks. “I’m happy to be back in a race car and look forward to returning to Martinsville,” Mears said. He also acknowledged Carl Long’s efforts in making the opportunity possible, describing him as a “well-respected, great guy” who has worked hard to maintain a presence in the sport. Mears also expressed gratitude to his sponsors—HitchGo, Mosby’s Towing and Transport, and Coble Enterprises—for supporting his return.
While this is a one-race deal, Mears remains focused on reaching the milestone of 500 career Cup Series starts. Currently, only five active drivers have achieved that mark: Kyle Busch, Denny Hamlin, Joey Logano, Brad Keselowski, and Michael McDowell.
For Mears, the upcoming race at Martinsville represents both a return to competition and another step toward his long-term goal of joining that exclusive group.
