NASCAR veteran Casey Mears is set to make a surprising return to the NASCAR Cup Series after more than six years away from full-time competition. The 47-year-old driver from Bakersfield, California, will pilot the No. 66 Ford for Garage 66 (formerly MBM Motorsports) in the upcoming Cook Out 400 at Martinsville Speedway on Sunday, March 30.
Mears, whose last Cup Series start was in the 2019 Daytona 500 with Germain Racing, has expressed a desire to reach 500 career NASCAR Cup Series starts. He currently has 489 starts, including a victory in the 2007 Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway while driving for Hendrick Motorsports.
Garage 66 has faced challenges in qualifying for races this season. Garrett Smithley was unable to secure a spot in the preseason Cook Out Clash at Bowman Gray Stadium, and Chandler Smith failed to qualify for the Daytona 500 after replacing Mike Wallace, who was not approved by NASCAR to compete.
Assuming the entry list for the Cook Out 400 does not exceed 40 cars, Garage 66 should be locked into their first official start of the 2025 season with Mears behind the wheel. The only other non-chartered (open) car on the entry list is the No. 50 Team AmeriVet Chevrolet, driven by Burt Myers.
The Cook Out 400 is scheduled to take place on Sunday, March 30, with live coverage on Fox Sports 1 from Martinsville Speedway beginning at 3:00 p.m.
