Motorsports
Casey Mears Martinsville NASCAR Cup Series Notes and Quotes – Speedway Digest
A week ago at Talladega Superspeedway, Casey Mears and the No. 66 S.I. Yachts Ford Mustang made a late-race charge to the front and posted an 18th place finish in the YellaWood 500.
● While Mears is in hot pursuit of 500 Cup Series starts, the Bakersfield, Calif., native was credited with his 600th NASCAR start overall last night at Martinsville Speedway, when he participated in his first-ever NASCAR Truck Series race. Mears is one of the most respected drivers in the sport, and this milestone is a testament to his character, talent and ability to build and maintain long-term relationships.
● With 492 NASCAR Cup Series starts, Casey Mears is just eight shy of joining the exclusive 500 start club. Only 47 drivers in NASCAR history have eclipsed the mark, with the only active drivers being Kyle Busch, Denny Hamlin, Joey Logano, Brad Keselowski and Michael McDowell.
● As Mears makes his way to Martinsville for race number 35 of 36 on the NASCAR Cup Series schedule, he will continue to have primary sponsorship from S.I. Yachts, one of the world’s oldest and largest dealers for both Viking Yachts and Valhalla Boatworks. S.I. Yachts is owned by the Germain Motor Company. Longtime partner, Acrisure,continues as a major associate sponsor.
● Mears won the prestigious Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway on Memorial Day weekend in 2007. Of the roughly 3,000 drivers who have started NASCAR Cup Series races in the sport’s 77-year history, only 206 have ever won a race, placing Mears in elite company.
● In a sport steeped in history, the Germain family and Casey Mears share their own. Mears wheeled the No. 13 NASCAR Cup Series entry for Germain Racing from 2010 – 2016. He has remained close with his former boss, Bob Germain, making this a natural and nostalgic partnership.
By the Numbers
● In his 28 NASCAR Cup Series starts at the iconic .526-mile, paperclip-shaped facility, Mears has completed an impressive 95% of his laps (13,246 of 13,926) and has only recorded two DNF’s, an extraordinary accomplishment at a facility renowned for its on-track physicality among drivers.
● Mears has three top-10, five top-15 and 11 top-20 finishes at the historic Virginia short-track. He has earned $2,216,336 in total winnings at Martinsville Speedway during his 16-year career in the NASCAR Cup Series.
● The No. 66 S.I. Yachts Ford Mustang is not the first car Mears has driven with the number 66. He previously wheeled the No. 66 Pioneer-WorldCom Honda-Reynard for Mo Nunn Racing in the CART FedEx Championship Series (now the NTT INDYCAR SERIES), and the No. 66 Phillips 66/Injex Chevrolet for Cicci-Welliver Racing in the NASCAR Xfinity Series.
Casey Mears, Driver of the No. 66 S.I. Yachts Ford Mustang Dark Horse
Your continued pursuit of 500 NASCAR Cup Series starts began at Martinsville in March. Seven months later, we’re back. What, if anything, has changed?
When we came here in March, I didn’t really know what to expect or how things would play out. It’s been great to see things unfold and to have Bob Germain and Acrisure step up to help secure the additional races. I appreciate their collective support; it means a lot. We went from struggling through the race here in March to helping Carl Long (team owner) build the team and improve at every race. At Daytona, we were in the top-15 with under 60 to go, and last week at Talladega, we ended up 18th, but really should’ve been in the top-10, if not for a car jumping in front of me on the final lap. I appreciate Carl and all of the people at Garage 66 for the hard work they’ve invested in stepping up the program, both on the track and off.
2.66-mile restrictor plate track a week ago to a flat, half-mile paperclip-shaped oval this weekend. Quite a transition.
Yes, it’s definitely a big contrast, but it also has some similarities. Plate tracks are unpredictable, as is Martinsville. There’s a lot of beating and banging and if one of these guys gets upset and retaliates, it could tear up a lot of cars. Just like Talladega, patience is key here and the goal is to make it to the end of the race. If you can finish the race, you’ll likely be in a decent position. I take it one turn at a time and monitor the cars ahead of me. Everyone at S.I. Yachts, Acrisure and Garage 66 is excited about last week’s run at Talladega, so we’re carrying a lot of momentum into Martinsville. If we have a decent car, execute on pit road and stay out of trouble, we’ll be in position to have a good day.
Casey Mears PR