Casey Mears returns to the NASCAR Cup Series this weekend as his steady march toward 500 starts continues.
According to a press release, Mears will reunite with Garage 66, the team he joined for the spring race at Martinsville Speedway. He will make his 491st start and his 27th at Daytona, a track where he has six top-10 finishes.
S.I. Yachts will serve as the primary sponsor for Mears as he makes his first start at Daytona since the 2019 season. This will create another reunion considering that the Germain Motor Company owns S.I. Yachts.
Photo credit: Garage 66
Mears previously drove for the Germain family from 2010-2016 in the NASCAR Cup Series. His best season with the team was 2014 as he posted three top-10 finishes and one top-five. He crossed the line fourth at Daytona in the summer race.
"I'm excited to have this opportunity to return to one of my favorite tracks, and I'm grateful to S.I. Yachts and Acrisure for their support, and to Carl Long for putting me in his car," Mears said in a press release.
"My relationship with Bob Germain and the Germain family is special to me, so it's only appropriate for us to return to Daytona, a track where we've had a lot of success together and share many special memories. I'm also appreciative of Acrisure's continued partnership. I've enjoyed the relationship we've built, and I look forward to our continued collaboration."
Mears made his return to NASCAR this season at Martinsville Speedway. He joined Garage 66 for his first Gen 7 start.
Once the veteran driver returned to the sport, he immediately faced questions about future starts. He responded by saying that he was trying to put together deals to move toward that 500th start milestone. Mears also acknowledged that the number of fans waiting to get autographs caught him by surprise.
"I can't tell you how many people that told me they flew in from out of state, hadn't been to a race in eight or 10 years," Mears told media members at Darlington Raceway in April.
Mears will have another opportunity to interact with these fans as he makes his return to the Cup Series. This time, he will suit up at one of his best tracks.
"We're excited to support Casey as he aims to surpass the 500-start milestone, and we're thrilled to reconnect with him in NASCAR," said Zach Germain, CEO of S.I. Yachts. "Casey is a person of high character who aligns perfectly with our commitment to delivering high-quality, premium boats along with top-tier customer service.
"We're dedicated to helping people create memories on the water, and we're excited to help Casey make memories on the track. I got my enthusiasm for fishing and boating from my Uncle Bob Germain, and it's an honor to be a Viking and Valhalla dealer because of our shared passion and the memories we've created over the years."