Casey Mears Joining Beard Motorsports for Five Races in 2026

Beard Motorsports announced Tuesday that Casey Mears will pilot the team's No. 62 Chevrolet in five more NASCAR Cup Series races during the 2026 season.

Mears, who competed in the Daytona 500 for Garage 66, has added five more races with Beard Motorsports. This will culminate with Mears' 500th career NASCAR Cup Series start, which will come in the season finale at Homestead-Miami Speedway on November 8.

The next race for Mears will be the Jack Link's 500 at Talladega Superspeedway on April 26. The five-race slate also includes the Brickyard 400 on July 26 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway, the Coke Zero Sugar 400 on August 29 at Daytona International Speedway, and the YellaWood 500 on October 25 at Talladega.

“We’re thrilled with the opportunity to partner with Casey Mears for these five races in 2026,” said Amie Beard-Deja, executive vice president, Beard Motorsports. “It has been well documented that Beard Motorsports is a passion project for my family and we’ve been committed to carrying on what my dad started. To take the No. 62 Chevrolet to new venues is beyond anything we could’ve imagined when we started in 2017.

“After hearing about Casey’s desire to get to his 500th Cup Series start, we started talking. His experience in the NASCAR Cup Series and at the tracks we’ll visit with him this year makes us very excited for the rest of the season.”

Mears will become one of just 48 drivers who have reached 500 career NASCAR Cup Series starts. The 48-year-old driver made his Cup Series debut in 2003 and competed in NASCAR's premier series for 14 seasons. In 2007, Mears won the Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway.

A collection of longtime partners are supporting Mears' 2026 efforts, including the Gracie Foundation. Inspired by Gail "Gracie' Germain, the Gracie Foundation provides care boxes to women undergoing cancer treatment to lighten the weight of the battle against cancer.

Gail Germain is the late wife of former Cup Series team owner Bob Germain, for whom Mears drove for nearly seven seasons.

“Partnering with Beard Motorsports, a team founded by the late Mark Beard Sr., and operated by his wife and daughter, means a lot to me. We have a feel-good story that connects with race fans,” Mears said. “One thing I’ve learned during the last year is how much I still love racing and competing. I’m incredibly appreciative of Bob Germain and his continued support as I close in on 500 Cup starts. His generosity is moving and I’m thankful for his friendship.

“I’ve watched Beard Motorsports race over the years, and it’s a team that doesn’t just show up for superspeedway races – they make races and are competitive. As a racer, that’s really appealing,” Mears added.

-Photo credit: Nigel Kinrade, NKP for Ford Racing