Cup Star Shuts Down Retirement Whispers After Historic NASCAR Milestone

Reaching 500 NASCAR Cup Series starts was supposed to be the destination for Casey Mears. Having returned to the series after spending years away from full-time competition, the 48-year-old finally achieved that target at Homestead on Sunday. But completing the milestone has not convinced him that his racing career should come to an end.

Mears reached the landmark when the green flag waved for the season finale, driving Beard Motorsports’ No. 62 Chevrolet. He became the 50th driver in Cup history to make 500 starts, having fallen 12 short when his full-time career ended after the 2016 season.

It was a milestone that had kept him motivated through his recent return, although the actual race proved considerably more difficult than the achievement itself.

“It feels really good to accomplish the goal. It was a super rough night,” Mears told Frontstretch after the race. The team struggled with the handling from the beginning, and an adjustment made during the first caution only made matters worse. The No. 62 Chevrolet developed a significant understeer problem, eventually cording its right-front tire.

Mears explained that the team made further adjustments as the race progressed, but by then it had already fallen multiple laps behind. The late improvements, however, gave him something to take away from an otherwise disappointing evening.

“They made some big adjustments. Unfortunately, we got multiple laps down because the car wasn’t handling very good, but then we got it really close there toward the end. They made a couple of adjustments and we started hauling ass, running within top-10 to top-15 lap times,” he said.

For Mears, that late improvement was important because it showed that the speed had not disappeared. He believed the car had the potential to run competitively if the team could get its setup right earlier, while also taking encouragement from his own performance behind the wheel.

“It’s just cool to know that if we get the car right, the capability was there, and the capability was in me to go out and run well. But we just missed it; we missed it for a couple of runs and just didn’t run well,” he added.

The result did not take away from the occasion. Mears had his family at Homestead and was competing at a venue that carries a particularly meaningful place in his racing history. His first NASCAR start came at the same track 25 years ago, in 2001, when he competed in what is now the O’Reilly Auto Parts Series. He finished 28th in the Jeff Welliver-owned No. 66.

That journey eventually took him to the Cup Series, where he made his debut with Chip Ganassi Racing in 2003. He subsequently drove for Hendrick Motorsports, Richard Childress Racing and Germain Racing, collecting his lone Cup victory in the 2007 Coca-Cola 600. Across 500 starts, he recorded 51 top-10 finishes and three poles, with two top-15 championship finishes.

His full-time Cup career ended after the 2016 season, but Mears never entirely disappeared from the sport. He returned for the 2019 Daytona 500, then made five starts with Garage 66 in 2025.

This year, he helped Garage 66 qualify for the Daytona 500 before joining Beard Motorsports for another part-time programme. The renewed opportunity finally allowed him to complete the 500-start objective.

However, when Frontstretch asked whether reaching the milestone meant he was finished racing, Mears was quick to leave that possibility open.

“You know, I wouldn’t say that I’m done. I mean, it’s tough when you go out there and run like we did tonight, but I know that there are some racetracks where you can go out and be really competitive and have a chance to win a race, probably some of the superspeedways, maybe a Martinsville or road courses,” he explained.

Mears also acknowledged that returning for more Cup appearances would depend partly on Bob Germain, who helped make his latest opportunity possible. He would be interested in continuing if Germain wanted to put another programme together, although there is no confirmed schedule for 2027.

His ambitions are not restricted to Cup, either. Mears would welcome an opportunity in the Truck Series or O’Reilly Auto Parts Series, provided he could get into a competitive car. That distinction matters: he is not simply looking to add starts to his record. He wants to race somewhere he has a legitimate chance to compete.

There are other examples of established drivers finding ways to continue in NASCAR outside the Cup ranks. Kasey Kahne, who stepped away from Cup competition in 2018, is returning full-time with Spire Motorsports in the Truck Series in 2027.

Brad Keselowski has also discussed remaining active as a driver while exploring a possible return of his Brad Keselowski Racing Truck Series operation.

Their circumstances are different, but both illustrate how a move away from a full-time Cup seat need not mean walking away from racing altogether.

Mears summed up his own position rather simply. “I never stopped the love of driving race cars. You know, that never went away for me. It’s just, the opportunities did.” For now, 500 starts is the goal he can finally tick off. Whether there will be a 501st remains to be seen, but Mears has made it clear that Homestead was not necessarily his final appearance in NASCAR.

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