NASCAR veteran Casey Mears is set to enter five NASCAR Cup Series races this season for Beard Motorsports, the team announced Tuesday. He’ll pilot the No. 62 Chevrolet at five tracks beginning at Talladega Superspeedway on April 26.
If he runs each of those five entries, Mears will achieve his long-running goal of competing in 500 NASCAR Cup Series races. He inched one race closer to that goal in the Daytona 500 racing with Garage 66/MBM Motorsports in February.
“We’re thrilled with the opportunity to partner with Casey Mears for these five races in 2026,” said Beard Motorsports Executive VP Amie Beard-Deja. “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.”
Casey Mears is slated to run at Talladega Superspeedway next month, Indianapolis Motor Speedway on July 26, Daytona International Speedway on August 29, and again at Talladega on October 25.
Beard Motorsports itself hasn’t competed in five races during one single season since 2023, when they did so with Austin Hill. The team entered the Daytona 500 with Anthony Alfredo and initially made the field before an inspection failure removed them from the race.
“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,” Mears said. “We have a feel-good story that connects with race fans. 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.”
“To take the No. 62 Chevrolet to new venues is beyond anything we could’ve imagined when we started in 2017,” Beard-Deja continued. “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.”
Casey Mears began his NASCAR career in 2003 for Chip Ganassi Racing. In the years that followed he had stints at Hendrick Motorsports, Richard Childress Racing, and Germain Racing among other teams. He returned in 2025 from a six-year hiatus to pursue his goal of 500 career starts. Mears has one career Cup Series victory.
“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,” Mears added. “As a racer, that’s really appealing.”
