Beard Motorsports has reached an agreement with Casey Mears for him to run five NASCAR Cup races this year, driving the No. 62 Chevrolet.
Mears’ first race with the team will come on April 26 at Talladega Superspeedway. He will also compete in the Brickyard 400 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway, the second Daytona race, the second Talladega race, and the season finale at Homestead-Miami Speedway.
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Should he make the field for all five races, Mears will finally reach his 500th career start in the Homestead finale. Against all odds, the 48-year-old made the 2026 Daytona 500 with the Garage 66, starting 17th and finishing 32nd. That was his 495th career start.
In Mears’ Cup career, which goes all the way back to 2003, he has one victory, which came in the 2007 Coca-Cola 600.
“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.
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“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.”
Added Mears: “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. 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.”
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