Casey Mears, the nephew of four-time Indy 500 champion Rick Mears, grew up surrounded by racing and carved out his own path in NASCAR. Starting in the Cup Series back in 2003, he spent 16 years there, with 491 starts under his belt. While his big highlight was winning the 2007 Coca-Cola 600 for Hendrick Motorsports, he also had a long run with Germain Racing, ending his full-time driving in 2016. Now, at 47, he’s jumping back in, showing his love for the sport, and mixing family history with a drive to hit a round number milestone.

Mears is hooking up with old friends at Garage 66 and MBM Motorsports for the No. 66 Ford. Sponsors like the Germain family and S.I. Yachts are on board—they’ve worked with him before and trust his skills. He tried a couple of races this year at Martinsville and Daytona but didn’t get the finishes he wanted in that part-time deal. With the 2025 season winding down, this comeback means a lot for a guy looking to wrap things up his way. But the fans feel his entry is not going to make the races more competitive, but rather chaotic.

Casey Mears plans to race the last three Cup Series events at Talladega, Martinsville, and Phoenix on November 2, 2025. Though fans are fired up about it, but they are worried the No. 66 car might mess with the big championship race at Phoenix. They call it a “fun flag,” slang for a slower car from a small team that might cause cautions and shake things up. In a finale where four playoff drivers fight for the title, that could lead to total chaos.

Not one, not two, but THREE races with @CJMearsGang to close out 2025 on his march towards 500 #NASCAR Cup starts!

Casey will drive for Garage 66 at Talladega, Martinsville, and Phoenix with returning support from @SIYachts and @Acrisure.

READ: https://t.co/irXuuH9IYK pic.twitter.com/QNlgFI9fPP

— Garage 66 & MBM Motorsports (@MBMMotorsports) September 18, 2025

This worry comes from MBM Motorsports‘ history as a small team without big bucks. Their cars often run laps behind, and they’ve sparked cautions at bad times that changed race results.

Bob Germain, a main sponsor and ex-team owner, backed Mears’ goal. He said, “We achieved significant success in NASCAR with two Truck Series Championships, and Casey played a key role in the development of our Cup Series program. I’m proud that the years he spent driving our No. 13 car accounted for many of his Cup starts, and I’m happy we’re partnering in his pursuit of hitting 500.” Though this highlights the personal milestone, fans worry it could inadvertently hand an advantage, or disaster, to contenders if a late-race incident from the No. 66 resets the field and leads to wrecks among the leaders.

Mears himself addressed the excitement of the comeback, saying, “I’m excited we were able to put these three races together, and I appreciate the ongoing support from Bob Germain, S.I. Yachts, and Acrisure.” He emphasized the teamwork, adding thanks to Carl Long and Garage 66 for ramping up efforts, which ties back to his history with Long’s modest outfit that prioritizes affordability over top-tier speed.

Background here traces to MBM’s model; where the setup lets drivers like Mears race for Xfinity-level money, about $1-1.5 million a pop. It helps chase personal goals, but the cars usually trail the leaders. At Phoenix, a one-mile track that’s hosted the championship since 2020, a car like that could ramp up those “Phoenix fears.” A caution might bunch everyone up for a wild restart, sparking crashes that flip the title race in crazy ways.

While the bigwigs toast the throwback feel, the real buzz is from fans in the seats and on message boards. They’re split on what this does for the sport’s fairness.

Fan reactions to Casey Mears’ return

One fan nailed the milestone hunt: “Even with these, he needs 6 more races next year and beyond to get to 500.” It spotlights Mears’ push for that 500-start mark, wrapping up a career that bounced from Chip Ganassi to Richard Childress. It’s a tip of the hat to his stick-to-it attitude after quitting full-time nine years back, but it also shows the cobbled-together schedule for a driver without a regular seat. Fans find it kind of sad and sweet, thinking back to his one win while new kids rule the track.

“The 66 is a fun flag at Phoenix. Will just help line everyone back up for a yellow only for all 4 playoff cars to wreck each other.” Here, the sarcasm highlights Garage 66’s reputation as a caution magnet, drawn from seasons where their underpowered Fords have blown engines or spun out at critical moments, resetting races in ways that favor luck over skill.

Looking closer at Mears’ spot in all this, one guy said, “I know he’s trying to get to 500 starts, but I just looked through his stats and am baffled he got a cup ride in the first place. A few ARCA wins and a lousy season of Busch racing before taking over the 41. His open-wheel stats, although few, seemed more promising.” It digs into his start, with three ARCA wins in 2003 and one Xfinity win in 2006, plus Cup time in Ganassi’s No. 41. It stacks that against his open-wheel background in Champ Car but notes his Cup stats, just 51 top-10s, sparking talk on if his comeback boosts or waters down the field.

Hitting the mess-up angle again, another fan echoed, “The 66 is a fun flag at Phoenix. Will just help line everyone back up for a yellow only for all 4 playoff cars to wreck each other.” It zeros in on Phoenix‘s tough restarts, where finalists get pushy, like in 2023 when a late yellow mixed up the order. Fans dread a repeat, with a pokey car like the No. 66 cranking up the odds in a setup already knocked for being too random.

Wrapping up, one fan noted the importance of money: “Kinda OT, but how much money does MBM need to invest to be at least a regular top 20 team? Carl Long says he offers a Cup ride for the price of an Xfinity ride, so that’s like $1-1.5 million maybe? I love all the effort from the 66, but being 10 laps behind every race doesn’t sound great to me.” It questions MBM’s tight budget, backed by Long’s words on cheap seats that keep them going but block big improvements like stronger motors or better rubber. It ties to their 2025 woes, like a DNF at Bristol after okay runs, pushing for more cash to hit mid-pack speeds and dodge the spoiler label.