Casey Mears

Talladega Superspeedway

NASCAR Cup Series Notes and Quotes

Race Information

●  Event:  YellaWood 500 (Round 34 of 36)

●  Date/Time:  Sunday, October 25 | 2 p.m. ET/11 a.m. PT

●  TV/Radio:  NBC | Motor Racing Network | SiriusXM NASCAR Radio (channel 90)

●  Location:  Talladega Superspeedway, Lincoln, Alabama

●  Layout:  2.66-mile asphalt tri-oval

●  Laps/Miles:  188 laps/500.08 miles (Stages: 98-45-45)

●  Track Activity:

Saturday, October 24

Qualifying

1 p.m. ET/10 a.m. PT

TruTV | MRN | SiriusXM NASCAR Radio (channel 90)

Notes of Interest

● Only three races remain on the 2026 NASCAR Cup Series calendar, and Casey Mears will now visit Talladega Superspeedway, one of the most unpredictable tracks on the circuit. The 2.66-mile asphalt tri-oval is known for collecting racecars in bulk when the ‘big one’ occurs.

● Widely regarded as one of the best restrictor plate racers in the sport, Mears arrives in Alabama confident in his No. 62 The Gracie Foundation/APG Chevrolet Camaro after running solidly in the top-5 at Daytona in August.

● With 498 NASCAR Cup Series starts to his credit, Mears is just two shy of joining the exclusive 500-start club. Just 49 drivers in NASCAR history have eclipsed the mark.

● Mears is among a distinguished group of NASCAR race winners, having captured the checkered flag at one of NASCAR’s crown jewel events, the prestigious Coca-Cola 600. Of the roughly 3,000 drivers who have started NASCAR Cup Series races in the sport’s 78-year history, only 208 have ever won a race, placing the Bakersfield, Calif., native in elite company.

● Richard Brickhouse raced to victory in the first-ever NASCAR Cup Series race held at the Alabama track on September 14, 1969, while legendary NASCAR team owner Richard Childress also made his first career start at the inaugural Talladega 500. Childress later credited his winnings from the race for the formation of Richard Childress Racing.

By the Numbers

● Mears will make his 29th Cup Series start at Talladega Superspeedway on Sunday, a track where he has led 65 laps and in 2025, he started 40th before collecting 22 positions en route to an 18th-place finish.

● Talladega Superspeedway features the most banking of any NASCAR venue. With 33 degrees of banking in its turns and 16.5 degrees in the tri-oval section, the track offers high-speed racing, with cars drafting and racing mere inches apart. A slight lapse in concentration or a tug on the wheel can lead to major high-speed crashes.

● This weekend’s race at Talladega Superspeedway will feature a new left-side Goodyear Racing Eagle tire paired with the same right-side tire previously used at the track. The left-side tire has an updated construction, but the compound remains the same as previously used. The right-side tire has been used at Talladega and Daytona International Speedway since the beginning of the 2025 season. Each team receives seven sets of tires for the race weekend (six new race sets and one qualifying set transferred to the race).

Casey Mears, Driver of the No. 62 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1

“We are definitely optimistic about going to Talladega because we have a legitimate shot of pulling off a good result, if not a win. You’ve seen it in the past. There are a lot of guys who have won at Talladega and Daytona that you never would have expected because of all the variables that come into play at those races. It’s exciting for me. I may be looking at the last two races that I might ever do. I’m going to a track where I have the opportunity to potentially pull off a major upset and I’m excited about going back.”

No. 62 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 Driver and Crew Chief 

Driver: Casey Mears

Hometown: Bakersfield, California

Crew Chief: Darren Shaw

Hometown: Mooresville, North Carolina