| Casey James Mears was born on March 12th in 1978 | | | | move on to NASCAR. |
| at Bakersfield, California. He comes from a family of | | | | He made his NASCAR debut in 2001 at the Busch |
| racers with his uncle, Rick Mears - the four time | | | | Series with a 28th place finish. He drove full time the |
| Indianapolis 500, and his father, the Indy and off-road | | | | next year and was able to pull in two top-ten |
| veteran Roger Mears. It can be said that racing was | | | | finishes. 2003 was not a very good year for Mears |
| imprinted in his genes from the time he was in his | | | | as he only managed to finish at 35th as he was not |
| mother's womb. Mears has been quoted as saying | | | | able to complete in the top-ten of any race that |
| that he grew up watching both his uncle and father | | | | year. In 2004, he bounced back and won two poles. |
| race and how he looks up to them as his racing | | | | 2007 however, proved to be his lucky year as he |
| heroes. | | | | won his first NASCAR race at the Busch Series race |
| Since Mears was exposed to racing from a young | | | | in Chicagoland Speedway. The same year also had |
| age, it does not come as a surprise that he started | | | | him winning the Coca Cola 600 at Charlotte which |
| off in 1982 when he was just four years old. He was | | | | was his first NEXTEL cup victory while not stopping |
| firmly attached to his BMX bicycles and the ATVs in | | | | for fuel during the last five laps. Many agree that |
| Bakersfield. In 1991, he tried out go-karts and was | | | | Mears had the best win in 2006 when he teamed up |
| hooked. He took part in the SuperLites Off-Road | | | | with Scott Dixon and Dan Wheldon for the 44th |
| series the next year and grabbed several top-three | | | | annual Rolex 24 Hours of Daytona for Chip Ganassi |
| spots. After that, he took to the Jim Russell USAC | | | | racing. A new record was set for the Daytona |
| Triple Crown Championship with a third place finish | | | | Prototype category with a total of 723 laps in 24 |
| and in 1995 he brought back the Championship. He | | | | hours. This set Mears to newly elevated heights |
| made his debut in the Indy Lights in 1996 and finished | | | | when he became the first full time NASCAR driver to |
| eighth. The next year he competed full time and his | | | | win the Rolex 24. |
| hard work paid off when he came back with second | | | | Mears, who is a real family man at heart, was a |
| place in his pocket, just 14 points away from the | | | | former Houston Texans quarterback. He was also |
| victor. He became the fourth racer in the Light Series | | | | the running back at Stockdale High School. Mears also |
| History to take part in every lap during the entire | | | | cites his spinning out of control at Watkins Glen in |
| season. He scored 11 top 10, eight top-five and four | | | | 2003 as his most embarrassing moment in racing |
| podium finishes in that year. After going on to win | | | | while his favorite race track will always be Indianapolis |
| more competitions, Mears decided it was time to | | | | for the significance it plays to his family and him. |