STATESVILLE, N.C. — S.I. Yachts, one of the world’s oldest and largest dealers for both Viking Yachts and Valhalla Boatworks, will sponsor Casey Mears in Saturday’s Coke Zero Sugar 400 at Daytona International Speedway.
Mears and S.I. Yachts will join forces with Garage 66, the team he drove for at Martinsville Speedway in March.
Garage 66 is co-owned by NASCAR veteran Carl Long. Mears will pilot the No. 66 S.I. Yachts Ford Mustang Dark Horse at the World Center of Racing.
One of the most innovative and successful premium new yacht dealers and brokerages in America, S.I. Yachts is owned by Germain Motor Company. In a sport steeped in history, the Germain family and Casey Mears share their own. Mears wheeled the No. 13 NASCAR Cup Series entry for Germain Racing from 2010 – 2016. He has remained close with his former boss, Bob Germain, making this a natural and nostalgic partnership.
“We’re excited to support Casey as he aims to surpass the 500-start milestone, and we’re thrilled to reconnect with him in NASCAR,” said Zach Germain, CEO of S.I. Yachts. “Casey is a person of high character who aligns perfectly with our commitment to delivering high-quality, premium boats along with top-tier customer service. We’re dedicated to helping people create memories on the water, and we’re excited to help Casey make memories on the track.”
The No. 66 S.I. Yachts Ford Mustang will also feature a nod on the C-post to Bill Healey, one of the founders of Viking Yachts, who recently passed at the age of 97.
Global fintech leader Acrisure, which partnered with Mears at Martinsville, will again ride along as a major associate sponsor in Daytona.
Mears is 10 starts short of 500 Cup Series races for his career. Only 47 drivers in NASCAR Cup Series history have made 500 starts, and the only active drivers with this achievement are Kyle Busch, Denny Hamlin, Joey Logano, Brad Keselowski and Michael McDowell.
“I’m excited to have this opportunity to return to one of my favorite tracks, and I’m grateful to S.I. Yachts and Acrisure for their support, and to Carl Long for putting me in his car,” Mears said. “My relationship with Bob Germain and the Germain family is special to me, so it’s only appropriate for us to return to Daytona, a track where we’ve had a lot of success together and share many special memories. I’m also appreciative of Acrisure’s continued partnership. I’ve enjoyed the relationship we’ve built, and I look forward to our continued collaboration.”
Carl Long, a fixture in the sport for nearly three decades, is excited to partner with Mears at Daytona.
“I’m glad we could put this partnership together, and we’re excited to have Casey in our car at Daytona,” Long said. “We secured a Roush Yates engine and a quality pit crew, so we’re looking forward to hitting the track. We appreciate the support of S.I. Yachts and Acrisure, and it means a lot to have the Germain family’s backing. The Germain family has a storied history in NASCAR, with two NASCAR Truck Series Championships and a Cup Series team that spanned 12 years, so I’m honored to have them on board with us this weekend.”
