Two Cup Series veterans make Milestone Starts at Homestead

HOMESTEAD, Fla. — Two NASCAR Cup Series veterans are set to make huge milestone starts today in the Season Finale 400 at Homestead-Miami Speedway.

Long-time vets Casey Mears and JJ Yeley will each etch themselves further in NASCAR history.

The Drive to 500 for Casey Mears

Casey Mears will reach a major career milestone Sunday, making his 500th Cup Series start in the Championship Race behind the wheel of the Beard Motorsports No. 62 Chevrolet.

Mears formally stepped away from full-time Cup Series competition in 2019, just 11 starts shy of the 500-start milestone.

Then at 47-years-old, he returned to the series with one goal in mind: finish what he started and reach 500 career appearances.

The former Hendrick Motorsports driver began his return at Martinsville Speedway in early 2025, driving the Garage 66 No. 66. He completed the race and finished 35th, officially beginning his pursuit of the milestone.

Mears made four additional starts with the team, highlighted by an 18th-place finish at Talladega Superspeedway, where he finished on the lead lap and raced in the lead pack.

In 2026, with six starts remaining before reaching 500, Mears returned to the Daytona 500 for the first time in seven years. He qualified 17th and finished 32nd with Garage 66 before joining Beard Motorsports for the final five starts of this season.

Now, after a year-and-a-half journey back to the milestone, Mears is set to accomplish his goal in Sunday’s championship finale. He will become the 50th driver in Cup Series history to reach 500 career starts.

Whether this marks the end of Mears’ Cup Series career remains to be seen. But don’t be surprised if the veteran is back at Daytona in February, ready to add start No. 501 to his résumé.

JJ Yeley Makes 400

JJ Yeley will reach a career milestone Sunday, making his 400th NASCAR Cup Series start in the NY Racing No. 44 at Homestead-Miami Speedway.

Unlike fellow milestone man Casey Mears, Yeley has remained a familiar face in the Cup Series throughout his career, steadily working toward the 400-start mark.

Since his 2004 debut, the now 50-year-old has missed just two seasons: 2009 and 2016.

As the 2026 season approached, questions surrounded whether the Cup Series’ oldest active driver would return to complete the four starts he needed to reach 400. Yeley quickly answered those questions.

He traveled to Daytona in February for another shot at qualifying for the Daytona 500. Although he and the NY Racing team missed the field, they brought the same car to EchoPark Speedway the following week. Yeley finished 22nd in Atlanta before recording his best result of the season, 21st, at Michigan International Speedway.

Now, Yeley heads to South Florida for his fourth start of 2026 and the 400th of his Cup Series career.

The Arizona native will join the Cup Series’ 400-start club while entering an even more exclusive group. Yeley will have made 400 starts in both the Cup Series and NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series, joining veterans Morgan Shepherd and Joe Nemechek.

Earlier this season, Yeley even fooled fans with an April Fools’ Day retirement announcement. He walked back the joke the following day, ending speculation about his future.

Yeley has yet to announce his plans for 2027, but opportunities in NASCAR’s national touring series and sprint car racing could keep the veteran behind the wheel for years to come.

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