NASCAR enthusiasts are experiencing a sense of déjà vu as veteran racer Casey Mears prepares for his second Cup Series start since 2016, this time under the banner of the notorious Garage 66. The team, helmed by Carl Long and previously known as MBM Motorsports, is once again thrusting a familiar face into the limelight, in a bid to salvage their reputation after a disappointing start to the season with Mike Wallace at the Daytona 500.
Mears, the 47-year-old former star of Rick Hendrick, is set to return to the track for a single race. He’ll be behind the wheel of the No. 66 Ford Mustang Dark Horse for Garage 66, sponsored by HitchGo, at the Cook Out 400 at Martinsville Speedway. This move has sent ripples through the NASCAR community, evoking memories of the infamous Chip Ganassi and D.C. Solar debacle.
In 2017, Chip Ganassi Racing and D.C. Solar, a firm specializing in solar-powered generators, entered into a high-profile sponsorship agreement. The company’s logo graced the vehicles of Kyle Larson and Felix Rosenqvist, but the partnership took an unexpected turn in 2018. D.C. Solar was exposed as a front for a massive Ponzi scheme, and its founders, Jeffrey and Renee Carpoff, were arrested for defrauding investors of over a billion dollars.
The fallout was severe. D.C. Solar declared bankruptcy, leading Chip Ganassi Racing to cut ties. While the scandal tarnished the team’s image, it wasn’t the sole cause of CGR selling its NASCAR Xfinity Series program in 2019. The team cited a desire to concentrate on other motorsports, such as IndyCar and IMSA.
As Mears gears up for his NASCAR comeback, he’s set his sights on his 490th start at the highest level. Despite having only one victory to his name, the former Hendrick Motorsports driver is aiming to double that record at the Cook Out 400.
“I’m happy to be back in a race car and look forward to returning to Martinsville, one of my favorite tracks,” Mears, a California native, commented. Giving due credit to his sponsors, he added, “I’m excited to have HitchGo, Mosby’s Towing and Transport, and Coble Enterprises on board as we chip away at 500 NASCAR Cup Series starts.”
The involvement of HitchGo, a small firm with a staff count between 2-10, is drawing both attention and suspicion from fans. Some are drawing parallels with the D.C. Solar situation, despite no evidence of any correlation.
The NASCAR fanbase is divided over these suspicions, with some expressing their concerns about the partnership between Garage 66 and HutchGo. Despite the lack of concrete evidence, some fans are drawing comparisons between this situation and the D.C. Solar scandal.
One motorsports enthusiast felt that the D.C. Solar scandal has left a deep impact on the fanbase, leading them to assume the worst even when the situation appears normal.
HutchGo, a company that provides on-demand mobile RV technicians in Western Pennsylvania and Eastern Ohio, has been defended by other fans who believe the company’s sponsorship is a normal business strategy targeting potential customers within the NASCAR fanbase.
Regardless of the mixed fan reactions, Casey Mears’ return to NASCAR is a notable event, and his performance in the upcoming race will be closely watched by enthusiasts and skeptics alike.
