After six years away, Casey Mears is back in NASCAR as he begins his quest for 500 career Cup Series starts. Still, a part of his heart remains in Baja and he’d love to go back someday.

Fresh off racing Martinsville in his first NASCAR start since 2019, Mears joined The Dale Jr. Download to talk about his return to stock cars as well as his career up to that point and off-roading. The latter included discussing the Mears family’s legacy in off-road racing, such as the formation of the Mears Gang (which Mears noted was ironic given his father Roger and uncle Rick are generally friendly people unless angered), and Mears answering Earnhardt Jr.’s questions about the discipline like what pre-running is and the basics about the Baja 1000.

Mears competed in the Baja 1000 for the first time in 2019, nine months after what was then his last NASCAR start at the Daytona 500. He drove a Geiser Trophy Truck alongside Doug Fortin with backing from Axalta to a 12th in class; Axalta is mainly known for its NASCAR sponsorship, and had enlisted Mears as the paint company wanted someone with stock car experience for its first foray into the desert. Another 1000 start came in 2021 alongside NASCAR alumnus Robby Gordon, finishing seventh in Trophy Truck. Since 2023, he’s been doing the 1000 with another former stock car driver in Brendan Gaughan in Class 1 since 2023; Gaughan, Mears, and Buddy Feldkamp were third in class at the 2024 race.

His Baja experience also extends to NORRA, where he won the Vintage 4-Cylinder Buggies class at the 2019 Mexican 1000 alongside Rory Chenowth and Tim Cowle.

With how much he’s been enjoying his time in Baja, Earnhardt asked if he’d want to go back again.

“I really do want to,” said Mears on the podcast. “I love it. I mean, there’s nothing like it.

“I’m telling you, once you’re a part of it and you do it, it either gets in your blood—either get down there and you love it—or you absolutely can’t stand it with your whole heart. We’re the other way. We love it with our whole heart and have a good time with it.”

Most of Mears’ career has been in NASCAR, racing full-time in the Cup Series from 2003 to 2016 and winning the 2007 Coca-Cola 600. After his NASCAR days were behind him, he shifted to off-road by competing in series like Gordon’s Stadium Super Trucks.

Mears described SST as “some of the most fun ever. I’ve never seen a reaction out of fans like I’ve ever seen after one of those races. The the energy and the level of the people running back to the pits where the trucks are after the race to high-five you and say thank you, that was the coolest freaking thing I’ve ever seen. [Robby] really had lightning in a bottle there and still kind of does.”

Featured image credit: NASCAR via Getty Images