Garage 66 began the Martinsville NASCAR Cup Series race weekend with a last-minute sponsorship change, but little did the team and Casey Mears know that they would be penalized for failing the pre-race inspection two times. As a result, Engineer Hector Flores has been ejected for the race weekend, and the team will also not be allowed to select the pit stall.
Considering the bad start, Mears and Garage 66 will have to push themselves to secure a good race finish. The No. 66 car will sport different sponsors today after the team parted ways with primary sponsor HitchGo for reasons yet to be known.
The big change occurred on Thursday. Garage 66 and Mears partnered with Coble Enterprises and Canter Power Systems instead. Coble’s branding will be featured on the car’s quarter panels, while Canter will be highlighted on the hood of the No. 66 Ford Mustang Dark Horse. Speaking on the new partnership with Canter, America’s largest Generac home backup generator dealer, Mears said:
“I appreciate the support of Canter Power Systems and look forward to a productive weekend at Martinsville. Canter is an expert in the generator industry and is dedicated to providing personal, reliable and high-quality service. I’m proud to have them onboard.”
CEO of Canter Power Systems, Brian Lopatka added:
“We are thrilled to announce our partnership with Garage 66 and Casey Mears for the upcoming Martinsville race. At Canter Power Systems, we seek new ways to amplify our brand and connect with our audience. This sponsorship not only aligns with our commitment to innovation and excellence but also allows us to engage with NASCAR fans in a meaningful way. We are confident this partnership will deliver powerful results both on and off the track, and we’re only getting started.”
Mears is heading toward an important milestone of 500 Cup Series race starts (489 currently), and the race at Martinsville makes the much-needed addition to his tally. His best finish at Martinsville was P6, secured in 2006 and 2008.
Considering the qualifying results, Christopher Bell is extremely well-placed to win today’s race. However, NASCAR star Kevin Harvick believes Denny Hamlin could secure the win. Newsweek Sports reported Harvick’s comments:
“King of Martinsville, you know that that’s Denny Hamlin. It seems that they’ve kind of found their groove, steady and consistent, leading some laps, won a stage just last weekend, got a sponsor on the side of the car. All that noise, it just keeps getting quieter and quieter for Denny Hamlin because he just keeps putting himself in a position to perform well.
“That’s what he’s been able to do throughout the year. So this could be a big Denny Hamlin weekend.”
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