Mears hopes to return to Germain Racing next year

Casey Mears' status is uncertain for next season. While the 37-year-old driver of the #13 Geico Chevrolet remains optimistic, Mears expected to have his next contract signed by now. "Honestly, I really don't know yet," Mears told motorsport.com on Friday. "We've had a lot more speed this year. Obviously, our stuff has gotten better. As far as I know, everything is really positive. We haven't really dove into those conversations yet. All indications are that we're moving forward into next year. But some point, we need to have that conversation for sure. I'm surprised that it took so long for someone to mention it because in this day and age, everything happens so early. Definitely, we need to start having conversations and find out when that's going to be."

Mears has piloted the No. 13 Geico Sprint Cup car for Germain Racing since the Bristol August race in 2010. The team changed manufacturers before last season from Ford to Chevy – along with a technical alliance with Richard Childress Racing. While there were rumors that Ty Dillon could end up with the ride next season, it's more likely that Richard Childress' grandson would drive the #33 Chevy with support from Bass Pro Shops. Germain Racing declined comment on Mears' status. Motorsport.com