MARTINSVILLLE, Va. Casey Mears made his first NASCAR Cup Series start in more than six years Sunday at Martinsville Speedway.

Driving the No. 66 MBM Motorsports Ford, Mears finished 11 laps down in 36^th position. It was the veteran drivers first race in the Next Gen car and his 490^th career start.

Mears hopes to restart his career in hopes of reaching the 500-start milestone. He was upbeat despite suffering tire and brake failures and getting hot in the race car.

I appreciate the opportunity to get to 490 starts, Mears said after the race. Im happy I was able to come back and do this and my kids got to see me race. Now that we have a bit more of a warning before the next one, hopefully, we will be more prepared to do it right.

Mears said he didnt struggle adjusting to the Next Gen car.

Honestly, Martinsville is Martinsville, he said. Other than shifting, the way the car handles and responds isnt all that different. Maybe if we got to a place where downforce came into play and you have more speed, Id probably get to see the aero platform and the way this car works and responds differently. Here, it didnt feel all that different.

Mears would like to make some more starts this season.

Right now where I am at, the superspeedways and the road courses is probably where we can get the most out of it, he said of the MBM Motorsports machine. Anywhere that you need all the downforce and the platform might have to be something different. Im just glad to get here and tell more story, tell them what I want to do, and hopefully I can get 10 more and get to 500.

Mears was overheated during the second half of the race after the cool shirt he was wearing failed.

I just got hot. I had a cool shirt and it stopped working about halfway through and when that happens, its worse than if you didnt have it, Mears reported. I just got hot. Other than that I felt physically pretty good in the car.