Clint Mears

{{short description|American racing driver (born 1973)}} {{BLP sources|date=March 2026}} {{Infobox racing driver | name = Clint Mears | image = | caption = | nationality = American | birth_date = {{birth date and age|1973|01|12}} | birth_place = Bakersfield, California | relatives = Casey Mears Rick Mears Roger Mears | current_series = Indy Lights | starts = 19 | championships = 0 | wins = 2 | podiums = 2 | poles = 3 | best_finish = 8th | year = 1997 | last_finish = | prev_series = Indy Lights NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series Toyota Atlantic | prev_series_years = 1997–1998 1996 1994–1995 | module1 = {{Infobox NASCAR driver|embed=yes | Total_Truck_Races = 0 | Years_In_Truck = 1 | Best_Truck_Pos = 140th (1996) | Truck_Wins = 0 | Truck_Top_Tens = 0 | Truck_Poles = 0 | updated = October 30, 2017 }} }} '''Clint Mears''' (born January 12, 1973) is an American racing driver from Bakersfield, California. Clint is the son of Indy 500 champion Rick Mears and cousin of NASCAR driver Casey Mears.<ref>[https://caseymears.com/mears-gang/ Mears Gang] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171030041446/https://caseymears.com/mears-gang/ |date=2017-10-30 }}, ''CaseyMears.com'', Retrieved 2017-10-29</ref> He has retired from automobile racing but currently competes in motocross events.

==Career== Mears competed in the Toyota Atlantic championship part-time in 1994 and full-time in 1995.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.mcall.com/1995/04/18/mears-heir-lacking-only-the-seat-time/|title=Mears' Heir Lacking Only The Seat Time|last=Fox|first=John Jay|date=1995-04-18|work=The Morning Call|access-date=2017-10-31|location=Allentown, PA|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171031044003/http://articles.mcall.com/1995-04-18/sports/3040022_1_racing-rick-mears-toyota-atlantic-championship|archive-date=2017-10-31}}</ref> In 1995, he finished 9th in the championship with a best finish of fifth in Toronto. In 1996, he was out of professional racing except for a failed attempt to make his NASCAR debut in a Craftsman Truck Series race at North Wilkesboro Speedway where he failed to qualify. In 1997, he moved to the Indy Lights series where he raced full-time as a teammate to his cousin;<ref name="glick2">{{cite web|url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1997-sep-26-sp-36478-story.html|title=No Matter the Age, They're Still Doing It With Mears|last=Glick|first=Shav|date=1997-09-26|work=Los Angeles Times|access-date=2017-10-31|location=Los Angeles|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171031044249/http://articles.latimes.com/1997/sep/26/sports/sp-36478|archive-date=2017-10-31}}</ref> he finished eighth in points, scoring victories at the Milwaukee Mile, the same track as his father's first IndyCar win,<ref name="glick2"/> and at California Speedway.<ref name="glick3">{{cite web|url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1997-sep-28-sp-37233-story.html|title=Mears Wins Battle of Indy Lights|last=Glick|first=Shav|date=1997-09-28|work=Los Angeles Times|location=Los Angeles|access-date=2017-10-31|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171031044512/http://articles.latimes.com/1997/sep/28/sports/sp-37233|archive-date=2017-10-31}}</ref><ref name="glick1">{{cite web|url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2000-jul-21-sp-56692-story.html|title=Though Very Consistent, This Mears Is Ready to Win|last=Glick|first=Shav|date=2000-07-21|work=Los Angeles Times|access-date=2017-10-31|location=Los Angeles|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171031043342/http://articles.latimes.com/2000/jul/21/sports/sp-56692|archive-date=2017-10-31}}</ref> Mears returned to the series in 1998 but missed some races and in the races he did compete in only managed a best finish of eighth. This was the end of his professional racing career; he became a driving instructor at Irwindale Speedway, competing in a NASCAR Winston West Series event there;<ref name="glick1"/> he intended to return to the Craftsman Truck Series during 2000 or 2001 with Core Motorsports,<ref name="glick1"/><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.motorsport.com/indycar/news/irl-indy-500-casey-mears-passes-test-ready-to-add-to-family-legacy-at-speedway/|title=IRL: Indy 500: Casey Mears passes test, ready to add to family legacy at Speedway|date=2000-04-13|work=Motorsport.com|accessdate=2017-10-31|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20171031043116/https://www.motorsport.com/indycar/news/irl-indy-500-casey-mears-passes-test-ready-to-add-to-family-legacy-at-speedway/|archivedate=2017-10-31}}</ref> but a ride did not materialise.

Mears also dabbled in off-road racing and motocross. He returned to amateur motocross in 2012 at the age of 39 after a lengthy absence.

==Motorsports career results==

===NASCAR=== (key) ('''Bold''' – Pole position awarded by qualifying time. ''Italics'' – Pole position earned by points standings or practice time. * – Most laps led.)

====Craftsman Truck Series==== {| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center; font-size:75%" |- !colspan=45| NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series results |- ! Year ! Team ! No. ! Make ! 1 ! 2 ! 3 ! 4 ! 5 ! 6 ! 7 ! 8 ! 9 ! 10 ! 11 ! 12 ! 13 ! 14 ! 15 ! 16 ! 17 ! 18 ! 19 ! 20 ! 21 ! 22 ! 23 ! 24 ! {{Tooltip|NCTC|NASCAR Craftsman Truck classification}} ! Pts |- ! 1996 ! Kim Spruell Racing ! 82 ! | HOM | PHO | POR | EVG | TUS | CNS | HPT | BRI | NZH | MLW | LVL | I70 | IRP | FLM | GLN | NSV | RCH | NHA | MAR | style="background:#FFCFCF;"| NWS DNQ | SON | MMR | PHO | LVS ! 140 ! 13 |}

===American open-wheel racing results=== (key) (Races in '''bold''' indicate pole position) (Races in ''italics'' indicate fastest lap)

====Indy Lights==== {| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center; font-size:90%" ! Year ! Team ! 1 ! 2 ! 3 ! 4 ! 5 ! 6 ! 7 ! 8 ! 9 ! 10 ! 11 ! 12 ! 13 ! 14 ! Rank ! Points |- ! 1997 ! rowspan=2| Team Mears |style="background:#CFCFFF;"|MIA 12 |style="background:#CFCFFF;"|LBH 18 |style="background:#CFEAFF;"|NAZ 7 |style="background:#EFCFFF;"|SAV 18 |style="background:#CFCFFF;"|'''STL''' 11 |style="background:#FFFFBF;"|'''MIL''' 1* |style="background:#CFCFFF;"|DET 18 |style="background:#FFFFFF;"|POR DNS |style="background:#CFCFFF;"|TOR 13 |style="background:#CFCFFF;"|TRO 12 |style="background:#CFCFFF;"|VAN 14 |style="background:#FFFFFF;"|LS DNS |style="background:#FFFFBF;"|'''FON''' 1 | !style="background:#CFEAFF;"|8th !style="background:#CFEAFF;"|53 |- ! 1998 |style="background:#FFFFFF;"|MIA DNS |LBH |style="background:#EFCFFF;"|NAZ 18 |style="background:#CFCFFF;"|STL 17 |style="background:#CFCFFF;"|MIL 19 |style="background:#CFCFFF;"|DET 17 |POR |style="background:#CFCFFF;"|CLE 16 |TOR |style="background:#CFEAFF;"|MIS 8 |TRO |VAN |style="background:#CFEAFF;"|LS 10 |style="background:#EFCFFF;"|FON 22 !style="background:#CFCFFF;"|24th !style="background:#CFCFFF;"|8 |}

==References== {{reflist}}

==External links== *{{Twitter|1=clintmears}} *{{Racing-Reference driver|Clint_Mears}} *{{driverDB driver|id=clint-mears}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Mears, Clint}} Category:1973 births Category:Racing drivers from Bakersfield, California Category:Indy Lights drivers Category:NASCAR drivers Category:Atlantic Championship drivers Category:Living people