Martin Truex Jr. has announced an exciting reunion with his former crew chief, Cole Pearn, for the 2025 season-opening Daytona 500. The 2017 Cup Series champion is currently in his final full-time racing season.
At a media event prior to the NASCAR playoffs, the 44-year-old driver revealed that Pearn would be joining him for the prestigious race. Their collaboration at Furniture Row Racing was marked by significant success.
After Furniture Row Racing shut down in 2018 due to financial difficulties, Truex transitioned to Joe Gibbs Racing. In a conversation with SiriusXM NASCAR Radio, he shared his enthusiasm about working with Pearn again.
“All I know is I’m racing. And, uh, the other cool news about that is Cole Pearn’s gonna be my crew chief… We’re bringing him out of the mountains,” Truex Jr. stated.
From 2015 to 2019, Truex and Pearn teamed up to secure 24 victories and clinch the 2017 Cup Series title.
“He’s gonna do it. It’s gonna be awesome,” he added.
Pearn retired in 2019 but currently serves as a consultant for Joe Gibbs Racing. His last major role in racing was as chief engineer for Conor Daly during the 2020 Indianapolis 500. He also lent his expertise to Truex as a spotter in 2021 and as an engineer in 2022.
“Ready for a break from being on the road,” Martin Truex Jr. commented on his plans for part-time racing in 2025.
Martin Truex Jr. is gearing up for a part-time racing schedule next year and is eager to enjoy a break from the constant travel that comes with a full season.
“I still have a passion for racing and love being behind the wheel. I’m just ready to step back from the grind of traveling 40 weekends a year. That’s really the main thing.”
This season has been challenging for Truex, as he has finished 24th or lower in nine of his last 12 races. He narrowly qualified for the NASCAR Cup Series playoffs, managing to do so by just six points after a crash on the third lap of the Cook Out Southern 500 on Sunday.
“I definitely want to be the one leading the points. I believe we have a solid chance ahead of us. We have a fantastic team, and our speed has been impressive lately. We just need to focus on executing and eliminating mistakes, much of which falls on me. We know what needs to be done; we’ve accomplished it before, and we’re eager to get started.”
While Truex didn’t elaborate on his plans for the upcoming year, he hinted at possibly using the numbers 78 or 56 on his car. This new entry is expected to be a collaborative effort between Joe Gibbs Racing and 23XI Racing.
