Defending ARCA Menards Series champion Andres Perez de Lara will compete full-time in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series in 2025.
The Mexico City, Mexico-native has signed with Spire Motorsports and will pilot the No. 77 Chevrolet Silverado, beginning with the season-opening event at Daytona International Speedway on February 14.
Chad Walter, a veteran crew chief in NASCAR’s National Series, is set to move from the No. 71 team with Rajah Caruth to be the shot-caller for Perez throughout his rookie campaign.
“As Spire Motorsports continues to look toward the future, it’s important that we identify who we expect to be long-term contributors to the growth of not only our organization, but to the sport as a whole,” said Spire Motorsports co-owner Jeff Dickerson. “Andres Perez da Lara has a very bright future. He has a huge upside and is already integrated into our processes and methods of preparation. We’re thrilled to officially add him to the Spire family.”
The 19-year-old driver has amassed a pair of NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series starts in his young career, both coming last season. His series debut at WWT Raceway, behind the wheel of the No. 7 for Spire Motorsports, resulted in a top-10 finish.
Last season, Perez competed full-time in the ARCA Menards Series for REV Racing, where he racked up 10 top-five and 17 top-10 finishes on his way to a commanding triumph in the series point standings.
In addition to his accomplishments in the United States, Perez is also the 2022 NASCAR Mexico Challenge Series champion — which is the Mexican equivalent to the NASCAR Xfinity Series.
Telcel, Infinium and Claro will all be featured aboard Perez de Lara’s No. 77 Chevy Silverado and showcased throughout the season. Primary sponsorship for his rookie campaign will be announced at a later date.
“It’s such a great opportunity for me and one that I have been working extra hard to get,” said Perez de Lara. “It’s awesome to work with a team like Spire, and what that means for me as a driver having so many experienced and very accomplished people working with me to make the most of this opportunity. I think I’m looking forward to the competition more than anything. I’m ready to step up my game and ready to work on getting the most out of every race. Daytona can’t come soon enough. All the new tracks I’ll be racing will be another big challenge. I am really looking forward to it.”
Walter, a native of Albion, New York, has more than two decades of experience in NASCAR’s National Series as a crew chief, and most recently called the shots for Rajah Caruth.
Some of Walter’s accomplishments as crew chief include a pair of Daytona 500 victories (2001 and 2003) with Michael Waltrip, along with NASCAR Cup Series victories with Steve Park and Terry Labonte.
“After two successful seasons with Rajah Caruth, I’m excited to work with Andres Perez de Lara,” said Walter. “I’ve always enjoyed the opportunity to help mold drivers into the future stars of NASCAR. Andres has proven that he can be that next ‘one’. We’ve taken the time to assemble a great race team to surround him. Our goal is always to be competitive, maximize our weekends, and race the right way with our competitors. I’m grateful to our leadership team for having the confidence in me to lead Andres and the 77 team in 2025.”
The 2025 NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series campaign will begin at Daytona International Speedway on Friday, February 14 at 7:30 PM ET. Coverage of the event will be on FS1, MRN, and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio.
