By Sarah Handy, Staff Writer
Joe Gibbs Racing announced, on Monday, that crew chief Cole Pearn has decided to step away from NASCAR and will pursue other opportunities.
Following the 2018 season, Pearn joined Joe Gibbs Racing after Furniture Row Racing closed, and led Martin Truex Jr. and the No. 19 team to a runner-up finish in the 2019 NASCAR Cup Series points standings.
The duo of Pearn and Truex found victory lane seven times in addition to 15 top-five and 24 top-10 finishes.
In the 2019 playoffs alone, Pearn, Truex and the No. 19 team won three times and found themselves only finishing outside the top seven once in 10 races.
“This was an incredibly difficult decision,” Pearn stated, in a team press release. “At the end of the day, I really want to spend time with my family and actually see my kids grow up. Being on the road, you are away from home so much and miss a lot of time with your family. I don’t want to miss that time anymore. I want to be there for all the things that my kids are going to experience while they are still young. I love racing and there isn’t a better place to be than Joe Gibbs Racing, but I don’t want to look back in 20 years and think about everything I missed with my wife and kids while I was gone. They are what is most important to me.”
Pearn and Truex saw a multitude of successes together over five seasons. Together they won the 2017 NASCAR Cup Series Championship and went on to qualify for the Championship 4, a total of four times. Their 23 wins since the beginning of the 2016 season are the best among all driver and crew chief combinations in that time span.
“I cannot say enough good things about Cole and what he has meant for my career,” Truex said in a team press release. “I appreciate his hard work and dedication to our race team over the past six years going back to when he was my engineer at Furniture Row. Our friendship is what matters most to me and I’m happy that he’s doing what’s best for him and his family.”
Joe Gibbs Racing stated in the release that a crew chief for the No. 19 Toyota Camry would be announced at a later date.
You really have to give the man credit. I’m sure he is walking away from a very lucrative position. It’s great to see that there are things in life that are more important then fame and fortune. Most folks would not do this. I applaud him. I wish him the best.