TRUCKS: Andres Perez De Lara to Drive Spire Motorsports No. 77 in 2025

Andres Perez de Lara, the defending champion of the ARCA Menards Series, has gotten the nod to graduate into the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series full-time in 2025.

The Mexico City, Mexico-native will join forces with Spire Motorsports, piloting the No. 77 Chevrolet Silverado for the complete 25-race NASCAR Truck Series campaign.

¡Vamos a correr, @andresplg2!

Andres Perez de Lara will drive our No. 77 Chevrolet Silverado full-time in the the @NASCAR_Trucks Series in 2025.

📰: https://t.co/tK4aa8sear pic.twitter.com/Bld2neAlpo
— Spire Motorsports (@SpireMotorsport) January 23, 2025

“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.”

Veteran NASCAR National Series crew chief Chad Walter will call the shots for the No. 77 Chevrolet in 2025, as Perez attempts to clinch Rookie of The Year honors.

The 19-year-old driver has competed full-time in the ARCA Menards Series for the last two seasons, driving the No. 2 Chevrolet SS for REV Racing. With 10 top-five and 17 top-10 finishes, Perez managed to take a commanding lead in the championship point standings.

In 2024, Perez made his NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series debut at WWT Raceway for Spire Motorsports, which resulted in a ninth-place finish. Perez returned to the series in November's season-finale at Phoenix, driving for Roper Racing.

Telcel, infintium, 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 long-time crew chief, moves to the No. 77 after spending the last two seasons working with Rajah Caruth -- one at GMS Racing and the most recent at Spire Motorsports in the No. 71.

Among accomplishments for the Albion, New York native is a pair of victories in the Daytona 500 with Michael Waltrip in 2001 and 2003, as well as NASCAR Cup Series wins 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 Friday, February 14 at Daytona International Speedway. Coverage for the Fresh from Florida 250 will begin at 7:30 PM ET on FS1, MRN, and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio (Channel 90).