Fantasy NASCAR Racing

pit box for the first time as leader of a Cup race team.  In 2015, Pearn and driver Martin Truex Jr. won the Axalta "We Paint Winners" 400 at Pocono Raceway, and Pearn became the first Canadian crew chief to win a Cup race.  2016 saw the pair get off to a good start by finishing second in the Daytona 500.  Their first win of the season came at Charlotte in the Coke 600.  Their next win was also a major event as they won the Southern 500.  They won two more races before the season ended; but struggled in the second stage of the Chase and failed to advance and ended up 11th in points.  2017 would be a stand out season for Truex and Pearn.  They dominated the 1 1/2 mile tracks winning seven of the 12 races ran on them; and added a win at Watkins Glen.  They averaged a 3.5 finish on 1 1/2 mile tracks.  He won the season ending race at Homestead; but unfortunately, team owner Barry Visser had suffered heart problems just before the season ended and missed the final couple races and also the awards Banquet.  Cole Pearn almost led Martin Truex to back to back Championships. With Pern since 2015, Truex posted 17 wins; four of those coming in 2018. This pairing was part of 'the big three' and Truex; Kyle Busch; and Kevin Harvick grabbed 20 wins in the season's 36 races.  Truex easily advance through each round of the Chase and found himself with a shot to defend his Championship at Homestead. He looked to be on his way to the win when a late race yellow shuffled the field and Joey Logano got a shot to work on his car.  Logano got by Truex with 12 laps to go and grabbed the Championship; leaving Truex one spot short.  At the end of the season, Furniture Row owner Barney Visser decided that without sponsorship for 2019 he was going to shut down the team.  Joe Gibbs Racing hired Martin Truex to drive the #19 car in 2019 and Cole Pearn was hired to continue to be Truex's crew chief.  The duo of Martin Truex and Cole Pearn picked up working for Joe Gibbs where they left off driving for Barney Visser.  Truex won seven times this season and picked up his first career short track win at Richmond.  Before the season was over he would win at Richmond again and also at Martinsville.  They had a strong season battling team mate Kyle Busch for the regular season points battle.  When the playoffs kicked off, Pearn led Truex to wins in the opening two races; showing the other teams they would be a force to be dealt with as they went to victory lane at Richmond and Las Vegas.  Other than the crap shoot of Talladega; all ten races run in the Chase; Truex finished no worse than sixth.  When the third round kicked off Truex won that race; automatically locking himself into the Championship race at Miami.  That left the team two weeks to concentrate on getting the best car ready to go to try and claim the Championship.  Still Truex finished sixth the two races prior to Miami.  At Miami, Pearn put a fast car under Truex as they had fast practice speeds and qualified third.  Teams were pointing to them to be repeat champions.  Truex won the first stage; and would lead 98 of the first 120 laps.  The final pit stop the crew made a major error that cost them.  When Truex came in to pit; the crew accidentally got the tires swapped and put the left side tires on the right side and vice versa.  Truex noticed it as soon as he hit the track and called in.  He had to come back for a second pit stop to correct the problem and lost a lap in the process.  Truex spent most the rest of the race trying to make up the distance.  A yellow helped catch him up and get back on the lead lap; but as the race wound down his car was used up and he wasn't able to keep pace with Kyle Busch who won the race and the Championship.  Truex went on to finish second in the race.  In December 2019 in a surprising move; Cole Pearn announced he would be leaving Joe Gibbs Racing effective immediately to spend more time with his family and pursue opportunities outside the sport.  For his career Pearn spent five years in NASCAR all at the Cup level.   He also spent all five years paired up with Truex. The duo won the Championship in 2017 and finished second in 2018 and 2019. Pearn won 24 races including such notable races as the Coke 600 (2016 & 2019); and Southern 500 (2016).