Today, Spire Motorsports announced it has signed Chase Purdy to drive the No. 77 Chevrolet Silverado as preparations ramp up in earnest for the 2024 NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series (NCTS) season.
Purdy will be paired with veteran race engineer and crew chief Jason Trinchere as the team mounts its first NCTS championship effort since it began competing in select events two years ago.
“Chase Purdy is really coming into his own as a driver and we think pairing him with a crew chief the caliber of Jason Trinchere will elevate his level of competitiveness immediately,” said Spire Motorsports President Doug Duchardt. “We put a lot of thought into putting Chase together with the right person and at the conclusion of that process, it was very clear that Jason is the person to lead the No. 77 team. This is a combination we expect to set a very high bar in the NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series.”
Purdy, 24, began his NCTS career in 2018 and has logged 75 career starts. He finished a career-best 11th in points last season on the strength of two poles, three top-five and 11 top-10 finishes behind the wheel of the No. 4 Chevrolet Silverado for Kyle Busch Motorsports.
“I’m really excited to get going on 2024 with Spire Motorsports,” said Purdy. “Seeing what they’ve done in the last few years and the drivers they’ve had come through, being in that system makes me excited for the future. I’m more determined than ever. There are a few new people, Jason Trinchere, obviously being one of them, but, for the most part, we still have our same core group of guys so we’re looking to keep up that momentum from last year. I’m just really eager to get the new season started. I can’t wait to get to work.”
Trinchere is an Easton, Pa., native who graduated from the Pennsylvania State University with a mechanical engineering degree in 2005. He’s a second-generation racer whose father, Karl, owned championship-winning pavement modifieds, competing mostly in and around northeast Pennsylvania.
Trinchere made the move to North Carolina shortly after earning his Bachelor of Science and began his professional career as the race engineer for the iconic No. 75 Spears Manufacturing NCTS team, owned by series’ pioneers Wayne and Connie Spears.
Following his time with Spears Motorsports, a quick stop at CJM Racing’s NASCAR Xfinity Series (NXS) team in late 2007 preceded his move to Dale Earnhardt Incorporated’s (DEI) NASCAR Cup Series (NCS) operation for the 2008 season.
For the next five seasons, Trinchere served as both a support and design engineer at DEI where he worked with drivers Martin Truex Jr., and Regan Smith, while also serving as the lead engineer for the team’s NASCAR regional touring series efforts. He continued through the organization’s merger with Ganassi Racing and played a key role in Jamie McMurray’s wins at the 2010 Daytona 500 and Brickyard 400.
In 2013, the 42-year-old further fortified his resume with a move to Penske Racing where he managed chassis design for both the team’s NCS and NXS efforts.
Over the next seven seasons, Trinchere was a key contributor in 44 NCS race wins, including the 2015 Daytona 500, 2018 Brickyard 400 and ultimately the 2018 Cup Series championship with driver Joey Logano. Over that same stretch, Penske Racing complied 44 NXS wins and four straight owner’s championships.
Following the 2019 season, he moved to Kaulig Racing where he began as an engineer before being promoted to crew chief in 2021, ultimately serving in that capacity for all three of the organization’s NXS teams. Over that time, Trinchere contributed to 21 wins and 110 top-five finishes. The 2024 season will mark the former modified racer’s 19th as a professional, and first in the NCTS since 2007.
“I am excited for 2024 and look forward to working with Chase and everyone at Spire Motorsports,” said Trinchere “Chase ended the season on a high note, showing speed and consistency, so I look forward to building on that momentum going into the new season.”
The Fresh from Florida 250 from Daytona International Speedway will be televised live on FS1 Friday, February 16, beginning at 7:30 p.m. Eastern Standard Time. The first of 23 NCTS races on the 2024 schedule will be broadcast live on the Motor Racing Network and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio Channel 90.
Spire Motorsports PR
