Dawson Sutton, a 19-year-old from Tennessee, achieved a standout performance by taking the pole in the Truck Series All-American 400 at Nashville Fairground Speedway, surpassing 2024 Truck Series champion Ty Majeski. The event, focused on the Truck Series All-American 400, features some of the sport’s most notable names and brings together intense local and national competition.
Sutton Secures Pole on Home Turf
With a remarkable lap time of 18.182 seconds, Sutton electrified fans at his home track while driving in the signature orange and black colors representing the Tennessee Volunteers. This year marks the 40th anniversary of the All-American 400, adding further significance to Sutton’s accomplishment. The pressure is heightened for Sutton as he looks to move past last year’s disappointment, when after leading for 164 laps, he ultimately lost the race in a dramatic turn of events.
Cole Butcher will begin the race next to Sutton at the front row, following a highly competitive qualifying session where the top five qualifiers were separated by just two-tenths of a second. Ty Majeski, the reigning Truck Series champion, secured the eleventh starting position for the ASA STARS National Tour season finale, adding more intrigue to the field.
Sutton Reflects on Qualifying and Redemption
Speaking after qualifying, Sutton shared his excitement and optimism for the big race, saying,
“It’s nice being home, back in Vols country. My team brought me a really good race car. P1 in qualifying here, but, you know, 300 laps is a long race tomorrow. Hopefully, we can put everything together. Just maximize every lap and hopefully be there at the end tomorrow.”
– Dawson Sutton, Driver
Addressing his motivation to make up for last year’s heartbreak, the Tennessee native expressed,
“That would mean everything, you know. I feel like we were really close last year. Hopefully, we can put the last 10 laps together. That’s what matters at the end of the day.”
– Dawson Sutton, Driver
Looking Back: The 2024 All-American 400 & Notable Rivals
In the previous All-American 400, Truck Series driver Jake Garcia clinched a dramatic victory by holding his lead through a challenging overtime finish, overcoming Sutton who had dominated most of the race. For Garcia, it was his first time leading a lap at the event, as he capitalized on a late restart to seal the win.
However, in a twist this year, Jake Garcia’s defense of his title came to a sudden end during practice on Friday when he was involved in a significant crash. As a result, Garcia, age 20 and driving for ThorSport Racing, was forced to withdraw from this weekend’s action, missing the opportunity to go for consecutive wins.
Jake Garcia Discusses Sudden Withdrawal
Jake Garcia’s hopes of contending for another victory were dashed by a mechanical failure that happened during practice. Detailing the incident in a conversation with NASCAR reporter Steven Taranto, Garcia said,
“The left rear axle tube snapped in half. Turn into a corner, wheel, brakes, everything. Axel fell out, it landed in the woods and I was kind of along for the ride.”
– Jake Garcia, Driver
“Yeah, it sucks. So this is what happens. I thought there was a lot of potential this weekend, but, you know, stuff like this happens in racing,” he added.
– Jake Garcia, Driver
Garcia now turns his attention to the upcoming Snowball Derby in December, confident at least that the damage suffered at Nashville will not affect his next outing, as he will return with fresh equipment for that event.
All-American 400 Set for High Drama
The stage is now set for the Truck Series All-American 400 at Nashville Fairground Speedway, with the scheduled green flag at 1 PM CT/2 PM ET on Sunday, November 9. With Sutton on pole and determined to overcome last year’s heartbreak, but key competitors like Majeski and Butcher close behind, the event promises action and intensity for both drivers and fans.
The All-American 400 continues to stand out as a marquee event on the short-track calendar, drawing top talent from across the country and offering competitors, including Tennessee’s own Dawson Sutton, a stage for potential redemption and victory. All eyes will be on Sutton as he aims to maximize every lap for a shot at making local history.
GFO (Go Fast Orange)
Dawson Sutton wins the pole for the All American 400 pic.twitter.com/7Y60KNMvgt
— Steven Taranto (@STaranto92) November 8, 2025
