Rackley W.A.R. Overview
Rackley-Willie Allen Racing (Rackley W.A.R.) is an American stock car racing team that competes in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series and late model divisions. The organization fields a full-time No. 26 Chevrolet Silverado in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series for Dawson Sutton and operates Super Late Model and Pro Late Model entries. Ownership is shared by Curtis Sutton and Willie Allen, and the team lists bases in Centerville, Tennessee and in Statesville, North Carolina beginning in 2025. Rackley W.A.R. combines late model roots with a national truck program and a manufacturer relationship with Chevrolet.
Founding and Organizational Origins
The team began as a late model operation in 2008 under Willie Allen as Willie Allen Racing, shortened to W.A.R., and also operated as a shock builder under W.A.R. Shocks. The late model program served as the organization’s core for several years, focusing on Super Late Model and Pro Late Model competition and local driver development. In 2020 Rackley Roofing chief executive Curtis Sutton purchased half ownership of the organization, and the combined ownership formed Rackley W.A.R. with the explicit goal of expanding into NASCAR national competition.
The ownership structure paired the on-track experience of Willie Allen with the commercial backing of Curtis Sutton and Rackley Roofing. That partnership provided the funding and business structure needed to add truck-series operations while retaining the team’s late model development activities. The combined operations continued to field Super Late Model and Pro Late Model cars alongside the new national-level Truck Series effort.
Growth Into NASCAR Competition
Rackley W.A.R. launched its NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series program for the 2021 season, marking the team’s step into national stock car racing. The Truck Series debut came at the 2021 NextEra Energy 250 at Daytona. The expansion into trucks was built on the late model shop and personnel, and the new program leveraged the team’s existing driver-development pipeline.
Since the Truck Series debut, Rackley W.A.R. has steadily expanded entries and driver opportunities while maintaining its late model programs. The team formalized manufacturer ties with Chevrolet and developed a multi-car presence in Super Late Models and Pro Late Models to support driver progression from local and regional competition to the national Truck Series.
Rackley W.A.R. Competitive Journey
Rackley W.A.R.’s competitive path spans grassroots late model racing to national Truck Series competition, with gradual progress in results and infrastructure. The team used a mix of veteran and developing drivers to collect experience and occasional strong finishes while building toward sustained competitiveness in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series.
Early Seasons and Development (2008–2020)
The organization’s early years were devoted to late model racing beginning in 2008, running Super Late Model and Pro Late Model cars and establishing its identity as a regional contender. During this period the program focused on building race shop capability, preparing chassis and shocks under the W.A.R. banner, and developing relationships with drivers who moved through its late model stable.
Those late model operations created the technical base and personnel that later supported the team’s move to national competition. The business investment by Curtis Sutton in 2020 accelerated that trajectory and set the foundation for a NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series entry beginning in 2021.
Breakthrough in NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series (2021–2024)
Rackley W.A.R. debuted in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series at the 2021 NextEra Energy 250 at Daytona. The first full-season plan in 2021 began with veteran Timothy Peters announced as the initial full-time driver of the No. 25, and the team cycled through part-time and one-off drivers that season including Josh Berry, Brett Moffitt, and a returning Willie Allen at Talladega.
Matt DiBenedetto joined the team full-time in 2022 to pilot the No. 25 and delivered the organization its first Truck Series victory at the Talladega fall race in 2022. That win marked Rackley W.A.R.’s first national-level triumph and was the program’s most significant competitive milestone to that date. DiBenedetto’s 2022 season also produced multiple top-10 finishes and helped raise the team’s profile within the series.
DiBenedetto returned for 2023 and earned consistent top-ten results, including a podium at North Wilkesboro, and secured the team’s first playoff appearance in the Truck Series. The 2023 season concluded with driver changes late in the year; the team used a mix of drivers to finish the campaign, and the organization announced Ty Dillon as the full-time No. 25 driver for 2024. During the 2024 season the team also turned to Dawson Sutton for the final five races of the campaign in the No. 25.
Expansion of Entries and Development (2022–Present)
Rackley W.A.R. began fielding a second truck, the No. 26, at select races in 2022 with Tate Fogleman attempting multiple events and recording a top-twenty finish in the CRC Brakleen 150. The team continued to use the second truck to provide opportunities for developing drivers and one-off entries.
Dawson Sutton, son of co-owner Curtis Sutton, made his NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series debut at North Wilkesboro in May 2024 and was announced as the full-time driver of the No. 26 beginning in 2025. That move formalizes a driver-development path from the team’s Super Late Model and Pro Late Model programs into its Truck Series operations.
Modern Program and Current Direction (2025–Present)
Rackley W.A.R. remains co-owned by Curtis Sutton and Willie Allen and lists Chevrolet as its manufacturer. In October 2024 the team announced a partnership with Kevin Harvick Incorporated and in the following month moved its headquarters from Centerville, Tennessee to the former GMS Racing fabrication building in Statesville, North Carolina, with Statesville listed as the base beginning in 2025. Those changes reflect a deliberate shift toward expanded infrastructure and closer proximity to the sport’s Cup- and Xfinity-series shops and suppliers.
On-track, the organization fields its full-time No. 26 Chevrolet in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series for Dawson Sutton while continuing to operate multiple Super Late Model and Pro Late Model entries. The team’s long-term aims documented through public announcements focus on sustaining national-level Truck Series competitiveness while using late model programs to identify and train drivers.
Engineering Philosophy and Competitive Strengths
Rackley W.A.R. combines late model chassis preparation and driver development with a national truck effort, leveraging experience from regional programs to feed the Truck Series entries. The partnership with Kevin Harvick Incorporated and the manufacturer alignment with Chevrolet provide technical pathways and parts support that complement the team’s in-house capability and driver pipeline.
Key Milestones and Major Moments
Key milestones for the organization include its late model founding in 2008, the expansion into the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series in 2021, the team’s first Truck Series victory at Talladega in 2022 with Matt DiBenedetto, the October 2024 partnership with Kevin Harvick Incorporated, and the relocation of the shop to Statesville, North Carolina beginning in 2025. Those moments trace the team’s evolution from a regional late model shop to an established Truck Series competitor.
Rackley W.A.R. Achievements and Results
Across its national Truck Series program, Rackley W.A.R. has compiled a record of participation and incremental success while maintaining active late model operations. According to team statistics, the organization made its Truck Series debut in 2021, has competed in 115 Truck Series races, recorded one race victory, and holds zero drivers’ championships and zero pole positions as of the latest documented season.
Truck Series Achievements
Rackley W.A.R.’s most notable Truck Series achievement is the team’s first national victory at the Talladega fall race in 2022, driven by Matt DiBenedetto in the No. 25 Chevrolet. The organization also reached the Truck Series playoffs for the first time in 2023 and has produced multiple top-ten finishes across seasons. The program’s documented race totals and single victory reflect steady growth from its 2021 debut to a multi-truck operation with a continuing focus on driver development.
