Rackley W.A.R. Overview
Rackley W.A.R., short for Rackley-Willie Allen Racing, is an American stock car racing team that competes in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series, the CARS Tour, the CARS Tour West, and the ASA Stars Late Model Series. Established in 2008, the organization fields a fleet of Chevrolet entries across multiple touring and regional series, with Rackley Roofing serving as the team’s main sponsor. The team is co-owned by Curtis Sutton, who serves as chief executive of Rackley Roofing, and Willie Allen, a former NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series driver.
Originally headquartered in Centerville, Tennessee, Rackley W.A.R. relocated to Statesville, North Carolina, beginning in 2025, occupying the former GMS Racing fabrication building. The team also expanded its technical partnership by aligning with Kevin Harvick Incorporated in late 2024. The team currently campaigns car numbers 25, 26, 27, 29, 62, and 97 in various series.
Founding and Organizational Origins
Rackley W.A.R. was founded in 2008 by Willie Allen under the name Willie Allen Racing, later shortened to W.A.R. The original business operated two related arms: a Late Model race team and W.A.R. Shocks, a shock-building venture that supported the team’s chassis and suspension work. From its Centerville, Tennessee base, the organization concentrated on Super Late Model and Pro Late Model competition, building a regional presence across short tracks in the American Southeast.
Through the late 2010s, the team developed a reputation for quality fabrication and race preparation, supplying shocks to other competitors in addition to running its own Late Model program. The business also partnered with Rackley Roofing, a Tennessee-based roofing company, which became the team’s anchor sponsor as the organization grew. The relationship between Allen and the Rackley Roofing leadership, particularly Curtis Sutton, set the stage for a formal ownership partnership that would transform the team’s competitive direction.
Growth Into NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series Competition
In 2020, Rackley Roofing chief executive Curtis Sutton purchased a fifty-percent stake in Willie Allen Racing, forming the partnership that became Rackley W.A.R. With the new ownership structure in place, the team announced in December 2020 that it would field a Chevrolet Silverado in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series beginning in 2021, with veteran driver Timothy Peters signed as the full-time driver of the No. 25 truck. The team’s Truck Series debut came at the 2021 NextEra Energy 250 at Daytona International Speedway, where Peters finished twenty-sixth after a mechanical issue.
The team’s first full Truck Series campaign in 2021 featured a rotating driver lineup for the No. 25, including Josh Berry, Brett Moffitt, and co-founder Willie Allen, who made his own Truck Series return at Talladega Superspeedway. Matt DiBenedetto took over the No. 25 for the 2022 season and delivered the team’s first Truck Series victory at the Talladega fall race that year, a landmark moment for the organization. In 2022, Rackley W.A.R. also began expanding its truck numbers, adding the part-time No. 26 entry piloted by Tate Fogleman. By 2023, DiBenedetto had guided the team to its first Truck Series playoff appearance.
Rackley W.A.R. Competitive Journey
Across its racing history, Rackley W.A.R. has progressed from a regional Late Model operation into a multi-series NASCAR team. The organization has logged more than 128 Truck Series starts, recorded a single series victory, and built a competitive Late Model program that runs across the CARS Tour, the CARS Tour West, and the ASA Stars Late Model Series.
Early Seasons and Development (2021-2022)
The team’s first two Truck Series seasons were characterized by rapid driver turnover and steady improvement. Timothy Peters opened 2021 in the No. 25 truck, with the squad earning a best finish of sixteenth at Las Vegas Motor Speedway before the two sides parted ways. Josh Berry then stepped in for a partial schedule, scoring a career-best tenth-place run for the team at Texas Motor Speedway, while Brett Moffitt and Willie Allen each made additional starts. The first season established the team as a reliable, workmanlike operation on the Truck Series grid.
The 2022 season marked a clear step forward. Matt DiBenedetto took command of the No. 25 and recorded six top-ten finishes during the regular season. Although the team did not make the playoffs, the highlight came at the Talladega Superspeedway fall race, where DiBenedetto took the checkered flag and delivered Rackley W.A.R. its first Truck Series victory. The team also fielded a part-time No. 26 entry for Tate Fogleman at the 2022 Rackley Roofing 200, expanding the fleet and setting the stage for additional growth.
Breakthrough in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series (2023-Present)
The 2023 season represented the team’s competitive breakthrough. DiBenedetto returned to the No. 25 full-time and tallied nine top-ten finishes, including a stretch of six consecutive top-ten results. His best run came at North Wilkesboro Speedway, where he finished third. The performance secured the team’s first Truck Series playoff berth. Despite his playoff run, the team and DiBenedetto parted ways during the closing races, with Chandler Smith, Trevor Bayne, and Stefan Parsons filling the No. 25 for the final events of the year.
In 2024, Ty Dillon was named the full-time driver of the No. 25, with Rackley Roofing returning as primary sponsor for sixteen events. Later that season, Dawson Sutton, son of co-owner Curtis Sutton and a regular in the team’s Late Model program, took over the No. 25 for the final five races of the year. In May 2024, Dawson Sutton had made his Truck Series debut in the No. 26 at North Wilkesboro, and on October 17, 2024, the team confirmed he would become the full-time driver of the No. 26 beginning in 2025. The team’s 2025 driver lineup includes Dawson Sutton in the No. 26, Toni Breidinger in a part-time No. 27, and Kasey Kleyn scheduled to make his series debut in the No. 27 at North Wilkesboro.
Modern Program and Current Direction (2024-Present)
In October 2024, Rackley W.A.R. announced a partnership with Kevin Harvick Incorporated, aligning the team with one of NASCAR’s most respected driver-development organizations. A month later, the team moved its headquarters from Centerville, Tennessee to the former GMS Racing fabrication facility in Statesville, North Carolina, expanding its chassis and body shop capacity. The technical and facility upgrades coincide with the team’s growing presence across both the Truck Series and Late Model tours.
On the driver side, the team now fields Dawson Sutton full-time in the No. 26 Truck Series entry, alongside a part-time No. 27 effort for Toni Breidinger and a planned debut for Kasey Kleyn. The Late Model program continues to be a centerpiece of the organization, with entries in the CARS Tour, CARS Tour West, and ASA Stars Late Model Series for drivers including William Sawalich, Keelan Harvick, Kevin Harvick, Rodney Dowless Jr., and Vito Cancilla. Rackley Roofing remains the team’s anchor sponsor across the entire fleet.
Philosophy and Competitive Strengths
Rackley W.A.R. has built its identity around disciplined race preparation, durable Chevrolet equipment, and a willingness to develop young drivers. The team’s partnership with Kevin Harvick Incorporated, combined with its expanded Statesville, North Carolina shop, signals a long-term commitment to growing into a perennial playoff contender in the Truck Series. The organization also leverages its Late Model program to groom talent, including Dawson Sutton and William Sawalich, before graduating them to national-series competition.
Key Milestones and Major Moments
The team has recorded several defining moments. Its first Truck Series victory came in the 2022 Talladega fall race with Matt DiBenedetto at the wheel. The team earned its first Truck Series playoff berth in 2023, also with DiBenedetto, after a streak of six consecutive top-ten finishes. Off-track, the October 2024 Kevin Harvick Incorporated partnership and the late-2024 relocation to Statesville, North Carolina mark the most significant organizational milestones in team history.
Rackley W.A.R. Achievements and Results
Since its 2008 founding and 2021 Truck Series debut, Rackley W.A.R. has established itself as a competitive, multi-series Chevrolet operation. The team has recorded a single Truck Series victory, multiple playoff appearances, and a steadily growing Late Model trophy case through its CARS Tour, CARS Tour West, and ASA Stars Late Model Series programs.
NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series Achievements
Rackley W.A.R. has competed in 128 Truck Series races, earning one victory. That win came at Talladega Superspeedway in 2022 with Matt DiBenedetto driving the No. 25 Chevrolet Silverado. The team made its first playoff appearance in 2023, when DiBenedetto guided the No. 25 into the postseason field before being eliminated at Kansas Speedway.
Conference and Series Achievements
Beyond the Truck Series, Rackley W.A.R. fields competitive entries in the CARS Tour, the CARS Tour West, and the ASA Stars Late Model Series. The team’s Late Model program has served as a proving ground for drivers such as Dawson Sutton, William Sawalich, Keelan Harvick, and Kevin Harvick, several of whom have advanced into higher-profile national-series opportunities with the organization. The combined Late Model effort gives Rackley W.A.R. one of the broader grassroots-to-national pipelines in American stock car racing.
