18-year-old Dawson Sutton has secured a full-time position with Rackley WAR for the 2025 NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series season. This announcement was made at the Las Vegas Motor Speedway.
Sutton, who hails from Lebanon, Tennessee, will take the wheel of the No. 26 Rackley Roofing and W.A.R. Shocks entry as he starts on the full 25-race schedule. His journey begins with the season-opener at the Daytona International Speedway, a landmark event in the series.
The young driver’s connection to the team is familiar, being the son of Curtis Sutton, the co-owner of Rackley WAR. His full-time role follows an impressive stint towards the end of the 2024 season, where he stepped into the No. 25 Rackley Roofing Chevrolet, previously driven by Ty Dillon.
During this period, Sutton quickly earned his first top-five finish at Kansas Speedway – a performance that caught some attention.
Dawson Sutton, driver of the #26 Rackley Roofing Chevrolet, waves to fans as he walks onstage during driver intros prior to the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series Rackley Roofing 200 at Nashville Superspeedway on June 28, 2024 in Lebanon, Tennessee. Eighteen-year-old Dawson Sutton has earned a full-time spot with Rackley WAR for the 2025 NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series.
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Revealing his excitement about the opportunity, Sutton said the following:
“This is really a phenomenal opportunity. I’ve dreamed for this day to come, and my goal is to make it to NASCAR’s Cup Series that represents the best of the best. It’s all a little hard to believe right now, but I know I have a big job to do and that’s exactly how I look at it.”
Rackley WAR, co-owned by Curtis Sutton and Willie Allen, is placing its confidence in Dawson to uphold the team’s reputation. Willie Allen praised Dawson’s work ethic:
“I really don’t think there’s anything he can’t do. He has a great work ethic; he doesn’t take any of this for granted. He works hard to be the best he can be no matter what the situation.”
This vote of confidence from Allen certainly places pressure on the young driver.
“When we started this three years ago, I explicitly told him he had three years to prove himself. He took that to heart and went to work crafting his skill. I couldn’t teach him how to race. I entrusted the best I knew of in Willie Allen, Ron, Candice Hornaday, and Joe Ryan to help me determine if he could really do this. He did.”
Beyond personal pride, Curtis Sutton continued.
“Racing is not only a business, but a family for sure. Blood or not, it’s a family. But, when it is your blood and the family is on the road for 50 or more races a year together, I won’t lie – it’s special.”
Sutton is set to share the track with NASCAR Cup Series champion Kevin Harvick at the CARS Tour West Super Late Model event at the LVMS Bullring. Of his working alongside Harvick, Dawson said the following.
“I’m here racing with Kevin Harvick as my teammate in our Super Late Models this weekend at Las Vegas [The Bullring], so it’s been really cool working with him as well. I’m stoked to be back in the truck for the Homestead-Miami race in a couple of weeks then on to Martinsville and Phoenix.”
These events will act as crucial experiences on his path toward achieving his aspirations in the racing hierarchy.
Going forward, there are whispers of Rackley WAR announcing new partnerships for the 2025 season. This might be a very good time for the young driver to be joining them.
