The 2025 NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series returns to action this week at Las Vegas Motor Speedway after a two-week absence.
Having only raced at drafting-style tracks Daytona International Speedway and Atlanta Motor Speedway, this season’s rookie class has not had a chance to learn much as the young season still gets underway.
One of those rookies, Dawson Sutton, has fortunately had a little bit more experience than his rookie counterparts, as he made seven starts for family-co-owned team Rackley WAR throughout 2024. The 19-year-old got the nod in late 2024 to replace the outgoing Ty Dillon for 2025. Though he’s spent the last few years on the late-model scene, he feels more than ready for a full-time endeavor in the Truck Series.
Sutton talked with Frontstretch to discuss his confidence heading into Vegas, what he’s learned so far and still looking to learn, as well as his relationships with Rackley co-owner Willie Allen, and Kevin Harvick, whose management company is partnered with the Rackley team.
This is part one of a two-part interview with Sutton.
Anthony Damcott, Frontstretch: I think some people were a little bit confused when the entry lists for Daytona showed up and you were driving the No. 26, considering Rackley has used the No. 25 for years since its inception. Can you give us a little bit of background why the No. 26 was the go-to for you?
Dawson Sutton: It’s my personal number. When I started racing three-and-a-half years ago, I started with No. 26. I got to pick out of a few numbers, and I always wanted to be [No.] 26. So it’s really cool to have that number that’s technically, I guess you would say, my number. And also, Willie Allen … ran the [No.] 26 as well. So I really loved how that car looked and just loved how the number looked as well. So that’s the number that I picked out when I first started racing.
Damcott: You did get the call to finish out the year in the No. 25 last season, and and you had some good runs. What have you learned in those few races that you did, as well as the first few races of this season, that can help you as this season gets underway and you get a little bit more confident behind the wheel?
Sutton: Those races last year really helped me just prepare for this year. Overall … [ran] top five at Kansas [Speedway] and had a couple other good runs as well. But overall, [we’re] just preparing for the mile-and-a-halfs and the bigger tracks this year. … The first two races of seasons with Daytona and Atlanta, it’s been cool to learn some of those drafting/plate-style racetracks — [you’re] just wide open, and hopefully you finish at the end of the day. But overall, it’s been cool to get that done, and hopefully [we’ll] have a good rest of the season.
Damcott: Now that you are behind the wheel and the 2025 season is in full swing, what expectations do you have? Are you looking to win a lot of races? Are you looking to just finish all the laps?
Sutton: I have a lot of expectations. I really want to win races. A lot of people would think that sounds funny, but I think we have a really good crew lined up. The first two races haven’t went perfect at all. But yeah, I think we have a really good team lined up for this year. And in my opinion, the season really kicks off at Vegas — the first mile-and-a-half, those ones really count at the end of the day. But hopefully, we can just continue having a good rest of the season, and get to some of these tracks and hopefully have good finishes.
Damcott: You mentioned having a great race team under you. And part of that is that Rackley has been paired with Kevin Harvick, Inc. As such, we’ve seen you race against him, and you beat him in the Spears CARS Tour West opener at Kevin Harvick’s Kern Raceway. Have you been able to lean on him for any advice as you continue to work your way up the ladder? How much of a help has he been to you in your career?
Sutton: Yeah, he’s been a huge help. To have him backing me, and not only just back me — he’s just really cool to have as a mentor and get to know him because he’s done all this stuff before. He’s been to the [NASCAR] Cup Series. He’s raced a truck before. He’s done everything that he could basically do — [even] win championships. And at the end of the day, that’s where I want to be in my career. And not only that, it’s just really cool to ask him questions and see what he’s done.
Damcott: Have you tried to convince him to maybe get back in a truck one more time to race with you as a teammate, or has that not even been a topic yet?
Sutton: It would be really cool, and I really wish that could happen at the end of the day. I really hope we can do something like that. It was really cool racing him at Kern County, to start the season off like that and racing against him. It’s super cool. Also, he doesn’t have a whole lot of late-model experience, and I have a lot from the past two years. So to help him with some of that stuff, and now that [Kevin’s son] Keelan is racing, it’s going to be really cool to have that. Hopefully, [we’ll] continue working off that and help him or [he’ll help] me for the Truck stuff.
Damcott: Another part of the team that’s kind of a new-old addition is your crew chief, Chad Kendrick. I know it’s only been two races, but how has it been working with him, getting used to his style of crew-chiefing and gelling together as the the season gets underway?
Sutton: It’s been amazing. I’ve known him [since] before I even started racing. … It’s really just been awesome, because he’s so good at what he does. … We’ll continue working with him for the rest of the season, and hopefully go to these bigger tracks and hopefully put some good finishes together. The first two have been pretty rough, but I think we have a really good team lined up for this year with Chad and all the new guys. Since we moved to North Carolina from Nashville, it’s been a good jump, and I think we got a really good team.
Part 2 of Damcott’s interview with Sutton will be released on Friday, March 14.
Follow @AnthonyDamcott on X.
Anthony Damcott joined Frontstretch in March 2022. Currently, he is an editor and co-authors Fire on Fridays (Fridays); he is also the primary Truck Series reporter/writer and serves as an at-track reporter. He has also assisted with short track content and social media, among other duties he takes/has taken on for the site. In 2025, he became an official member of the National Motorsports Press Association. A proud West Virginia Wesleyan College alum from Akron, Ohio, Anthony is now a grad student. He is a theatre actor and fight coordinator in his free time.
You can keep up with Anthony by following @AnthonyDamcott on X.