Story By: MONTY BAILEY / RACKLEY W.A.R. – CENTERVILLE, TN – Lebanon, Tennessee’s Dawson Sutton will begin his 2023 full-time Pro Late Model season beginning at Crisp Motorsports Park’s Watermelon Capital Speedway (Cordele, GA) next weekend for SpeedFest.
Sutton, 16, is coming off a spectacular first season in U.S. Legend Cars International and INEX action, and is expected to run some thirty late model events in 2023 for Rackley W.A.R. He will be sponsored by Rackley Roofing Company, Inc., and W.A.R. Shocks.
Dawson will compete for 100-laps in the JEGS / CRA All-Stars Tour Presented by Chevrolet Performance feature event. He finished an admirable 4th place in his single Pro Late Model start in 2022 at Montgomery Motor Speedway (AL). The 2022 U. S. Legends standout says he is ready to carry the battle flag for Rackley W.A.R. as the team’s newest late model development driver.
“I am extremely excited to start my 2023 Pro Late Model season at SpeedFest. It’s a great facility and track with a lot of experienced drivers traditionally going there to compete.”
“While I’ve been to most all tracks with the Rackley W.A.R. late model team, I’ve been dreaming for two years that I would have an opportunity to drive a full-time Rackley W.A.R. machine. I know Rackley W.A.R. builds winning race cars as every driver in the No. 25 and No. 26 has won or showed great speed. I don’t have a lot of seat time in a Pro Late Model, but I do have one Pro Late Model race under my belt where, I finished 4th.”
To what does the youngster owe his quick-rise in the sport and his mature-beyond-his-years fierce racing mentality?
“I’ve spent 4-8 hours daily on iRacing for over a year now. I’ve gone back and watched YouTube® videos of Willie [Allen], Brittney [Zamora] and other team drivers, as well as spending all of 2022 with Joe Ryan Race Cars and Hornaday Development racing U. S. Legend cars. I can’t imagine a better training ground than the group I’ve been surrounded by with physical training, constructive criticism and coaching.
“Now I get to also work with Willie Allen and the entire late model crew on a regular basis. I have a lot of confidence going into this season. I would say the pressure of racing for Willie and my dad is something I am looking forward to.” No pressure, right Dawson? “Right,” he exclaimed with a smile!
Sutton’s father, Curtis Sutton, became the team’s co-owner in 2021 with Allen. Sutton is the president and CEO of Rackley Roofing Company, Inc. and Rackley W.A.R.
Allen, president and COO of Rackley W.A.R. remains at the helm of the late model development program offering mentorship and hands-on development for the program’s always-impressive class of young drivers.
“I want to thank all my sponsors, including Rackley Roofing and W.A.R. Shocks for believing in me and for this partnership. I also want to thank this entire Rackley W.A.R. team for this opportunity of a lifetime. I do not and will not take this opportunity for granted.”
SpeedFest 2023 will take place on Friday, Jan. 27th and Sat., Jan. 28th, with Sunday, Jan. 29th as the event’s rain date.
