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  • Ty Dillon joins Rackley W.A.R. for full-time Truck Series return in 2024

    Ty Dillon joins Rackley W.A.R. for full-time Truck Series return in 2024

    Ty Dillon has been named the newest, full-time competitor of the No. 25 Chevrolet Silverado RST for Rackley W.A.R. for the 2024 NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series season.

    The news comes as the 31-year-old Dillon from Welcome, North Carolina, is coming off a full-time Cup Series campaign with Spire Motorsports, where he generated an average-finishing result of 27.5, including a season-best 11th-place finish at Daytona International Speedway in August, before settling in 32nd place in the final driver’s standings. Previously, he competed on a full-time Cup basis for Petty GMS Motorsports, where he notched a season-best 10th-place result at the Bristol Motor Speedway Dirt Course and an average-finishing result of 22.6 before ending up in 29th place in the 2022 final standings.

    The move for Dillon is set to mark his first start in the Truck Series since competing in the 2021 series’ finale at Phoenix Raceway for Bret Holmes Racing. It is also set to mark his first full-time campaign in the series since 2013, where he won two races and settled in a career-best runner-up spot in the final standings.

    “I’m excited to go back to the Truck Series and compete in the series that got it all started for me,” Dillon said. “I have a lot of good memories from earlier in my career with winning races and poles, and our goal is to create more this season. Rackley W.A.R. has built a solid foundation and it’s an honor to be a part of taking them to the winning level they want to be at. I’m very appreciative of this opportunity and ready to get started in Daytona.”

    The Truck Series is the series which Dillon made his inaugural presence within NASCAR’s top three national touring series, which occurred in 2011 as he was competing for the ARCA Menards Series championship. During the season, he competed in the final three events of the season for Kevin Harvick Inc., where he notched a strong third-place finish during the season’s penultimate event at Texas Motor Speedway.

    The next two seasons, Dillon piloted the No. 3 Chevrolet Silverado for Richard Childress Racing in the Truck Series. During the two-year span, the North Carolina native scored a combined three victories, four poles, 16 top-five results, 29 top-10 results, 665 laps led and average-finishing results within the top 10. He was also a championship contender during both seasons, where he ended up in fourth place in the 2012 final standings and claimed the Rookie-of-the-Year title before ending up in the runner-up spot in 2013.

    Through 58 previous starts in the Truck Series (2011-15, 2017-18, 2021), Dillon has achieved three victories, five poles, 20 top-five results, 36 top-10 results, 702 laps led and an average-finishing result of 10.0.

    In addition to the Truck Series, Dillon has made 164 career starts in the Xfinity Series, with his top accomplishments including achieving a single series’ victory occurring at Indianapolis Motor Speedway in 2014 and claiming top-five results in the final standings between 2014 and 2016. He has also made 238 career starts in the Cup Series, where he has generated two top-five results, including a career-best third-place finish at Talladega in October 2020, and seven top-10 results.

    “We are excited to announce Ty Dillon as the driver for Rackley W.A.R. in the NASCAR Truck Series.” Willie Allen, President and Chief Operating Officer, said. “Ty’s exceptional talent is a perfect fit for our team as we elevate our engineering and technological capabilities to new heights. We’re investing in cutting-edge technology and innovative engineering to ensure Ty has one the most competitive trucks on the track. This season marks a new chapter for our team. We’re ready to showcase our progress and for a championship run. We look forward to making this season the new benchmark in our racing history.”

    Entering the 2024 Truck Series season, Dillon is set to become the 11th competitor overall to campaign in at least one Truck event for Rackley W.A.R. Recently, the team’s No. 25 entry was piloted by Matt DiBenedetto, who recorded the team’s first career victory at Talladega Superspeedway in October 2022 and made the 2023 Truck Playoffs before being eliminated at the conclusion of the Round of 10. With three races remaining on the 2023 schedule, however, Rackley and DiBenedetto parted ways, with Chandler Smith, Trevor Bayne and Stefan Parsons each piloting the entry throughout the final three-scheduled events. With the team’s No. 25 entry ending up in ninth place in the final owner’s standings, Rackley W.A.R. strives to extend its competitive form entering the 2024 season.

    Dillon’s No. 25 Chevrolet entry will be primarily sponsored by Rackley Roofing Company, Inc. for 16 of the 23 events on the 2024 Truck Series schedule.

    “Racing in the NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series is extremely competitive. Over these last three years, we have learned a ton of what to do and what not to do,” Curtis Sutton, Rackley W.A.R. Chief Executive Officer, said. “I believe we have put a team together with Ty Dillon behind the wheel of the No. 25 Chevrolet Silverado, where great things are in store in 2024 for this team, our sponsors and everyone who supports this organization, including Chevrolet Motorsports.”

    Dillon’s first full-time campaign with Rackley W.A.R. in the Craftsman Truck Series is set to commence at Daytona International Speedway for the Fresh From Florida 250. The event’s broadcast time is scheduled to air on February 16 at 7:30 p.m. ET on FS1.

  • Bayne joins Rackley W.A.R. for Truck Series Playoff event at Homestead

    Bayne joins Rackley W.A.R. for Truck Series Playoff event at Homestead

    Trevor Bayne will be making a one-race return to the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series with Rackley W.A.R. this upcoming weekend at Homestead-Miami Speedway.

    The news comes as the 2011 Daytona 500 champion from Knoxville, Tennessee, is coming off three starts in this year’s Xfinity Series season with Joe Gibbs Racing, where he led a total of 26 laps and earned a season-best seventh-place result at Bristol Motor Speedway in September. The news also means that Bayne will become Rackley W.A.R.’s third different competitor of this year’s Truck season behind Matt DiBenedetto and Chandler Smith.

    “I definitely didn’t see this coming two weeks ago,” Bayne said. “This deal came together rather quickly. [Owners] Willie Allen and Curtis Sutton have been working very hard over the past few years to improve their truck program. The results have shown all season with their consistent top-10 runs. I look forward to working together with crew chief Chad Kendrick and the Rackley W.A.R. team and produce a strong run this weekend. Homestead-Miami has always been good to me, including last season when we were on the pole and ran sixth in the Xfinity race. I’m thankful to the group for the opportunity to be back behind the wheel.”

    Having made 164 career starts in the Xfinity Series and 187 in the NASCAR Cup Series, Bayne made his Truck Series debut at Darlington Raceway in 2020 with Niece Motorsports, where he finished 27th. He then competed in seven of the remaining eight Truck events on the schedule with Niece, where he earned a career-best runner-up result at Talladega Superspeedway in October. His latest start in the series was at Phoenix Raceway, where he finished 18th.

    Bayne’s latest NASCAR national touring series victory to date occurred in the Xfinity Series at Iowa Speedway in 2013, which marked his second of two series wins while driving for Roush Fenway Racing. He also remains as the youngest-ever winner of the Daytona 500 at age 20 after notching his first Cup Series victory in his second series career start in the Great American Race in 2011 while driving for Wood Brothers Racing.

    “The team is definitely looking forward to our partnership with Trevor for Homestead-Miami,” Willie Allen, president of Rackley W.A.R., added. “Trevor brings a lot of very good experience to the table, and he will be a good measuring stick to help evaluate some of the things we are working on moving forward.”

    Rackley W.A.R., which is in its third season of NASCAR Truck Series competition, commenced this season with full-time competitor Matt DiBenedetto piloting the team’s No. 25 Chevrolet Silverado RST entry. He made the 2023 Truck Series Playoffs on the strength of nine top-10 results through 16 regular-season events, but did not transfer from the Round of 10 to 8 despite achieving a third-place result at Kansas Speedway in September. Following Bristol, the team released DiBenedetto with three races remaining on the schedule and competed in the previous Truck Series event at Talladega Superspeedway with Xfinity Series rookie contender Chandler Smith, who finished fourth.

    Currently, Rackley W.A.R.’s No. 25 entry is ranked in ninth place in the Truck Series’ owner’s standings. Their lone victory to date occurred at Talladega in October 2022 with DiBenedetto, who also recorded the first NASCAR national touring series victory for himself.

    The team’s driver plans for the season-finale event at Phoenix Raceway in November remains to be determined.

    With his upcoming weekend plans set, Bayne’s first Truck Series start with Rackley W.A.R. is set to occur at Homestead-Miami Speedway this Saturday, October 21, with the event’s broadcast time to occur at noon ET on FS1.

  • Chandler Smith joins Rackley W.A.R. for Truck Playoff event at Talladega

    Chandler Smith joins Rackley W.A.R. for Truck Playoff event at Talladega

    Chandler Smith will be spending the upcoming off-weekend period from NASCAR Xfinity Series competition by competing in this weekend’s NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series Playoff event at Talladega Superspeedway for Rackley W.A.R.

    The news comes nearly a week after Rackley W.A.R. parted ways from Matt DiBenedetto for the remaining three Truck Series events of the 2023 season. Prior to this news, DiBenedetto had announced that he would not remain with the organization for the 2024 season. The news also comes as the 21-year-old Smith from Talking Rock, Georgia, is currently campaigning in his first full-time season in the Xfinity Series for Kaulig Racing, where he is vying for both the rookie and driver’s titles in a season where he has achieved one victory at Richmond Raceway in April, three poles, seven top-five results, 11 top-10 results, 295 laps led and an average-finishing result of 15.0 through 28 starts.

    “I’m super-grateful for Rackley W.A.R. giving me the opportunity to run their truck this weekend at Talladega [Superspeedway],” Smith said. “Being able to represent Rackley Roofing, W.A.R. Shocks, and this entire organization, is extremely cool. I’m definitely proud of and looking forward to the opportunity.”

    Smith is no stranger to the Truck Series. After making a combined 16 starts from 2019-20 for Kyle Busch Motorsports, Smith competed in the Truck Series on a full-time basis for KBM in 2021. During the season, he made the Playoffs based on points and notched his first two career victories (Bristol Motor Speedway in September and Phoenix Raceway in November) before finishing in eighth place in the final standings and capturing the Rookie-of-the-Year title. The 2022 Truck season was a breakout year for Smith, who achieved three victories throughout the 23-race schedule (Las Vegas Motor Speedway in March, Pocono Raceway in July and Richmond Raceway in August). Coupled with nine top-five results and 16 top-10 results, Smith made the 2022 Playoffs, transferred to the Championship 4 round and was in contention for the series’ title before finishing in third place in the final standings.

    Through 61 career starts in the Truck Series, Smith has achieved five victories, one pole, 23 top-five results, 34 top-10 results, 755 laps led and an average-finishing result of 12.6.

    The driver change for Rackley W.A.R. for the upcoming event at Talladega comes at a pivotal weekend for the team, which achieved its first victory at Talladega a year ago with Matt DiBenedetto and is currently situated in ninth place in this year’s owner’s standings. DiBenedetto made the 2023 Truck Playoffs based on points, but was eliminated from title contention following the Round of 10. Nonetheless, he had recorded two top-five results, 12 top-10 results, 16 laps led and an average-finishing result of 14.0 prior to his release from Rackley W.A.R.

    Overall, Smith is set to become the eighth different competitor to compete in at least one Truck Series event for Rackley W.A.R., joining a list that includes Willie Allen, Josh Berry, William Byron, Matt DiBenedetto, Tate Fogleman, Brett Moffitt and Timothy Peters.

    “We are really excited to have Chandler in the truck this weekend at Talladega,” Willie Allen, co-owner of Rackley W.A.R., said. “I’ve known Chandler and his family pretty much his whole life. They’re really good people and Chandler is a great driver. We’re looking forward to the weekend.”

    In addition to the 2024 season, the team’s driver plans for the final two Truck events of this season at Homestead-Miami Speedway and at Phoenix Raceway remain to be determined.

    Smith is scheduled to make his Truck Series return with Rackley W.A.R. at Talladega Superspeedway on Saturday, September 30. The event’s broadcast time is slated to occur at 1 p.m. ET on FS1.

  • DiBenedetto departing Rackley W.A.R. following 2023 Truck Series season

    DiBenedetto departing Rackley W.A.R. following 2023 Truck Series season

    Matt DiBenedetto took to social media to announce that he will not be returning to Rackley W.A.R. for the 2024 NASCAR season.

    The news comes as the 32-year-old DiBenedetto from Grass Valley, California, is currently competing in his second season with the organization in the Craftsman Truck Series. Having made the 2023 Truck Series Playoffs, DiBenedetto is currently situated in 10th place in the Playoff standings and is 20 points below the top-eight cutline to transfer to the Round of 8 entering the Round of 10 finale that will occur next weekend at Kansas Speedway.

    The following message features DiBenedetto’s statement on X that depicts his planned departure from Rackley W.A.R. at season’s end and reflection while planning his future.

    DiBenedetto joined Rackley W.A.R. as a full-time competitor prior to the 2022 NASCAR season. By then, he was also set to embark in his first full-time stint in the Truck Series after spending the previous five seasons in the NASCAR Cup Series. During his first season, he missed the Playoffs, but scored his first career victory at Talladega Superspeedway in October, which marked his first win across NASCAR’s top three national touring series and the first ever for Rackley W.A.R. He also recorded a total of seven top-10 results during the 23-race schedule before finishing in 13th place in the final standings.

    This season, he has achieved 10 top-10 results, 14 laps led and an average-finishing result of 14.8 through 18-scheduled events. His current best on-track result is a third-place run at North Wilkesboro Speedway in May as he pursues his first victory of the season.

    Having made a current total 41 starts in the Truck Series, DiBenedetto has also made 69 career starts in the Xfinity Series and 248 in the Cup Series, where he has notched 50 top-10 career finishes between all three series.

    Plans for DiBenedetto and Rackley W.A.R. for the 2024 season remain to be foreseen. In the meantime, the duo will return to action at Kansas Speedway on September 8 as they aim to keep their championship hopes for this season alive. The event’s broadcast time is scheduled to occur at 9 p.m. ET on FS1.