Story By: MONTY BAILEY / RACKLEY W.A.R. – CENTERVILLE, TN – Rackley W.A.R. has named Chad Kendrick as crew chief for Dawson Sutton and the No. 26 Rackley Roofing / W.A.R. Shocks Chevrolet Silverado for the 2025 NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series (NCTS) season.
Kendrick returns to the organization after spending a year in the NASCAR Xfinity Series. During that timeframe, he scored two poles, two top 5s and four top 10s.
He says he’s happy to reunite with the North Carolina-bound race team and has high expectations for the new race season.
“My departure from Rackley W.A.R. was strictly a geographic move,” said Kendrick. “My wife was homesick, and it was honestly just a matter of doing what made the most sense at the time. Willie [Allen, co-owner] and Curtis [Sutton, co-owner] have worked very hard to reposition this team to make it competitive on a consistent basis and I think the move from Nashville to Statesville [N.C.] demonstrates just how much they are committed to building a championship race team. I’m excited to be back and even more excited to work with another young driver like Dawson Sutton who has shown immense capability. He has a bright future ahead of him if we all do our jobs behind him.”
The veteran crew chief spent three years as crew chief on the No. 25 Rackley W.A.R. Chevrolet Silverado from 2021 through 2023 and led the team to its first playoff berth with driver Matt DiBenedetto in 2023.
“I’m really glad we were able to have Chad come back with us for my rookie of the year run next year in the NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series. He brings so much success and experience to us, and I’m glad the team’s move to North Carolina allowed us to work with him again. It’s another great step in a positive direction for sure,” said Dawson Sutton.
Willie Allen, in agreement with Sutton, added that, “Chad’s experience with developing young drivers makes him a perfect fit for this next step with Dawson. We’re thrilled to welcome him back to Rackley W.A.R. as we continue building for a competitive 2025 season.”
Kendrick has multiple seasons of experience in the NCTS. He debuted atop the pit box in 2008 with Bobby Hamilton Racing and has worked with drivers like Timothy Peters, Brad Keselowski, Ross Chastain and Joey Logano. Throughout his career, he has earned seven wins, 10 poles, 61 top 5s and 128 top 10s in the series.
The NCTS makes its 2025 debut at Daytona International Speedway for the Fresh from Florida 250 on Friday, Feb. 14 at 7:30 p.m. EST and will be broadcast live on FS1.