FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: news@rackleywar.com
CENTERVILLE, Tenn. (Jan. 9, 2024) — Rackley W.A.R. has named Shane Wilson as the crew chief for Ty Dillon and the No. 25 Rackley Roofing Company and W.A.R. Shocks Chevrolet Silverado for the 2024 NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series (NCTS) season.
In 2023, Wilson spent 11 races atop the pit box for Matt Crafton at ThorSport Racing before departing the team in mid-June. The veteran crew chief replaces Chad Kendrick, who had been with the organization since its debut in 2021 and made the move to the NASCAR Xfinity Series this season.
“I think having Shane at the helm of the pit box and in the race shop definitely brings the veteran assets we need to take our team to the next level,” Rackley W.A.R. President and Chief Operating Officer Willie Allen said. “His past success and work experience with Ty [Dillon] in the NASCAR Truck Series, and that relationship spells a win-win opportunity for this team.
“Shane has a strong relationship with Chevrolet and that will continue to grow that manufacturer alliance that we’ve been fortunate to establish at a higher level. This is truly a big year for all of us; to prove we will be a team in contention week in and week out. Our common goals are in place, and we feel confident that positive results will present themselves more than ever in 2024.
“This has been a tireless off-season effort to bring the right people, parts and pieces together to set a precedent very early on in this race season.”
The Vermont native’s vast knowledge spans multiple seasons and more than 500 races in NASCAR’s top three series. Wilson has worked with multiple organizations and drivers over the last 20-plus years, including Team Penske, Richard Childress Racing and David Gilliland Racing, to name a few.
Over that time, he’s amassed a combined 27 national series wins, alongside 105 top fives and 238 top-10 finishes. Additionally, he sat atop the pit box for Kevin Harvick’s dominant NASCAR Xfinity Series championship in 2006 when he won the title by more than 800 points.
“I’m excited to be a part of a playoff team, and to be able to work with a Cup-caliber driver in Ty Dillon,” Wilson explained. “In working with Willie Allen while we established the goals for this new opportunity, I think the word is ‘comfortable.’ That’s the feeling I get; it’s a good organization.
“They have built a new shop for the truck team; they have good equipment and a stepped-up relationship with Chevrolet this year. I feel like I can achieve the goals we have all set and want to achieve. I want to not only make the playoffs but go further. It would be nice to gain a win or few early on and lock us in, and we are up to the task at hand.”
Wilson also managed Richard Childress Racing’s (RCR) Truck Series team while Dillon drove for the organization in 2012 and 2013, so the two have a bit of a history when it comes to working together.
“I feel like having Ty is a bonus. We are both hungry and want to prove ourselves,” Wilson continued. “I think our previous relationship presents itself to show our full potential and Rackley W.A.R. gives us the perfect stage to do that this year. I think if we all excel together, we continue that growth together.”
The 2024 season marks the first time since 2013 that Ty Dillon will compete full-time in the NCTS. In a combined 58 Truck Series starts, Dillon boasts three wins, 20 top fines and 36 top 10s. He finished fourth in the championship standings and won Rookie of the Year honors in 2012 and followed that performance up with a runner-up result in the title race.
“I’m so excited to be working with Shane. He and I have been teammates in the past,” Dillon said. “He’s a veteran crew chief with a lot of winning experience. He’s going to help us get on the right path to success. He knows how to win at every level in NASCAR and I have a long-standing relationship since his days at RCR.”
The NCTS makes its 2024 debut at Daytona International Speedway for the NextEra Energy 250 on Friday, Feb. 16 at 7:30 p.m. EST and will be broadcast live on FS1.
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ABOUT RACKLEY W.A.R.
Rackley W.A.R. offers motorsports competition, development, marketing, management, and a suite of other industry-related services for professional race car drivers, race teams and industry sponsors. Rackley W.A.R. competes nationally in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series as well as operating a driver development program based at Nashville Fairgrounds Speedway in regional Super and Pro Late Model events. Rackley W.A.R. is headed and co-owned by Curtis Sutton (Rackley Roofing, Inc.) and Willie Allen (Willie Allen Racing and W.A.R. Shocks, LLC).
