EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW
4 full throttle questions for Rackley WAR owner Willie Allen
Jun 10, 2021, 2:48 pm
Start your engines! Photo by Todd Warshaw/Getty Images.
Today, I had the privilege of talking to Willie Allen, co-owner of the newly formed Rackley WAR racing team in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series. He talks about how the new deal came together with co-owner Chris Sutton, and the challenges of running a new team with the COVID protocols. He also discusses the future of the team and who their driver could be in the next few weeks.
SportsMap: I am joined today by 2007 NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Rookie of the Year and newest Camping World Truck Series owner Mr. Willie Allen! Thank you so much for joining me.
Willie Allen: You bet! Thanks for having me.
SM: So first and foremost, a new team here with Rackley WAR, tell us a little bit about how this deal came together.
Allen: So I am partnered up with Curtis Sutton of Rackley Roofing, and we had a driver development late model team called WAR Development (That's where the name Rackley WAR came from plus we have a suspension company called WAR Shocks) and he sponsored one of our drivers named Brittney Zamora, and we just got to talking and hit it off, and he asked me about the possibility of running a truck team. And it had always been a goal of mine, so one thing led to another and here we are.
SM: So starting out, I know a lot of teams have alliances, can you talk about where you guys get some of your motors and the infrastructure of this new team and where your shop is?
Allen: So we are still in our same shop with our late model team here and our shock company WAR Shocks. So it gets a little crowded, but it actually works out well with the trucks. But what helped us get ahead of the learning curve was our alliance with GMS Racing, and they have been tons of help. They paint our bodies, do a lot of the fabrication and help with some of the engineering, so it's been really good to have their help. They have been awesome.
SM: I wanted to talk about your plan to enter William Byron in one of your trucks at Nashville. Are there plans to expand to two trucks in the future?
Allen: We definitely are looking into expanding to a second team. Our five-year goal is to have three teams, but hopefully soon we'll have a full time second team.
SM: That's really exciting to get a peek behind the curtain. For the next three races, you guys will have Josh Berry in the #25 truck. Could you possibly see a scenario where he could run the rest of the season?
Allen: Well first and foremost, I have known Josh and he's a great friend of mine. He should definitely be running full-time in the cup series, but definitely. We plan to take these two races and kind of go from there. But it would be great for us to work together and continue to build this program, but you know how this industry is. Everything changes in an instant so who knows what can happen next weekend, but anytime you can get Josh Berry behind the wheel you know he can get it done.
You can listen to the rest of the interview below:
Takeaways from the Tigers sweep of the Astros
Total butt kicking. The offense was dreadful, scoring just two runs over three games. However, what’s killing the offense the most is the outfield. Outside of when Altuve plays left field, Houston doesn’t have another major league-quality outfielder right now. Jesus Sanchez not only swung at a Charlie Morton curveball that hit him in the knee, he’s also ice-cold, going 0-for-28 at the plate. At least he’s someone you expect to turn things around, but he’s in a huge slump currently. Beyond him, Jacob Melton, Taylor Trammell, and Chas McCormick have all been dragging down the offense. Cam Smith is struggling too, with just one hit in his last seven games.
Is Framber Valdez going to be okay?
Starting pitching was another big issue against the Tigers, and Valdez was a key part of the problem, basically losing the finale in the first inning after allowing six runs. This isn’t an outlier—he’s got a 7+ ERA through four starts in August. Spencer Arrighetti isn’t faring much better, posting a 7+ ERA through three starts. One silver lining with Valdez: the Tigers know him well. They had success against him in the playoffs last season, and it looks like they’re continuing that formula—force him to throw strikes, hit the other way on the sinker, and if the curveball isn’t up, let it go. AJ Hinch knows the deal.
Is the return of Yordan Alvarez enough to boost the offense?
It has to be. The only real way to give this lineup a spark is getting Yordan and Jake Meyers back. Yordan had a successful first rehab outing, collecting a couple of hits, a walk, and even a stolen base. Adding him back to the top of the lineup gives the Astros a formidable top four: Peña, Altuve, Yordan, and Correa. As for Meyers, the outfield has been the biggest drag on the offense. The key is whether he can continue to hit near .300 when he returns from injury. If he does, Altuve and Meyers in the outfield makes a huge difference, and Joe Espada can figure out right field with Sanchez and Smith.
Is the schedule not as soft as anticipated?
We’ve seen some strange results across the league this week, and some of that has to be chalked up to the Dog Days of Summer. Players are tired, and results have been wild. Thankfully, the Mariners are struggling too, giving the Astros some breathing room. Player adjustments after the trade deadline could also be a factor—Sanchez, anyone? Many big free agents have struggled immediately after changing teams, Walker and Juan Soto included.
Can they recover and take advantage of bad teams?
One thing we know about this year’s Astros: they can flip the switch and win multiple series on a moment’s notice. They’re just as capable of sweeping a series as they are of getting swept. Let’s hope that starts with four wins in Baltimore.
There's so much more to get to! Don't miss the video below as we examine the topics above and much, much more!
The MLB season is finally upon us! Join Brandon Strange, Josh Jordan, and Charlie Pallilo for the Stone Cold ‘Stros podcast which drops each Monday afternoon, with an additional episode on Thursday!
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