PENSACOLA, Fla. — A lot has changed for Kevin Harvick Inc.’s Super Late Model program since their first Snowball Derby attempt with Ryan Preece in 2023.
The most notable difference is the additional support the No. 62 has for Sunday’s big race at Five Flags Speedway. In October, KHI announced an alliance with Rackley W.A.R. for the 2025 season. The deal will see Kevin Harvick and his son Keelan compete under their new partner’s banner in short-track events across the country.
Willie Allen, who co-owns Rackley W.A.R. alongside Curtis Sutton, sees Sunday’s Snowball Derby as an opportunity to build more cohesion with KHI before the new year. Given Harvick’s influence, Allen is setting high expectations for the No. 62 and the rest of the Rackley W.A.R. armada.
“ I’m definitely excited to have a partnership with Kevin and KHI,” Allen said. “It means a lot to have that caliber of a guy that believes in us and trusts our program. He’s come on board as a consultant for us on the [NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series] team and is racing for us some. We’re excited about [the Snowball Derby] and next year.”
Harvick drove a Rackley W.A.R. Pro Late Model at Florence Motor Speedway in August to lay the foundation for the 2014 NASCAR Cup Series champion to team up with the burgeoning operation.
It did not take long for Allen and Harvick to find common ground with their goals, particularly with driver development. Since forming Rackley W.A.R. in 2021, Allen has helped numerous young competitors refine their race craft at the grassroots level such as Dawson Sutton, Curtis’ son, and NASCAR Xfinity Series driver Connor Zilisch.
Like Allen, Harvick has been occupied with developing talent since restarting KHI. The 2024 season was a successful one for KHI in Late Model Stocks, as Brent Crews visited Victory Lane three times with the program, all while Landen Lewis broke out for his first win at North Carolina’s Wake County Speedway.
I n only a few years, both Rackley W.A.R. and KHI have grown to possess so much influence at the short track level. Allen knew combining resources and ideologies could only benefit everyone involved, especially with Rackley W.A.R. moving from Centerville, Tennessee to Statesville, North Carolina during the winter.
Despite dealing with so much change, Allen was determined to start his new relationship with Harvick on a positive note. Every interaction with Harvick so far has only reinforced to Allen why partnering with KHI was a great idea.
“When you talk to Kevin, it’s no secret as to why he’s successful,” Allen said. “He’s so organized, very well put together and definitely a smart guy. He knows how to win as a driver and an owner and brings so much to the table.”
Harvick’s insight was invaluable to Allen as Rackley W.A.R. made final preparations for the Snowball Derby. Four cars comprise the Snowball Derby roster for Rackley W.A.R. between Super Late Models and Pro Late Models. Allen believes and of them can notch a win.
The driver piloting the KHI-branded No. 62 for Rackley W.A.R. is defending ARCA Menards Series East champion William Sawalich, who is making his second Snowball Derby appearance. Sawalich brings plenty of Super Late Model success to the seat having previously triumphed in the All American 400 at Nashville Fairgrounds Speedway.
Nearly everything has gone according to plan for Sawalich at Five Flags this week. Exchanging feedback with Rackley W.A.R. enabled Sawalich to quickly find a comfort zone that he believes bolsters his odds of taking home the prestigious Tom Dawson Trophy.
“When we tested, we worked on some front turn and got to the point where we needed [to be],” Sawalich said. “We have some speed. I’ve got some good guys behind me, and it’s been good working with Rackley [W.A.R.]. I feel like we’re a good team, so hopefully on Sunday we’ll be ready to go.”
The first Snowball Derby venture for Sawalich in 2023 featured plenty of positives and negatives. After qualifying 26th, Sawalich had to methodically climb his way toward the front of the field before settling for a 10th-place run, two laps behind race winner Ty Majeski.
A year of competing in various disciplines around the U.S. has only refined Sawalich’s approach to big events like the Snowball Derby. More wisdom also enables Sawalich to share ideas with Allen, along with his Rackley W.A.R. teammates for the weekend in Dawson, Nicholas Naugle and Sylas Ripley.
Having previously worked with Sawalich, Allen said the driver’s maturity is what separates him from other young competitors in the industry and makes him a favorite for the Snowball Derby victory.
“William’s feedback is unreal,” Allen said. “He is a top-notch driver, and his record shows how great of a driver he is. He’s another part of our stable that has a chance to win. That car gets better every time it goes out, so we’re excited to see how things go.”
A llen feels the laps Sawalich and the rest of his drivers have logged all week have given him a solid notebook for the Snowball Derby and the Snowflake. Now it comes down to executing their respective game plans for each race.
Now in their fourth year of operation, Rackley W.A.R. lacks the experience of other drivers and teams that are regular Snowball Derby entrants. Despite this, Allen believes his operation can write their own chapter in the event’s long history this weekend; a belief further solidified by Harvick’s ongoing involvement.
Sawalich echoes Allen’s confidence about a potential Snowball Derby victory. A myriad of factors will need to fall his way to take the checkered flag first on Sunday, but Sawalich knows has the experience and environment around him to cross off a crucial milestone in the KHI-branded No. 62.
“I’d love to win, and I think I can win,” Sawalich said. “You’ve got to get a good, long-run car. This track eats tires, so you’ve got to be prepared for what’s to come. [A Snowball Derby victory] is something everyone wants, and I’ve wanted it for about three years now.”
For Allen, being able to align with a program like KHI for the Snowball Derby and beyond reflects how much Rackley W.A.R. has developed in a short period of time.
Like every new team, Rackley W.A.R. struggled with growing pains attempting to ascertain what could work at short tracks and in the Truck Series. Four years later, they now have a realistic chance to obtain Super Late Model racing’s crown jewel with one of the most accomplished drivers in NASCAR history at their side.
Rackley W.A.R. has nearly achieved Snowball Derby immortality during their lifespan, as they earned a pole with Josh Berry back in 2022. Allen wants to best that milestone on Sunday by having one of his Super Late Models prevail on Sunday.
“This is the biggest Late Model race there is, and it’s definitely been circled on the calendar all year,” Allen said. “We’ve had really good cars every time we’ve been [to Five Flags], so we’re trying to keep building that notebook to get better. We’ve gotten to sniff [a Snowball Derby victory] a little bit.
“We just need one more spot.”
Patience and diligence have primed Rackley W.A.R. to make a run at a Snowball Derby with KHI; an alliance that could potentially establish the two entities as a powerhouse across motorsports for years to come.
