TRICON Garage (TRICON) has signed both Sammy Smith and Dawson Sutton to compete full-time in the NASCAR FedEx Freight Truck Series (NFXFTS) in 2027, the organization announced Friday at Talladega Superspeedway.
Sammy Smith, a native of Johnston, Iowa, will take over driving duties of the No. 15 Toyota Tundra TRD Pro next season, after spending the last four seasons competing full-time in the NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series. The season-opener at Daytona in February will mark the start of Smith’s first full-time campaign in the NASCAR Truck Series.
The 22-year-old driver brings a great deal of experience with him to TRICON in 2026, picking up three victories, 29 top five, and 65 top-10 finishes in his career in the O’Reilly Auto Parts Series, as well as two top-five and six top 10s in 10 NASCAR Truck Series starts.
Smith is scheduled to compete in a pair of NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series for Spire Motorsports (Talladega and Martinsville), as well as three more NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series events for JR Motorsports (Talladega, Martinsville, and Homestead) before making the switch to TRICON.
Dawson Sutton, a native of Lebanon, Tennessee, will serve as the full-time driver of the No. 5 Toyota Tundra TRD Pro in 2027, marking his second full-time campaign in the NASCAR FedEx Freight Truck Series, migrating over from his family-owned team, Rackley W.A.R.
Since 2024, Sutton has contested 53 NASCAR Truck Series events, picking up a pair of top-five results at Kansas in September of 2024 and Talladega in October of 2025, as well as four top-10 finishes. With three races to go in the season, Sutton currently sits a career-best-matching 18th in points.
Most of Sutton’s recent successes, though, have come in the grassroots racing scene, with the 20-year-old driver winning the 2024 Nashville Fairgrounds Speedway Pro Late Model Championship while earning high-profile victories in the 2025 All American 400 and Glass City 200.
“We are excited to welcome Dawson and Sammy to the TRICON family for 2027 and are confident they’ll be great additions for our program,” said Kevin Ray, Partner and General Manager of TRICON Garage. “Sammy’s experience and prior success, combined with Dawson’s ability and growth as a driver, give us a lot to look forward to. We are confident in the lineup we have assembled and look forward to seeing what we can accomplish together.”
With Friday’s announcement at Talladega Superspeedway, TRICON has solidified its full-time lineup for the 2027 NASCAR FedEx Freight Truck Series campaign. Dawson Sutton will drive the No. 5, Kaden Honeycutt will drive the No. 11, Sammy Smith will drive the No. 15, and Gio Ruggiero will drive the No. 17.
The No. 1 Toyota Tundra TRD Pro will continue to feature a rotation of drivers.
Further details regarding crew chief pairings and team partnerships will be announced at a later date.
