Johnny Sauter, No. 98 Nextant Aerospace Toyota Tundra
NASCAR Camping World Truck Series
Las Vegas Motor Speedway – Rhino Linings 350
Race No. 18 of 23
Team Information:
2015 Driver Point Standings: 4th
2015 Owner Point Standings: 4th
Crew Chief: Doug George
JOHNNY SAUTER READY TO “CASH IN” ON A TRIP TO VICTORY LANE IN VEGAS
Sandusky, Ohio (September 29, 2015) – Johnny Sauter, driver of the No. 98 Nextant Aerospace/Curb Records Toyota Tundra is on the hunt for his first win of the 2015 NASCAR Camping World Truck Series (NCWTS) season, and the 1.5-mile Las Vegas Motor Speedway (LVMS), site of his first series win, is a good place to “cash in.” In six previous starts since 2009, the ThorSport Racing driver has led 87 laps en route to one win (2009), and four top-five finishes. In fact, according to NASCAR’s Loop Data Statistics, Sauter ranks second in the following categories; Laps in the Top-15 (1249), Laps Led (87), and Fastest Laps Run.
Coming off two top-five finishes in the NCWTS last two stops at Chicagoland Speedway in Joliet, and New Hampshire Motor Speedway in Loudon, Sauter is ready to “cash in” on a trip to victory lane following Saturday’s Rhino Linings 350 at LVMS.
Sounding Off – Johnny Sauter:
“Early on in my NCWTS career, Las Vegas Motor Speedway was a great place for us. We got our first win there in my first start. I think in the year’s proceeding that, we had top-5 finishes. As of late though, it’s been a tough track for us. It’s aged, rough, and gotten a little more unique, where grip is a premium. I think we can apply some of what we learned at Chicago a couple weeks ago, to this weekend, because they are both rough race tracks.”
News & Notes:
- Chassis Chatter… The No. 98 ThorSport Racing team will unload chassis No. 42 forSaturday’s Rhino Linings 350 at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. This particular chassis was last seen at Chicagoland Speedway in Joliet, IL where Sauter finished fifth. It was also run at Kentucky Speedway in Sparta, earlier this season, finishing 14th.
- Las Vegas Stats… Sauter will make his seventh start at LVMS on Saturday. In six previous starts, the NCWTS veteran has led 87 laps en route to one win (2009), and four top-five finishes. According to NASCAR’s Loop Data Statistics, Sauter ranks second in Laps in the Top-15 (814), second in Laps Led (87), and second in Fastest Laps Run.
- Sauter’s Looking For Number Seven… Sauter is one of three drivers with a win won in six consecutive NCWTS seasons, and the ThorSport Racing diver is looking to make it seven in 2015. In fact, only three drivers have been able to accomplish the feat in the series 20-year history (Todd Bodine, Kyle Busch, and Ron Hornaday, Jr.).
- 2015 Season in Review… In 17 NCWTS starts in 2015, Sauter has completed 2577 of 2580 laps attempted (99.9%), and led 105 laps en route to seven top-five and 13 top-10 finishes. The ThorSport Racing driver has an Average Start of 11.5 and an Average Finish of 8.1 with a Best Start of third at Chicagoland Speedway in Joliet, and a Best Finish of third at Kansas Speedway in Kansas City and Gateway Motorsports Park in St. Louis.
- Previous Race Recap… Sauter started 23rd and finished third in the UNOH 175 at New Hampshire Motor Speedway.
Sauter’s NCWTS Stats at Las Vegas:
- Six starts since 2009
- 843 of 876 laps completed (100%)
- 87 laps led
- One win (2009)
- Four top-five finishes
- Best start: 2nd (2009)
- Average start: 8.8
- Average finish: 7.3
Johnny Sauter’s 2014 Highlights:
- Finished fourth in the NCWTS driver point standings
- Sixth consecutive full-time season driving for ThorSport Racing
- Earned a win at Michigan International Speedway in Brooklyn, extending his win streak to six consecutive seasons
- Earned eight top-five and 16 top-10 finishes
- 154 laps led
- Average finish: 9.3
Sauter’s Career Truck Series Stats:
- 169 starts since 2003
- 10 wins
- 63 top-five finishes
- 99 top-10 finishes
- Five poles
- 25,462 laps completed
- 1264 laps led
- Average start: 10.7
- Average finish: 10.7
Race Information:
Date: Saturday, October 3, 2015
Time: 10:00 p.m. ET on FOX Sports 1
Track Details: 1.5-mile oval
Distance: 146 laps/219 miles
About Nextant Aerospace
Nextant’s pioneering process for remanufacturing business jets is now recognized as an established technical and commercial success worldwide with significant sales in every major operator category and class-leading levels of comfort, performance, and reliability at a purchase price half that of comparable aircraft. The revolutionary 400XTi light jet features Williams FJ44-3AP engines and the Rockwell Collins Pro Line 21(tm) integrated flight deck. The same winning combination is expected to repeat this success with the Nextant G90XT turboprop powered by next-generation GE H75-100 engines and an enhanced Garmin G1000 integrated flight deck. Founded in 2007, Nextant is a Directional Aviation company based in Cleveland, Ohio. For more information, visitwww.nextantaerospace.com, like us on Facebook, follow us on Twitter @NextantAero or join us on LinkedIn.
About ThorSport Racing
ThorSport Racing, based in a state-of-the-art 100,000-square-foot facility in Sandusky, Ohio, is the longest-tenured NASCAR Camping World Truck Series team. ThorSport, which has competed in the NCWTS since 1996, will run the No. 88 Menards Toyota Tundra driven by two-time NCWTS drivers’ champion Matt Crafton, the No. 98 Nextant Aerospace/Smokey Mountain Herbal Snuff/Curb Records Toyota Tundra driven by Johnny Sauter, and the No. 13 Cabinets by Hayley Toyota Tundra driven by Sunoco Rookie of the Year contender, Cameron Hayley in 2015.
