NCWTS: SAUTER’S FINAL RIDE

Sandusky, Ohio (November 17, 2015) – Johnny Sauter, driver of the No. 98 Nextant Aerospace/Curb Records Toyota Tundra, will make his final start for ThorSport Racing in Fridaynight’s NASCAR Camping World Truck Series (NCWTS) 200 at Homestead-Miami Speedway. Sauter, who has been with ThorSport Racing seven seasons, earned Rookie of the Year honors in 2009 followed by his first series win. Since joining the Sandusky, Ohio based team in 2009, Sauter has made 163 starts, earned five poles, and led 1138 laps en route to 62 top-five, and 99 top-10 finishes. Furthermore, the Necedah, Wisconsin native has earned a victory in six consecutive NCWTS seasons, and finished within the top-10 in points every season, including five seasons with top-five finishes.

Sauter, who is currently fourth in the 2015 NCWTS driver point standings, is still looking for his first win of 2015 and the 1.5-mile Homestead-Miami Speedway could be just the place to make it happen. Of the 36 trucks entered in the 20th annual event, Sauter is the only driver entered with a win. Additionally, the veteran driver is tied with teammate Matt Crafton and fellow Toyota driver, Timothy Peters, with the most top-five finishes (2), and has led the most laps (64).

In an effort to close out the 2015 NCWTS season strong, and his seven-year tenure with ThorSport Racing, don’t count out Johnny Sauter and his No. 98 team from victory lane in Friday’s 134-lap event. Doing so, will allow Sauter to join an elite group of drivers (Todd Bodine, Kyle Busch, Ron Hornaday, Jr., and Timothy Peters) with wins in seven consecutive NCWTS seasons.

Sounding Off – Johnny Sauter:

“When I look down the schedule at all the race tracks, Homestead is unique to itself. Just where you enter the corner, where you run the corner, you can run the bottom or two inches off the top. Anywhere you want to go, you can go. The way the track is made, it always seems to give you a ‘loose-in’ sensation in the corners. You can get in the gas hard and use the entire track on exit. It’s very fun, very fast, and very competitive. It’s in my top-five of all-time favorite tracks to race at.”

News & Notes:

Chassis Chatter… The No. 98 ThorSport Racing team will unload chassis No. 42 forFriday night’s NCWTS 200 at Homestead-Miami Speedway. This chassis has been utilized three times this season at Kentucky Speedway in Sparta, starting fifth and finishing 12th, Chicagoland Speedway in Joliet, starting third and finishing fifth, and Las Vegas (Nev.) Motor Speedway, starting 13th and finishing 12th.
Homestead Stats… Sauter will make his ninth career start at Homestead-Miami Speedwayon Friday. In eight previous starts, the ThorSport Racing driver has led 64 laps en route to one win (2013), two top-five and five top-10 finishes. In fact, among the driver’s entered in the 134-lap event, Sauter is the only driver entered with a win, is tied with teammate Matt Crafton and fellow Toyota driver, Timothy Peters, with the most top-five finishes (2), and has led the most laps (64).
2015 Season In Review… In 22 NCWTS starts in 2015, Sauter has completed 3286 of 3321 laps attempted (98.9%), and led 118 laps en route to seven top-five and 15 top-10 finishes. The ThorSport Racing driver has an Average Start of 12.0 and an Average Finish of 9.3 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 16th, and was running in the third position, with 30 laps remaining in the Lucas Oil 150 at Phoenix (Ariz.) International Raceway, when he was collected in an accident on lap 120 of 150, relegating the Smokey Mountain driver to a 25th-place finish.
Sauter’s Looking For Number Seven… Sauter is one of two drivers with a win in six consecutive NCWTS seasons, and the ThorSport Racing driver is looking to make it seven in 2015. In fact, only four drivers have been able to accomplish the feat in the series 20-year history (Todd Bodine, Kyle Busch, Ron Hornaday, Jr., and Timothy Peters).

Sauter’s NCWTS Stats at Homestead:

Eight starts since 2003
976 of1079 laps completed (90.5%)
64 laps led
One win (2011)
Two top-five finishes
Five top-10 finishes
Best start: Second (2013)
Average start: 13.1
Average finish: 12.2

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:

174 starts since 2003
10 wins
63 top-five finishes
101 top-10 finishes
Five poles
26,171 laps completed
1277 laps led
Average start: 10.8
Average finish: 10.7

Race Information:

Date: Friday, Nov. 20, 2015

Time: 8:00 p.m. ET on FOX Sports 1

Track Details: 1.5-mile oval

Distance: 134 laps/201 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.