Sandusky, Ohio (November 9, 2015) – Johnny Sauter, driver of the No. 98 Smokey Mountain Herbal Snuff Toyota Tundra, will make his seventh start at Phoenix (Ariz.) International Raceway (PIR) on Friday night, site of race No. 22 of 23 on the 2015 NASCAR Camping World Truck Series (NCWTS) schedule. In six previous starts, the ThorSport Racing driver has one pole (2009), and has led 11 laps (2009) en route to three top-five and five top-10 finishes. With only two races remaining in the 2015 season, Sauter is looking for a win – his first of the 2015 NCWTS season, and first for partner Smokey Mountain.
In fact, if Sauter can make his way to victory lane on Saturday, in his seventh start at PIR, the ThorSport Racing driver will have found his way to victory lane in seven consecutive NCWTS seasons, a feat that only four drivers have been able to do in the series 20-year history (Todd Bodine, Kyle Busch, and Ron Hornaday, Jr., and Timothy Peters).
Sounding Off – Johnny Sauter:
“I liked Phoenix a lot when it was the old style, but as it’s started to age, you’ve started to see people run all over the race track. The one thing I hope is that tires make a difference this year, because it’s usually a two tire race, where track position is everything. I like racing there, and hopefully we can have a good run for all the Smokey Mountain executives that will be there to support us this weekend.”
News & Notes:
- Chassis Chatter… The No. 98 ThorSport Racing team will unload chassis No. 52 forFriday night’s Lucas Oil 150 at Phoenix International Raceway. This chassis was last seen at New Hampshire Motor Speedway in Loudon where Sauter started 23rd and finished third. In fact, this chassis has made four starts already this season, securing two top-five and four top-10 finishes – Dover (Del.) International Speedway (9th), Gateway Motorsports Park in St. Louis (3rd), Bristol (Tenn.) Motor Speedway (9th), and New Hampshire Motor Speedway in Loudon (3rd).
- Phoenix Stats… Sauter will make his seventh start at PIR on Friday. In six previous starts, Sauter has led 11 laps en route to three top-five and five top-10 finishes.
- 2015 Season In Review… In 21 NCWTS starts in 2015, Sauter has completed 3166 of 3171 laps attempted (99.8%), and led 118 laps en route to seven top-five and 15 top-10 finishes. The ThorSport Racing driver has an Average Start of 11.8 and an Average Finish of 8.5 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 13th and finished 13th in the WinStar World Casino 350k at Texas Motor Speedway in Fort Worth.
- 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, and Ron Hornaday, Jr., and Timothy Peters).
Sauter’s NCWTS Stats at Phoenix:
- 6 starts since 2009
- 831 of 880 laps completed (94.4%)
- 11 laps led
- Three top-five finishes
- Five top-10 finishes
- Best start: First (2009)
- Best finish: Third (2010)
- Average start: 8.5
- Average finish: 9.0
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:
- 173 starts since 2003
- 10 wins
- 63 top-five finishes
- 101 top-10 finishes
- Five poles
- 26,051 laps completed
- 1277 laps led
- Average start: 10.8
- Average finish: 10.7
Race Information:
Date: Friday, Nov. 13, 2015
Time: 8:30 p.m. ET on FOX Sports 1
Track Details: 1-mile oval
Distance: 150 laps/150 miles
About Smokey Mountain Herbal Snuff
Smokey Mountain is America’s original and best-selling tobacco-free smokeless brand. Appealing to adult smokeless tobacco consumers who are seeking tobacco-free and nicotine-free alternatives, Smokey Mountain is available in long cut and easy-to-use pouches. For more information visit:www.SmokeySnuff.com
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.
