Sauter denies Phoenix's claim that his removal was sponsor-driven

By Lee Montgomery - Associate Editor

Monday, March 24, 2008

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Phoenix Racing General Manager Marc Reno said over the weekend at Nashville Supeerspeedway that the removal of Johnny Sauter as driver of the team’s No. 1 Chevrolets was sponsor-driven.

The team is sponsored by a resort owned by the Miccosukee Indian tribe, and Reno said, “It was a sponsor request to take Johnny out of the car.”

“This is the first time that they’ve ever disapproved one of our drivers,” Reno said. “That’s why we took Johnny out.”

Sauter joined the team for 2008 and posted a best finish of 13th in the first five races.

“I’m not president of the Johnny Sauter fan club, but I didn’t have any problem working with him," Reno said. [Team owner] James [Finch] really likes him. It was hard. But it was either the sponsorship or him, and it doesn’t take long to figure that math out.”

Sauter, in a statement, disputed Reno's account of why he was let go.

"I guess they found out that I don't like to gamble," Sauter said jokingly. "No seriously, I guess the Miccosukees are under the impression that the driver has the power to turn the organization around, and I respect that opinion. But to be perfectly honest, J.J. Yeley, Mike Wallace and Johnny Benson are all great drivers who struggled in Phoenix Racing equipment and were replaced. How many drivers do you have to fire before you realize that they're not the problem?

"As far as sponsors are concerned, Yellow Transportation is an international brand that put its support behind me for three years, and I take pride in the fact that they thought enough of me as a representative to follow me to Haas when I left Phoenix Racing in 2006."

Former Cup driver Sterling Marlin drove the No. 1 at Nashville, but Reno said that is likely only a temporary arrangement. Marlin doesn’t want to do more than 10 to 12 races, and a search for another driver is under way.

Whether Marlin splits time with another driver is unknown, Reno said.

“Sterling’s just in the car this week, and he’s going to go test with us at Richmond,” Reno said. “But we’re interviewing other drivers.
We’ve got to run it by the sponsor. I don’t know where we’re at on that. We’ve got three or four people.”

“I think we’ve been running better the last couple of weeks, but this is the first week we’ve had everybody going in one direction. I might be good to leave him in there for a few weeks and get the team a little bit more up to par.”

Reno said there were “surprisingly good’ drivers the team could sign.