Johnny Sauter to compete in Truck series for ThorSport Racing
ThorSport Racing announced Tuesday that Johnny Sauter has been named driver of the organization’s No. 13 Chevrolet for 2009 in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series.
Sauter replaces Shelby Howard, who joined the team in 2008 but netted just one top-five and two top-10 finishes in 25 starts.
Sauter has raced in all three of NASCAR’s national series, including Sprint Cup, where he made all but one of his nine starts in 2008 for Haas CNC Racing.
The 2009 campaign is slated to mark Sauter’s first full season of Truck competition.
“I’m excited to race full time in the Truck series and to do it with a quality team like ThorSport,” Sauter said. “The Truck series provides some of the best racing out there, with a tremendous grassroots feel.”
Sauter has a total of 11 career Truck starts, with the most recent coming last fall at Martinsville Speedway.
The addition of Sauter rounds out the Sandusky, Ohio-based ThorSport Racing’s driver lineup for 2009, as driver Matt Crafton will return to the organization’s No. 88 truck.
Crafton enters 2009 on the heels of arguably his best season ever, in which he finished fifth in points and claimed his first series career victory, which came at Charlotte in May.
“I’m looking forward to having Johnny as part of our team, and I’m confident he’ll do well in this series,” Crafton said. “He brings lots of experience and has those intangibles that are important to success. Hopefully, I can help make it a smooth transition for him, and at the same time, there’s a lot I can learn from him, too. I think we'll make a great team.”
A sponsor has not been named for Sauter’s truck; Menards will return to Crafton’s No. 88.
Sauter is excited about his team’s potential.
“[Team owner] Duke Thorson has established a strong, winning organization at ThorSport, and I’m thankful he’s given me this opportunity,” Sauter said. “All of the pieces are lined up for great things to happen. This is a great group of guys with a fierce determination to succeed, and I’m excited to be a part of it. I can’t wait to get going."
