For the second time in history, Johnny Sauter and the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series (NCWTS) will hit the dirt of the legendary Eldora Speedway in Rossburg, Ohio. Wednesday night’s 1-800-CarCash Mudsummer Classic provides Sauter with an opportunity to seize control of the championship point lead. Sitting third in the NCWTS driver point standings, NASCAR’s only dirt track event is one of the pivotal and unpredictable events that shape the race to the championship. As the only NASCAR series on dirt, and just the second dirt race in NCWTS history, Sauter and the Smokey Mountain Herbal Snuff team see Eldora as a major opportunity to open the door to victory lane and retake the points lead.
Sauter’s 2013 adventure in the dirt ended prematurely after being swept up in an accident while running inside the top-15. Sitting seven markers behind ThorSport Racing teammate Matt Crafton for the NCWTS point lead, Sauter comes to Eldora with four consecutive top-10 finishes on short tracks, dating back to Bristol (Va.) Motor Speedway in August of last season. Through the last 10 NCWTS short track races, Sauter is tied with the most top-five finishes (five), which primes the Wisconsin native to aim for the point lead as the halfway mark in the 2014 NCWTS season draws near.
Sounding Off – Johnny Sauter:
“Eldora is such a unique event for our trucks and team. The way the race plays out is much different from any other race we run. It’s a race that sticks out on the schedule, like the road course, or restrictor plate races. It’s a crap-shoot and it’s going be a game of survival. A lot of different things can happen and it’s an important race for us. Being in the top-three in points, track position is important and we need to be there at the end.”
Sauter’s Eldora Stats (2013):
• Finished fourth after starting second in Heat Race #5
• Finished 29th in the 2013 inaugural Mudsummer Classic at Eldora Speedway after starting 20th
• Ran consistently inside the top-15, as high as ninth, until being taken out in Turn 2 at lap 116 of 153
• According to NASCAR’s Loop Data Statistics, Sauter ranks:
º Sixth in Laps in Top-15 (108)
º Seventh in Average Running Position (16.23)
º Seventh in Driver Rating (61.1)
Johnny Sauter 2014:
• After an 18th-place finish at Iowa Speedway in Newton, ranks third in the 2014 NCWTS driver point standings
• Recorded a season-best third-place finish twice at Daytona (Fla.) International Speedway and Dover (Del.) International Speedway
• Recorded a season-best third-place start at Kansas Speedway in Kansas City
• In nine starts in 2014, Sauter has four top-five and seven top-10 finishes
• Has led 64 laps
• Has completed 94.5% of laps attempted (1450/1534)
• According to NASCAR’s Loop Data statistics, Sauter ranks:
º Third in Average Running Position (8.493)
º Third in Laps in Top-15 (1322)
º Fourth in Driver Rating (95.6)
Sauter’s Career Truck Series Stats:
• 139 starts since 2003
• 9 wins
• 52 top-5 finishes
• 77 top-10 finishes
• 5 poles
• 21,202 laps completed
• 1069 laps led
• Avg. Start: 10.8
• Avg. Finish: 11.1
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ABOUT SMOKEY MOUNTAIN:
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 CURB RECORDS:
Curb Records is one of the world’s leading independent music companies. Owned and operated by Mike Curb since 1962, Curb Records has achieved 375 Billboard number one records, nearly 1,200 Billboard Top Ten records and charted just under 4,000 Billboard records. Today’s roster includes some of the top names in Country, Christian and Pop/Rock music. Curb Records was honored as Billboard Magazine’s 2001 Country Music Label of the Year and Radio & Records Magazine’s 2005 Overall Gold Label of the Year. For more information visit www.curb.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 run in the Truck Series since 1996, in 2014 will run the No. 88 Menards Toyota Tundra driven by 2013 drivers’ champion Matt Crafton, the No. 98 Nextant Aerospace/Smokey Mountain Herbal Snuff/Carolina Nut Co./Curb Records Toyota Tundra driven by Johnny Sauter and the No. 13 Carolina Nut Co. Toyota Tundra driven by Jeb Burton in the Truck Series and the No. 13 Toyota Camry in the ARCA Racing Series presented by Menards.