Stats:
Started: 19th
Finished: 15th
Laps: 139/139
Status: Running
Driver Points: 4th (-17)
Owner Points: 5th
Concord, NC (May 16, 2015) – Making his seventh career NASCAR Camping World Truck Series (NCWTS) start at Charlotte (N.C.) Motor Speedway, Johnny Sauter, driver of the No. 98 Smokey Mountain Herbal Snuff/Curb Records Toyota Tundra, recovered from a 19th-place starting position to finish 15th in Friday night’s NC Education Lottery 200.
Battling a tight handling Toyota Tundra, Sauter maintained a position inside the top-20 through the races’ first 21 laps before bringing his No. 98 machine to pit road for four tires, fuel and adjustments. Restarting 14th at lap 25, the ThorSport Racing driver continued to ask crew chief Doug George to, “free up” his Toyota Tundra. George brought the green machine to pit road, under caution, twice at laps 64 and 106 for four tires, fuel and adjustments to aid in the handling.
With 30 laps remaining in the 134-lap event, Sauter reported to his crew that his Tundra was, “better on entry,” and worked his way up to the 13th position in the closing laps. Two late-race cautions would handicap Sauter in the closing laps and the Smokey Mountain driver would eventually cross the stripe in the 15th position following a green-white-checker flag finish, which saw Kasey Kahne take home the checkered flag.
Quote:
“I think we just need to go back and do our homework. Doug George and the guys made huge adjustments on every stop, and we just couldn’t make a dent in the handling. Our Tundra was too tight all night long, and we couldn’t get any track position or clean air to help it either.”
Notes:
- Johnny Sauter finished 15th in Friday night’s NC Education Lottery 200 at Charlotte Motor Speedway
- The Smokey Mountain Herbal Snuff driver ran as high as eighth and as low as 22nd but had an Average Running Position of 15.07
- In 2015, Sauter has two top-five and four top-10 finishes
- The ThorSport Racing driver remains fourth in the 2015 NCWTS driver point standings after five races this season
- Kasey Kahne won the NC Education Lottery 200 at CMS followed by Erik Jones, Matt Crafton, Tyler Reddick and Brad Keselowski. Fellow ThorSport Racing driver, Cameron Hayley, finished 14th
- In 157 career NCWTS starts, Sauter has 10 wins, 58 top-five and 90 top-10 finishes
- Up next: Lucas Oil 200 at Dover (Del.) International Speedway
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.
