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NASCAR Camping World Truck Series [NCWTS]
By Tim Tuttle, Special to Sporting News NASCAR Wire Service
NCWTS Recap:
NASCAR Camping World Truck Series [NCWTS]
By Tim Tuttle Special to Sporting News NASCAR Wire Service
NCWTS Recap: Johnny Sauter Breaks Through With Win
Johnny Sauter drove to his first victory Saturday in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series and ThorSport Racing teammate Matt Crafton was second in the Las Vegas 350 at Las Vegas Motor Speedway.
Sauter, a rookie in the trucks who has three wins in the NASCAR Nationwide Series, passed Crafton for the lead on the outside exiting Turn 2 on the 130th of 146-laps on the 1.5-mile track and steadily pulled away to win by 2.47 seconds.
"It's unbelievable, man," Sauter said. "This is a big deal for me. Last year at this time, all I was doing was start-and-parks in the Nationwide Series. We've had speed all year, but we haven't been able to close the deal. Our truck has been phenomenal for the last two months."
Sauter, driving a Chevrolet, became the first rookie to win in the truck series since Scott Speed on May 30, 2008, at Dover International Speedway.
It was Sauter's fifth straight top-five finish and lifted him two spots to fifth in the points. Sauter's best finish in the opening 15 races was fifth at Dover. His newfound competitiveness in the past five races began with the arrival of crew chief Joe Shear, who Sauter had worked with earlier in his career.
"I believe in him and I trust him 100 percent," Sauter said.
Sauter's win was the third victory in the series for ThorSport, owned by Duke and Rhonda Thorson and based in Sandusky, Ohio. ThorSport is one of the few truck teams not based in the Charlotte, N.C. area.
Crafton, who gave the team its second victory last season, cut 20 points from leader Ron Hornaday Jr., but still trails by 197 with five races remaining. Hornaday finished sixth.
"It was a decent points day, but the thing that makes me happy is finishing 1-2 for Duke and Rhonda Thorson," Crafton said. "It's the first time we've finished 1-2."
Jason White finished third, a career-best in the series. Todd Bodine was fourth and Timothy Peters fifth.
Sauter led a race-high 62 laps. He surrendered the lead to pit under caution on Lap 120 to take right-side tires and emerged in fourth behind Crafton, White and Peters, who all stayed out. Following the restart, Sauter climbed into the lead in eight laps and led the final 17, all run under green.
NCWTS Press Releases and recaps
TODD BODINE, No. 30 Lumber Liquidators Toyota Tundra,Finishing Position: 4th
How was your race tonight?
“It was pretty good. We started off really loose in through the middle. We were really good off and we got that tightened up
then it was too tight off. We never got it fixed at the end of the race. To run with these Chevys, I’m pretty happy with it.
With a Toyota, we have to keep it wound up in the middle of the corner, we can’t bog it off the corner – we’re dead. That’s
what was wrong with the end. That was a good run.”
Are you happy with tonight’s finish?
“It feels fantastic to get a top-five finish in the Lumber Liquidators Tundra. There were a couple spins tonight that probably
should have happened but we were able to save the truck. Nothing fell off the truck, we didn’t get a flat tire or anything like
that – and our pit crew had another awesome night on pit road. This has been probably the toughest year of my career. Our
performance hasn’t been bad, we’ve just had bad luck and it’s been a hard last few weeks for our team. After what we’ve
been through, we’re pretty happy the Lumber Liquidators Tundra has come out of here in fourth. It’s been great to have
Lumber Liquidators back with us for a few races this season. They have a great promotion going on for race fans that ends
this weekend. Check it out at LLFLOORS.com.”
TIMOTHY PETERS, No. 17 Strutmasters Toyota Tundra, Finishing Position: 5th
What did you think of tonight’s race?
“We had great strategy in the pits. Chad Kendrick (crew chief) and all the Strutmasters.com team did a great job. Tom
DeLoach (team owner), can’t say enough about him for giving me an awesome opportunity and Toyota. It feels good to
come to Vegas and finish fifth.”
What did you think of the delay in the start of the race due to lights?
“I was ready to go. It was like racing in South Boston Speedway back in South Boston, Virginia. I was ready to go but
NASCAR has our best interests. All in all, it was a good night.”
MIKE SKINNER, No. 5 PC Miller Toyota Tundra, Finishing Position: 7th
How was your Tundra in tonight’s race?
“Our practice today was phenomenal. We really thought we were going to win the race tonight. It was sad. We got
something going on with the front springs or something. I think they’re timed out or something. The truck just went away
and it does that on these bumpier race tracks. It’s done it about four times this year and it starts bouncing really, really hard and it went away. That was a shame because we had such a good Tundra earlier today. It was really tough.”
What’s your plans during the two off weeks?
“I have a bunch of stuff going at our new house. I’m going to spend some time with Eric (Phillips, crew chief) and we’re
going to work on these trucks and try to get these thing figured out a little bit better so we’ll run better at Texas.”
BRIAN ICKLER, No. 15 AKawareness.com/Graceway Pharmaceuticals Toyota Tundra, Finishing Position: 9th
What did you think about your finish tonight?
“We didn’t have the best qualifying effort. I started towards the back. Got a little skirmish actually, the thing started
pushing up towards the wall and I tried to jerk it away from the wall so it wouldn’t flat-side it and I ended up spinning and
going through the grass. I thought I tore the splitter off it, but got pretty lucky there, actually. We kept coming in down pit
road and working on it. I ended up finishing ninth, so all in all, I don’t think it was that bad of a day for what it could have been. I definitely wish we could have started this one over.”
Can you talk about your relationship with your spotter Tom Busch, a Las Vegas native?
“Tom is my spotter in pretty much everything I’ve been driving lately. He’s seen it all. There’s a lot of coaching from the
roof. I see him more than I see anyone in my life, really. We’re on the road together every weekend racing Late Models,
ARCA cars or the Truck Series. We spend a lot of time together and get along good. I really like having him spot. He has
a lot of knowledge to pass on.”
TAYLER MALSAM, No. 81 One-Eighty Toyota Tundra, Finishing Position: 10th
How was your race?
“It started off kind of sketchy with that spin in the beginning. Doug (Wolcott, crew chief) and the guys did a good job of
keeping me cool and get my confidence back up. I didn’t have much confidence after that deal. Overall it was a good race.
We got finished and got the truck home in one piece.”
What happened with that spin?
“I got aero-loose and spun. It was a rookie mistake, I guess.”
NASCAR Camping World Truck Series
NCWTS Point Standings
[After 20 of 25 races]
Includes Points Behind Leader
1. Ron Hornaday [Leader] [3210 points]
2. Matt Crafton [-197]
3. Mike Skinner [-255]
4. Brian Scott [-496]
5. Johnny Sauter [-563]
6. Todd Bodine [-565]
7. Colin Braun [-578]
8. Rick Crawford [-634]
9. Timothy Peters [-637]
10. David Starr [-658]
11. Tayler Malsam [-684]
12. Stacy Compton [-684]
Mike Skinner [No. 5 Tundra]
Taylor Malsam [No. 81 Tundra]
Ford Racing
James Buescher [No. 10 Ford]
Timothy Peters [No. 17 Tundra]
T.J.Bell [No. 11 Tundra]
Caitlin Shaw [No. 1 Tundra]
Manufacturer Notes and Driver Quotes
Chad McCumbee [No. 07 Chevrolet]
Dennis Setzer [No. 8 Chevrolet]
Todd Bodine [No. 30 Tundra]
Brian Scott [No. 16 Tundra]
David Starr [No. 24 Tundra]
Dennis Setzer [No. 8 Chevrolet]
Press Releases and Recaps
NCWTS Press Releases and recaps
NASCAR Camping World Truck Series [NCWTS]
By Tim Tuttle Special to the Sporting News NASCAR Wire Service
NCWTS Recap:
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