Johnny Sauter, driver of the No. 13 Safe Auto/Curb Records/Carrier Chevrolet Silverado, makes his third NASCAR Camping World Truck Series start in as many years for ThorSport Racing at Charlotte Motor Speedway on Friday, May 20th. Sitting second in the driver points after teammate Matt Crafton, Sauter is comfortable reclaiming his self-proclaimed “underdog” status. With two top 15 finishes at Charlotte in the Truck Series, his focus is off the points race and on the competition.
“Being at the top of the points this early in the season was a positive surprise to me, and it was a great feeling after Nashville,” said Sauter. “It’s a lot of pressure though, when we have so many races ahead of us. Charlotte has always been a track that has challenged me, and our 1.5-mile program is really stellar this year. That’s got to be my focus with (crew chief) Joe (Shear, Jr.) and my guys. Perform on all fronts – from the truck setup to the pit cycles and fuel management. I said it at the end of Dover and I meant it, with me and Joe it’s back to basics and some tried-and-true setups we used last year for great finishes.”
Sauter, long-known as a Series “outlaw” of sorts, feels his underdog hat fits well. “The best finishes I’ve ever had, all my wins, were coming back from behind or scraping to the top all the way. That’s how I love to race. So the pressure is off right now, and I can get back to being the underdog. There’s nothing this team can’t do this year with the right focus, and we’re proving that every race. Charlotte is no different – we’re proving to the racing world exactly how consistent we can be at these tracks, using a lot of communication and strategy. ThorSport Racing is building championship-consistency teams this year, and we’re going to show that at the racetrack.”
ThorSport PR
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