Johnny Sauter Bio
Jonathan Joseph Sauter, known professionally as Johnny Sauter, is an American professional stock car racing driver born on May 1, 1978. He last competed part-time in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series, driving the No. 66 Ford F-150 for ThorSport Racing. Across a career spanning more than two decades, Sauter has raced in the NASCAR Cup Series, the NASCAR Xfinity Series, and the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series, earning recognition as one of the most consistent short-track and intermediate-track competitors of his era.
Early Life and Background
Jonathan Joseph Sauter was born on May 1, 1978, in Necedah, Wisconsin. He grew up in a household with deep ties to motorsports, as the son of former NASCAR driver Jim Sauter. His brothers, Tim Sauter and Jay Sauter, also became NASCAR drivers, and his nephew, Travis Sauter, followed the family into racing. The strong racing lineage of the Sauter family gave Jonathan early exposure to stock car competition across the Midwest.
After graduating high school in 1996, Sauter began competing in various amateur series throughout Wisconsin and the Midwest. By the end of 1997, he had collected three wins in the Sportsman Division at Dells Raceway Park and a win in the Late Model Division at the La Crosse Fairgrounds Speedway. He joined the American Speed Association Series in 1998, and by 2001 he had earned the ASA Series Championship and the ASA National Tour Rookie of the Year award in 2001.
Path to NASCAR
Sauter’s 2001 ASA championship caught the attention of prominent NASCAR team owner Richard Childress. That same year, Richard Childress Racing invited him to drive the No. 21 Rockwell Automation Chevrolet in five Busch Series races. Sauter finished in the top fifteen in three of his five starts, including a fifth-place finish in the AutoLite Fram 250 at Richmond, which marked his first NASCAR national series start.
His early performances earned him a full-time Busch Series opportunity in 2002, when Childress hired him to run a complete schedule in the No. 2 AC Delco Chevrolet. Sauter posted five top-ten finishes, including his first Busch Series victory in the Tropicana Twister 300 at Chicagoland Speedway. The strong foundation built during his ASA and Busch years positioned Sauter for a transition into NASCAR’s national series on a full-time basis.
Johnny Sauter Career
Early Career (2001–2003)
Following his ASA championship, Sauter made his first five Busch Series starts in 2001 with Richard Childress Racing. In 2002, he ran a full Busch schedule and captured his first victory at Chicagoland Speedway, while also being involved in one of the largest accidents in NASCAR history at Talladega. He returned to the Busch Series in 2003, splitting time between Childress Racing and the Curb Agajanian Performance Group, earning fourteen top-ten finishes and a win at Richmond in the No. 43.
During 2003, Sauter also made his Winston Cup debut with Morgan-McClure Motorsports, driving the No. 4 Kodak Easy Share Pontiac Grand Prix in five races. He also ran three races in the Craftsman Truck Series for Fasscore Motorsports that season, posting a tenth-place run at Richmond. By the end of 2003, Sauter had established himself as a versatile competitor across NASCAR’s three national series.
NASCAR Cup Series Breakthrough (2004–2008)
Childress hired Sauter to drive the No. 30 American Online Chevrolet in the Winston Cup Series full-time in 2004. After thirteen races, he was replaced by Dave Blaney, but later attempted two more races in the No. 33 car. He finished the year running the No. 09 Miccosukee Gaming Dodge for Phoenix Racing, posting a best finish of 29th. In 2005, Sauter joined Phoenix Racing full-time, scoring eleven top-ten finishes and a win at his home track of Milwaukee, though he was later disqualified at Texas after his car failed post-race inspection.
Sauter moved to Haas CNC Racing in 2006, earning one pole and nine top-tens, then drove the No. 70 for the team in 2007, posting two top-tens. After being dropped from the No. 70, he rejoined Phoenix Racing for 2008, was released after five races, and spent the remainder of the year running substitute starts for several teams, including Haas CNC and Fitz Motorsports. Across his Cup career, Sauter also made one start in the Coca-Cola 600 during 2006, finishing 24th.
NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series Breakthrough (2009–2015)
Sauter returned to the Truck Series in 2009, replacing Shelby Howard in the No. 13 FunSand truck for ThorSport Racing. He won his first-ever Truck Series race at Las Vegas, holding off teammate Matt Crafton, and was named Camping World Truck Series Rookie of the Year. In 2010, he picked up his second career truck win at Kansas, then added a third victory at Martinsville in 2011 after battling Kyle Busch on the last lap. Despite winning the 2011 season finale at the Ford 200, he lost the championship to Austin Dillon by six points.
In 2012, Sauter won the WinStar World Casino 400K with a ThorSport Racing 1–2 finish alongside Matt Crafton. He opened 2013 with a win at Daytona International Speedway, marking Toyota’s 100th Camping World Truck Series victory, and followed it with a win at Martinsville, becoming only the second driver to win back-to-back season openers in Truck Series history. He also competed in several Wisconsin short-track events in 2015, including wins at Madison International Speedway and State Park Speedway.
GMS Racing Era (2016–2018)
On October 15, 2015, Sauter announced that he would join GMS Racing for 2016. He won in his debut with the team at Daytona, then added victories at Martinsville and Texas to advance to the championship round. Sauter clinched the 2016 Truck Series championship at Homestead, finishing third in the race. In 2017, he added wins at Dover and Chicagoland before sweeping Texas and Phoenix, but finished second in the final standings by one point to Christopher Bell.
Sauter opened 2018 by winning at Daytona for the third time, then added wins at Dover, Charlotte, Texas, Bristol, and Martinsville to finish fourth in the standings. He was also named the 2018 Camping World Truck Series Regular Season Champion. That same year, he returned to the Xfinity Series at Dover in the No. 23 GMS car, substituting for the suspended Spencer Gallagher.
Return to ThorSport Racing (2019–2021)
On January 9, 2019, GMS announced it had parted ways with Sauter, and he later rejoined ThorSport Racing to drive the No. 13. He won his first race of the season at Dover in May, then was parked at Iowa for wrecking Austin Hill under caution, resulting in a one-race suspension. He was eliminated from the playoffs at Las Vegas after an engine failure and later lost a potential win at Talladega when NASCAR penalized him for blocking below the yellow line, finishing the year sixth in the standings.
In 2020, Sauter failed to win a race for the first time since 2015, missed the Truck Series playoffs for the first time since 2016, and finished thirteenth in the standings. The following year, ThorSport switched manufacturers from Ford back to Toyota, but Sauter’s results did not improve, as he again missed the playoffs and finished twelfth in the final standings in 2021.
ThorSport Racing Part-Time Era (2022–Present)
After his two winless seasons, Sauter was not retained as a full-time driver at ThorSport and was demoted to part-time status in 2022, with Ty Majeski promoted to the full-time ride. He ran the season-opener at Daytona in the No. 47 truck for the new G2G Racing team and also drove the Young’s Motorsports No. 02 truck in the season finale at Phoenix. In 2023, he was announced for another Daytona start with G2G Racing before being replaced on the entry list, and later that year he joined Roper Racing to drive the No. 04 truck beginning in April.
Driving Style and Strengths
Sauter built his reputation as a tough, short-track and intermediate-track racer with a particular strength on flat, worn-out surfaces such as Martinsville and the mile-and-a-half ovals. He was known for his ability to stretch fuel runs, manage tire wear, and capitalize on late-race restarts. His physical, aggressive driving style often produced memorable battles, including his last-lap pass of Kyle Busch at Martinsville in 2011 and his charge through the 2016 Truck Series Chase.
Notable Races and Milestones
Among Sauter’s signature performances are his 2016 Truck Series championship, his three Daytona wins, his 2013 season-opening sweep, and his thrilling 2011 Martinsville victory over Kyle Busch. He also earned the Camping World Truck Series Regular Season Championship in 2018 and was a consistent championship contender throughout the 2016 to 2019 playoff era.
Johnny Sauter Career Wins
Johnny Sauter has built a reputation as a winner in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series, with victories spread across multiple tracks and seasons. His wins have come at venues ranging from Daytona and Martinsville to Dover, Texas, Phoenix, and Chicagoland. He captured the 2016 NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series championship and added the 2018 Regular Season Championship to his list of accomplishments.
Craftsman Truck Series Highlights
Sauter scored his first Truck Series victory at Las Vegas in 2009 and has since added wins at Kansas, Martinsville, Daytona, Dover, Texas, Chicagoland, Phoenix, Charlotte, and Bristol. His most recent wins came during the 2018 season, when he won at Dover, Charlotte, Texas, Bristol, and Martinsville. Across his Truck Series career, he has been one of the most consistent playoff contenders of his generation.
Other Wins and Performances
Beyond the Truck Series, Sauter captured a Busch Series win in 2002 at Chicagoland Speedway and added a second Busch Series victory in 2003 at Richmond. He also won in the ASA National Tour in 2001 and has claimed several short-track victories in Wisconsin, including races at Madison International Speedway, State Park Speedway, and the La Crosse Fairgrounds Speedway.
Johnny Sauter Family
Family Background and Racing Lineage
Johnny Sauter comes from one of the most recognized racing families in Wisconsin. His father, Jim Sauter, was a NASCAR driver, and his brothers Tim Sauter and Jay Sauter have also competed at the NASCAR national series level. His nephew, Travis Sauter, has likewise pursued a career in racing, continuing the family’s deep ties to the sport.
Personal Life
Sauter lives in Necedah, Wisconsin, with his family. Outside of racing, he enjoys flying, fishing, and playing the banjo, and he is of the Catholic faith. His deep Wisconsin roots have remained a constant throughout his national touring career.
2025 Season Performance
As of 2025, Johnny Sauter has not been announced as a full-time competitor in any of NASCAR’s three national series. Following his part-time schedule with ThorSport Racing, Roper Racing, and G2G Racing in recent seasons, his most recent confirmed on-track activity came with Roper Racing in the 2023 NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series. His official status for the 2025 season has not been confirmed.
Throughout his career, Sauter has built a reputation as a veteran presence in the Truck Series garage, often offering guidance to younger drivers and team personnel. Should he return to part-time competition in 2025, his experience at short tracks and intermediates would make him a strong contender for limited-schedule opportunities with established teams.
Looking ahead, Sauter’s legacy in the Truck Series remains secure through his 2016 championship and his three Daytona wins. Whether behind the wheel or in a mentoring role, his decades of experience ensure he will remain a familiar figure in the NASCAR garage for years to come.
