Johnny Sauter’s win in the Luxaire 300 at Nashville Speedway USA on Saturday night accomplished two things: It established him as one of the best rookies to come up through the ASA ranks and a championship contender.
Sauter now sits fifth in the ASA points race, one point behind Mike Garvey, and is tied with Kevin Cywinski and Derrick Gilchrist with the most wins ever by a rookie with three.
He’s not interested in talking about records, though. Sauter would rather give credit to the team that has put him in victory lane three times in the past four races.
“We had a great car and awesome pit stops all night long,” said Sauter, who won the race from the 16th starting position. “This team is really coming together and finally showing our potential to everybody.”
"The problem with winning this guitar is the fact that I don't know how to play it. But now me and my older brother can pretend to jam together.”
Another rookie, Mike Cope, followed Sauter across the finish line second, giving him his best career finish in ASA competition. He battled with Sauter much of the night, but six other drivers also spent time leading the field.
“This is the best racing out there right now, short track or otherwise," said Cope, who bumped and banged his way across the finish line with third-place Joey Clanton. "We planned out the strategy before the green flag even flew.
“We knew it was going to make us look really smart or really stupid. Thankfully, with the yellows, it made us look good. The last caution (lap 264) might have cost us the race, as the car was good on long green flag runs."
Cywinski and Scott Hansen rounded out the Top 5.
The race featured 15 lead changes among eight drivers and seven cautions for 45 laps. Many of the yellow flags flew in the last half of the race, when the drivers started trading paint as the end of the 300-lap race neared.
Gary St. Amant, Robbie Pyle, Butch Miller, Chris Wimmer and Russ Tuttle filled out the Top 10.
Miller left Nashville with a 59-point lead over Clanton in the points standings. St. Amant is third, 92 points back. Garvey and Sauter complete the Top 5 in points.
ASA heads to I-70 Speedway in Odessa, Mo., on June 16 for the ASAracing.com 300. The event will be televised live on TNN at 9 p.m. ET.
