Johnny Sauter Continues His Winning Ways at Texas

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FT WORTH, TX – RIS – Johnny Sauter continued his winning ways at Texas Motor Speedway Friday night by winning the NASCAR Camping World race.  Sauter didn’t take his first lead until lap 117 of the 167-lap 2018 PPG 400 NASCAR Camping World Truck Series race at Texas Motor Speedway in Fort Worth. But after he took the top spot, he stayed there, leading the final 51 laps on the way to his fourth win of the season, eight races in, and his second-consecutive checkered flag.

We made great adjustments and played the track position game,” Sauter said. “That‘s where the speed is at, getting in clean air. This has been a dream start and proud to get this win. I‘m speechless; don‘t know what to say anymore. Five wins at Texas, it‘s awesome.”

After a final restart with two laps remaining, pole sitter Stewart Friesen challenged the eventual race winner for a first-career victory but fell 0.092 seconds short, and instead, claimed his second-career runner-up finish.

Friesen was the winner of the opening stage, retaking the lead from Todd Gilliland when he pitted during a lap 28 caution. Grant Enfinger was the stage two winner, inheriting the lead when Gilliland, again, pitted during a lap-74 yellow.

Todd Gilliland finished the race just outside the top-five in sixth after leading a race-high 62 laps.

Aside from Sauter and Friesen, other top-five finishers included Justin Haley in third, Enfinger fourth, and Matt Crafton in fifth.

Ron Fleshman

RIS NASCAR Editor.  Has been with RIS since the middle 90's. Writes on each of the three main series of NASCAR.

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Volume 2018, Issue 6, Posted 1:00 PM, 06.10.2018