|
Third-Generation Sauter Carries Family Name to ASA Midwest Tour
DAYTONA BEACH, FL (March 28, 2007) – The American Speed Association Kwik
Trip Midwest Tour presented by Echo Outdoor Power Equipment has signed
24-year-old Travis Sauter of Necedah, WI as a Touring Star for the inaugural
2007 season.
Travis is the youngest racer in the legendary Sauter family. His grandfather,
Jim, competed in 76 NASCAR NEXTEL Cup races over 14 years and recorded four
top-ten finishes. He is also well known for preparing the setups and testing
IROC cars. Travis is the son of Tim Sauter, 1999 American Speed Association
National Tour Champion. Tim has raced part-time in the NASCAR Busch Series
over the past seven seasons and is driving the #07 Green Light Racing truck
full-time in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series this year. Tim has 10 siblings,
including other NASCAR standouts Jay and Johnny Sauter. Jay is competing in
the NASCAR Busch Series in 2007 for Frank Cicci Racing and has 23 NBS top-ten
finishes to his credit. |
|
Johnny, only four years Travis’s senior, was the 2001 American Speed
Association National Tour Champion and is presently competing in the NASCAR
Nextel Cup Series in the #70 Chevrolet for Haas CNC Racing with sponsor Yellow
Transportation. Travis and Johnny started their careers the same way,
competing in the Super Stock division at the (Wisconsin) Dells Raceway Park
after high school graduation (Travis graduated Necedah High School in the
class of 2000) and quickly advancing to Late Model racing. Johnny competed in
the American Speed Association part-time three seasons before dominating the
Series with the most wins, most money won in a season, Rookie of the Year
honors, and the much coveted Championship. That same year Johnny broke into
the NASCAR Busch Series entering six races for Richard Childress Racing,
recording a top-five finish in his first event at Richmond. In 2002, Johnny
made a full-time commitment to NASCAR Busch Series racing and picked up his
first win at the 1.5 mile Chicagoland Speedway. Since then, Sauter went on to
win a second race at Richmond (2003), and at The Milwaukee Mile (2005) and
record 44 NBS top-ten finishes.
Needless to say, Travis has big shoes to fill, living up to the Sauter name
and as a member of the elite Touring Stars program, handpicked by ASAMT
administrators for the inaugural 2007 season. “While it’s good to be
recognized as a top driver, there’s pressure to be on top of your game and
high expectations to succeed,” Travis commented.
While Travis has some of the best in the sport in his family line, he is
learning a lot on his own. “I worked on my Dad’s cars in the garage at
home when his shop was in Wisconsin and helped out at the track when he ran
ASA while I was in high school. He doesn’t really help me out financially; I
have to secure my own sponsorship. Coleman Racing Products owns the car I’m
driving (#119 in the ASAMT) and without that I wouldn’t have anything but I
still have to get the sponsors on it and I’m always looking for Marketing
Partners. My Dad shares his track experiences with me, like telling me what to
watch for, but he’s not a full-time coach. When I need advice I know he’ll
always tell me the truth,” Travis explained.
Johnny had a similar attitude in getting help from his father, Jim. “My dad
taught me to work hard for what I want, in racing and in life," Johnny
explained, “I sold my street car to buy my first Late Model but after that
first win I knew what it was all about. It’s a lesson that has made me a
better driver than if I would have been handed everything." (JohnnySauter.net)
Travis caught the attention of fans and fellow drivers in 2006 while competing
full-time at the Madison International Speedway (WI) in the Madison Late Model
division, the track’s top tier. “I led the points at Madison until the
last night when I got a flat tire and it cost me the Championship,” Travis
recalled. Bobby Wilberg went on to win the title with a six-point margin.
Sauter has primarily competed at the Dells Raceway Park and Madison
International Speedway and is looking forward to traveling this year. “I’m
excited about going to new tracks and having new competition. The weekly shows
are often the same throughout the season and traveling gives the opportunity
to show new talent. I’ve never run a traveling series full-time, but it
looks really cool with all the promotion going on. It’s a lot bigger than
racing locally,” he continued, “I’m really looking forward to the event
at Dells Raceway Park (Tuesday June 12). I haven’t raced there in a long
time. It would also be neat if Steve (Einhaus, ASAMT VP) can get all the
Sauters together at LaCrosse Speedway. (Tuesday July 3rd). I’ve never raced
against any of my relatives yet, not even my Dad.”
“I have watched the entire Sauter family race for as long as I can remember
and I don’t think there is another racing family out there with as much
success as they have had. Travis deserves every bit of recognition he receives
because he has done it all on his own without the help of any of his family
members or major sponsors to pave his way. Not only is he the driver, he
builds the cars from the ground up, gets them to the track, and acts as his
own crew chief. That’s an amazing feat in itself and the exact reason why
someone will see this kid and scoop him up and away from us very soon,”
stated ASAMT VP Steve Einhaus.
On the off weeks from the ASA Midwest Tour, Travis would like to travel to
some other venues and race in events at The Milwaukee Mile and Nashville’s
Music City Motorplex.
Off the asphalt, Travis and his wife Amber (married November 2006) reside in
Sauk City, WI and he is employed as a Service Writer at Thomas Auto Clinic in
Necedah. In the little free time he finds, Travis enjoys playing video games
and watching the Milwaukee Brewers baseball games. “I hate winter, so
anything in the summer is great,” he laughed.
“I am grateful for the sponsorship Kwik Trip and Echo Outdoor Power
Equipment are giving to the Tour,” Travis said, “While I don’t know too
much about Echo yet, I spend a lot of money at Kwik Trip. It was pretty much
all we had in Necedah and I live near one now so I know those stores really
well. The package they put together for us at the informational meeting (March
17, Wisconsin Dells) has gone to good use around my house already!”
Sauter will be making his debut at the ASA Midwest Tour inaugural season
opener at Elko Speedway April 28, 2007. More information about Travis is
available online at www.travissauter.com.
To learn more about the American Speed Association Kwik Trip Midwest Tour
presented by Echo Outdoor Power Equipment please contact the ASA Midwest Tour
office by calling (262) 514-3880 or by e-mailing Tim Olson at tim@asamidwesttour.com
or Steve Einhaus at steve@asamidwesttour.com.
To learn more of the Daytona Beach, Florida-based Racing Speed Associates or
the American Speed Association Racing Member Track program, call (386)
258-2221 or send an e-mail to info@asa-racing.com.
For news and information
from all the racetracks and regional tours involved in the American Speed
Association, visit www.asa-racing.com.
|
|
|
