ASA: Gibson Guitar Stays in Sauter Family

Posted By Terry Callahan
Motorsports Editor, The Auto Channel

June 3, 2001

Rookie Wins For Third Time in Four Races

NASHVILLE, Tenn. – Rookie Johnny Sauter continued his hot hand in the 2001 ASA ACDelco Series, picking up his second consecutive victory and third in the last four races by capturing the Luxaire 300 presented by Hecht’s Department Store at N ashville Speedway USA in Nashville, Tenn. The win allowed Johnny to tie the record for wins by a rookie in a single season, matching that of Kevin Cywinski (1997) and Derrick Gilchrist (1999). Sauter’s brother, Tim, won the Gibson guitar last year. It’s t raditionally given to the winner of major events at Nashville.

“The problem with winning this guitar is the fact that I don’t know how to play it,” said Sauter. “But now me and my older brother can pretend to jam together. We had a great car and awesome pit stops all night long. This team is really coming together and finally showing our potential to everybody.”

The race’s top two positions were dominated by rookies, as Sauter took the lead for the final time on lap 275, passing eventual runner-up Mike Cope in a race that saw eight different leaders swap the lead 15 times. The second-place finish ties a career bes t for Cope, who crossed the finish line banging fenders with third place Joey Clanton.

“This is the best racing out there right now, short track or otherwise,” said Cope, who pitted off sequence all night long. “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. Th ankfully, 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.”

Veterans Cywinski and Scott Hansen rounded out the top-five, with Gary St. Amant, Robbie Pyle, Butch Miller, Chris Wimmer and Russ Tuttle completed the top-10. The event saw seven cautions slow the field, with local favorite Andy Johnson getting caught up in one of the accidents.

Sauter, who won $20,380 for the win, led Cope to the line by more than a second. Miller, Clanton, Cope, Sauter, Doug Stevens Jr., St. Amant, Hansen and Cywinski all took turns at the front of the field.

Miller continues to hold the point lead heading into the series next event, the ASARacing.com 300 at I-70 Speedway in Odessa, MO. The ASARacing.com 300 is set to begin at 8 pm (Central) and will be telecast live on TNN Sports.

NASHVILLE, TN – The final results from Saturday’s $187,160 American Speed Association ACDelco Series Luxaire 300 presented by Hecht’s Department Stores at the .596-mile Nashville Speedway USA. Listed is finishing and starting position (in parenthesis) driv er, make of car, laps completed and reason out, if any.

1)(16) Johnny Sauter, Chevrolet, 300
2)(23) Mike Cope, Chevrolet, 300
3)(2) Joey Clanton, Chevrolet, 300
4)(8) Kevin Cywinski, Chevrolet, 300
5)(6) Gary St. Amant, Chevrolet, 300
6)(9) Scott Hansen, Ford, 300
7)(5) Robbie Pyle, Chevrolet, 300
8)(1) Butch Miller, Pontiac, 300
9)(19) Chris Wimmer, Chevrolet, 300
10)(20) Russ Tuttle, Pontiac, 300
11)(12) Matt Sielsky, Chevrolet, 299
12)(22) Mike Eddy, Chevrolet, 298
13)(18) Johnny Spaw, Chevrolet, 298
14)(17) Ken Alexander, Chevrolet, 296
15)(21) B.J. McLeod, Chevrolet, 295
16)(24) Ricky Bryant, Pontiac, 294
17)(11) Tommy Grimes, Chevrolet, 292
18)(28) Rick Nelson, Chevrolet, 291
19)(15) Mike Miller, Pontiac, 287
20)(32) John Silverthorne, Chevrolet, 286
21)(31) Francesco Gaudesi, Chevrolet, 285
22)(33) Tim Jedrzejek, Pontiac, 266
23)(26) Doug Mahlik, Chevrolet, 265
24)(4) Greg Stewart, Pontiac, 263, accident
25)(10) Doug Stevens Jr., Ford, 238, accident
26)(3) Mike Garvey, Chevrolet, 232
27)(25) J. C. Beattie Jr., Chevrolet, 212
28)(27) Brad Lemley, Ford, 205, wheel bearing
29)(13) Andy Johnson, Chevrolet, 196, accident
30)(14) Tim Taylor, Chevrolet, 157, accident
31)(7) Scott Fraser, Chevrolet, 86
32)(29) Greg Williams, Chevrolet, 39, oil pump
33)(30) Herb Eddy, Pontiac, 23, electrical
34)(34) Chad Wood, Ford, 11, handling

Text provided by Jeremy Troiano

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