The NASCAR Camping World Truck Series 2011 season began with a Derby-style demolition as three multi-truck accidents (and one red flag) took their toll on the 36-truck field at the NextEra Energy Resources 250. 2010’s third place points finisher Johnny Sauter of ThorSport Racing was caught up in a multi-truck incident on lap 75, causing extensive damage to his No. 13 Safe Auto/Curb Records Chevrolet Silverado – but ever the wheelman, he was able to rally his truck back in the top 20 at the checkers.
The ThorSport Racing team was able to patch up the No. 13 sufficiently to allow Sauter to finish the season opening race seventeenth behind winner Michael Waltrip. He ran as high as sixth during the race. Following strong speeds while drafting in the two practice sessions, Sauter qualified the Safe Auto/Curb Records Chevrolet ninth-fastest on Thursday evening with a lap of 51.071 seconds at 176.225mph.
Electing to run a cautious and conservative Daytona from the beginning of the race, Sauter and crew chief Joe Shear, Jr decided to take the Safe Auto/Curb Records Chevrolet to the back of the field within just a few laps. The strategy paid off early on, as the first yellow flag of six flew on lap 37. Pitting for four tires and fuel, Sauter radioed to the crew about track position in the back of the pack. “This track has way too much grip,” he said, noting that he’d need to pair up with a nearby team or his teammate, Matt Crafton, in the No. 88 Menards Chevrolet, to draft earlier than expected.
Over the course of two major pit stops, one at the second race caution at lap 53 and another at lap 65’s third caution, the Safe Auto/Curb Records pit crew showed their offseason changes paid off – sending the No. 13 truck and Sauter back out to the field an average of three positions higher each stop. An early agreement on the pit boxes between the 13, 88 and 51 trucks (Aric Almirola of Team Vision Aviation), along with the 18 of Kyle Busch, ensured that all four trucks would draft back to the front together mid- to late-race.
The plan worked from laps 58 to 64, then again after the caution at lap 65 until the first major “big one” involved 14 trucks, to include the Safe Auto/Curb Records Chevrolet. Sauter brought the truck in for repairs, and the crew was challenged with a badly damaged nose and splitter. Also working on toe damage, the team changed right tires while barebonding the nose – unfortunately going two laps down in the process due to the extensive damage.
Sauter restarted 24th, hoping to salvage a decent finish, when a heavy crash happened at lap 84. Sauter noted to the crew that he “had to lift hard coming off the corner because the toe was so bad – completely in.” He wheeled back to the pit stall for the crew to make quick fixes, then restarted with the field to try to gain back lap position.
Just as the field came by the start/finish line with four laps to go, the third huge crash happened in front of Sauter’s Safe Auto/Curb Records No. 13. The race was red flagged while track crews cleaned up the mess from the nine-truck pile-up that severely damaged several contending trucks. Sauter was able to navigate the debris and spinning trucks to gain position to 17th, where he finished the race at the checkers.
“It’s like I told my guys – this is one race out of 25. We’ve got to pick up, dust off, and get going to Phoenix. That’s the way Daytona is – there is a lot of ‘who is left standing’ at the end of the race, and we were at least left standing in the top 20. Many of the major contenders this year didn’t even get to finish due to all the wrecks. We made the executive decision to stay to the back at the beginning, knowing we could race hard and draft hard with the 88, 51, 18 and others the last 20 laps for a strong finish. It worked for a little while, but I’m disappointed that the Safe Auto/ Curb Records Chevrolet couldn’t get higher on the boards due to the damage we got in the first big wreck.”
“The guys on the crew worked their hearts out in the offseason on our trucks, and I’ve got to thank my guys. They are making it work on the pitting, even with a backup gasman this weekend due to our primary gasman needing unexpected back surgery in a week. They rallied. That’s dedication and communication by my guys, and I’m looking forward to using that advantage in more races this year to get us back in Victory Lane.”
“We did have a bad fast truck, the setup was great, and I was glad to wheel it home for Safe Auto on their first race; and also to Curb Records for their third anniversary with the No. 13 and ThorSport Racing. Considering all the accidents that took out so many others, we’ll take 17th, but this isn’t an indicator of our year. Expect us to run hard with this truck come Talladega in the fall and use more strategy to get to the top of the field. At this point, we’re already mentally in Phoenix. We’ve worked too hard to be a championship team this year. We’ll dig and get back into the points race, it’s still early.”
Sauter and the ThorSport Racing No. 13 Safe Auto/Curb Records team will head west to Phoenix for a Friday night showdown in the Lucas Oil 150.
