It was a controversial finish for Johnny Sauter and the No. 13 team at Talladega Superspeedway Saturday afternoon, following the Sugarland Shines 250. Sauter was the first truck to cross the line first, but not the ultimate victor.
Sauter was trying to do everything he could to hang on to win the race. However, when they were coming to the checkers, Sauter accidentally forced a truck below the yellow line which is not allowed in any of the three national series. Due to that infraction, Sauter was not the winner and had to settle for 14th place after being penalized.
Miller, the senior vice president of competition said, “[Sauter] actually did two things wrong “He had his whole car down below the yellow line, which you can’t do, and you can’t force another car below the yellow line, and he did both. It was pretty clear cut.”
Sauter described what happened as a by-product of plate racing.
“I went down to put a little block on him,” Sauter said, “but then when I did, I got hooked sideways, but that’s just plate racing. You know, I didn’t block his advance or anything like that. I just hate it for my guys. They deserve better than that.”
“It is what it is,” Sauter added when he spoke to MRN Radio. “I listen to the veterans and I feel like I’m a old school racer. I hate it for my guys and everybody at Ford, Tenda, Quarter Horse, Duke and Rhonda especially. You just got to do what you do.”
“I’m going to shake this stuff off, it don’t bother me. It ain’t the first time I’ve had a win taken away. We’ll just go fight hard at Martinsville.”
Sauter had stage finishes of 13th in Stage 1 and fifth in Stage 2. He also led 28 laps.
