Johnny Sauter will be reuniting with ThorSport Racing for the upcoming NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series’ season-opening event at Daytona International Speedway.
Sauter, the 2016 Truck Series champion from Necedah, Wisconsin, will be piloting ThorSport’s No. 66 Ford F-150 entry at the World Center of Racing. In addition, Doug George, who worked with three competitors over three organizations in 2024, is listed to work as Sauter’s crew chief for this year’s season-opening event.
The announcement comes as Sauter is coming off a part-time Truck campaign in 2024, where he competed between three organizations in five-scheduled starts: ThorSport, Niece Motorsports and Hattori Racing Enterprises. During the five-race stint, the Wisconsin veteran finished a season-high 17th place at Texas Motor Speedway. Previously, he qualified on the front row for the 2024 opener at Daytona, led 24 laps and won the first stage period before he ended up in 29th place after he was eliminated in a four-truck incident in the closing laps.
Sauter, who won the 2001 American Speed Association (ASA) Series National Tour title, made his Truck Series debut at Bristol Motor Speedway with Fasscore Motorsports in 2003, where he finished 25th after starting 23rd. Between 2004 to 2006, he made a total of 10 Truck starts and notched a second-place run at Lucas Oil Indianapolis Raceway Park in 2004. Then after making a single Truck start in 2008, Sauter began campaigning in the Truck division as a full-time competitor, which began in 2009 and lasted through 2021. Through 300 full-time starts, he recorded 24 victories while competing for ThorSport and GMS Racing. In addition, he claimed his first series’ championship in 2016 while driving for GMS. He also finished in the top-10 mark in the final standings from 2009 to 2019 and made the series’ Playoffs from 2016 to 2019.
Through 325 previous starts in the Truck Series, Sauter has recorded 24 victories, nine poles, 116 top-five results, 186 top-10 results, 2,695 laps led and an average-finishing result of 11.4. He has also achieved three victories through 207 Xfinity Series starts and three top-10 results through 85 Cup Series starts.
At Daytona, Sauter holds the most victories all-time in the Truck Series at three, with his first victory occurring in 2013 while competing at ThorSport before he achieved his latter two with GMS in 2016 and 2018. Currently, he is one of three competitors along with Todd Bodine and Zane Smith to achieve multiple Truck victories at Daytona. This upcoming season, Sauter strives to add a fourth season-opening trophy to his wins record.
Thorsport Racing’s plans for its No. 66 Ford entry for the remainder of the 2025 season remains to be determined.
The 2025 NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series season is scheduled to commence this upcoming Friday, February 14, at Daytona International Speedway for the Fresh From Florida 250. The event’s broadcast time is scheduled to commence at 7:30 p.m. ET on FS1.
