October 20, 2007 –
Martinsville, VA. Another
Nascar Craftsman Truck
Series race for Tim Sauter.
Another solid run with a
seemingly sure top-10
finish, then only seven laps
from the checkered flag
another disappointing ending
with his Lester Buildings
Silverado battered against
the frontstretch wall.
When Mike Skinner crossed
the finish line moments
later, Sauter’s racing
machine was a twisted mesh
of metal sitting on a
flatbed truck. Tim was
running in 8th place with
just eight laps to go when
he tried to squeeze below
Mike Bliss for the 7th
position. “I got a little
loose trying to get under
the 4 truck and I think the
2 got into me from behind
and rooted me out,” Sauter
said. With Sauter pinned in
the outside lane, contact
with Travis Kvapil’s truck
coming out of turn four spun
the rear of the #07 into the
outside wall. Sauter’s Chevy
ricochet off the wall back
into Kvapil’s truck, which
was hammered by Todd Bodine
before being repeatedly
bounced off the wall by Eric
Darnell, Joey Clanton and
Clay Rogers. The hardest hit
was from Clanton, who hit
Sauter’s truck solidly in
the passenger’s side at full
throttle.
"I just hate it for
Lester Buildings, Green
Light Racing and all my
guys. They work really hard.
We don't have the biggest
budget, we are doing our
best, and we were looking
for a top-10 here today.
There just isn't no givin
and takin, I guess from now
on, I am going to get them
before they get me. I think
Todd Bodine got into Kvapil
and Kvapil got into me and I
mean nobody lifted,” a
dejected Sauter explained.
“The yellow flags are so
inconsistent that nobody
lets up. I got hit about
eight times by eight
different trucks, frankly
it’s crazy. I am just sorry
for all of my sponsors and
my guys."
Prior to the lap 193
incidents Sauter had run a
smart, conservative race
saving his tires for the end
and trying not to overheat
his brakes. After starting a
solid 15th, Tim was shuffled
in the races early laps back
to 21st place. During the
first caution on lap 25, Tim
brought his Silverado to the
attention of the Doug Howe
led Green Light crew for gas
only and restarted 18th. By
the races’ 50th circuit Tim
had worked his way up to
16th place and moved into
the top-15 by lap 60.
Using his short-track
experience to gain track
positions, Tim was up to
14th at the halfway point
and by the 150th lap he was
in 12th. A spin by Kvapil
and Jason Leffler on lap 183
moved Sauter into the top-10
and then transmission
troubles for Ted Musgrave
lifted the Lester Building
Chevy into 8th on lap 190.
It looked like Tim was about
to close the deal on the
Green Light team’s first
top-ten of the season when
all hell broke loose on the
lap 192 restart.
Sauter was credited with
27th place in the final
rundown, but his favorite
racetruck was totally
destroyed. “I’m fine. The
truck is just junk, it’s
ready for the scrap heap.”
Sauter explained. “I’m just
sorry for Lester Buildings,
Gene Christensen and Bobby
Dotter.”
Tim Sauter and the Green
Light Racing team will
return to action on Saturday
Oct 27th in the Easycare
Vehicle Service 200 at the
Atlanta Motor Speedway.
Race fans are encouraged
to enter the Lester
Buildings "Race Fan Building
Sweepstakes" for a chance to
win a Lester "Town &
Country" building with an
MSRP of approximately
$30,000 by mailing the
coupon from Tim’s autograph
card or by completing an
online form found at
JAYSKI.com, including the
site’s expanded Craftsman
Truck news pages.
With manufacturing
facilities in Minnesota,
Illinois and Virginia,
Lester Buildings is one of
the largest manufacturers of
engineered post-frame
structures in the United
States. The company provides
building solutions for a
broad range of needs – from
simple farm and ranch
buildings, hobby shops and
equestrian buildings to many
types of commercial
structures. Over 140,000
Lester buildings have been
erected throughout the U.S.
from the eastern seaboard to
the Rocky Mountains. To
learn more about Lester
Buildings, visit
lesterbuildings.com.