TOYOTA NASCAR Camping World Truck Series (NNS) Johnny Sauter — Notes & Quotes Daytona Media Day – February 16, 2012
JOHNNY SAUTER, No. 13 Peanut.com/Curb Records Toyota Camry, ThorSport Racing What can you take from 2011 to be successful in 2012? “The biggest thing we can do is look back at last season and see where did we lose points and what could we have done to prevent that. Obviously, there’s a bunch of red flags that stick up that we know. Having said that, I don’t think we can really focus on 2011 too much because it’s yesterday’s news. I think coming out in 2012 with the Toyota support and changing manufacturers, new sponsors — essentially my whole team is back and my crew chief. I feel like we can pick up right where we left off and ultimately try to win races and a championship.”
Do you enjoy the diverse competition in the Truck Series? “That’s what makes NASCAR and auto racing so great is competition. Just when you think you have it figured out, you find yourself leading laps and winning races and then two weeks later with the same setup, you’re running 10th. Ty Dillon coming in is great. (Ron) Hornaday landing in a position — that’s great. The same old guys and new faces — the Truck Series is a great place for all that and to see the stars of tomorrow. Just happy to be there and hopefully I can contend for a championship.”
What do you expect in the Daytona Truck Series race? “I really don’t know. With the new grill openings and things that they’ve put on the trucks — I don’t know that the tandem is going to work. I’m the wrong guy to be asking about racing here at Daytona in the trucks because I haven’t even been able to hardly finish races here. I expect it to be action-packed like it always is. I expect there to be some wrecks. It’s very important to just try to finish here and take what you can get.”
What are your expectations for the season? “I think a championship for sure. Whether or not it happens, who knows. I say all the time that you can only give 100 percent and there is no 110 percent — it’s 100 percent and I know that I will do that and I know my team will do that. If it’s enough at the end of the year — great. If it’s not, then hopefully we get an opportunity to try again next year. You just put your best effort forth. You obviously reflect on last season and some of the mistakes that I made or whatever. You obviously know that you have to fix some of those problems. Just put your best effort forth and work hard.”
How crucial is it to have solid runs every weekend with fewer races on the schedule this season? “My wife brought it up to me a couple days ago — she said, ‘You know, it’s pretty important to have a good run in Daytona.’ I’m like, ‘Yeah, I know that, obviously.’ I definitely think it puts a bigger emphasis on coming down here and just trying to manage expectations and being happy with a solid performance. I don’t even have a top-15 finish here in the last three years in the truck. Less races definitely puts a bigger exclamation point behind every race and knowing that you can accumulate the most points as possible — there’s definitely less opportunities to have a ‘mulligan’.”
How many bad races will a team be able to afford this year? “I think two is going to be the magic number. I kept saying it last year — that the championship was going to come down to the final race and it did. I think you’re going to see that again with fewer races. It’s going to be a stressful situation, but all you can do is give 100 percent and race hard. Whatever it is, it is.”
Do you enjoy racing at Martinsville? How did it feel to win at Martinsville last year? “Everybody talks about the history of Martinsville and to me, it’s not so much about the history of it as I feel like I’m a short track racer. I grew up on the short tracks in the Midwest and I love short track racing. To go to Martinsville and run so good so many times and never have nothing to show for it and to finally get to victory lane last year — that was big. I got a clock — the grandfather clock. I love that race track. I wish we raced there 10 times a year. All the great drivers that have raced there and all the history that’s happened there — to know that I’ve accomplished something at that race track — that means the world to me.”
