Former NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series champion, Johnny Sauter, joins Niece Motorsports in 2024 for a partial schedule, driving the team’s No. 45 Chevrolet Silverado RST. Sauter will compete in two events at Daytona International Speedway in February and Texas Motor Speedway in April.

Sauter began racing in 1996, after fulfilling a promise he made to his father, short-track racer Jim Sauter, to finish high school before he started his career. The Necedah, Wisconsin native joined the American Speed Association (ASA) in 1998. In 2001, led by crew chief Joe Shear, Jr., Sauter was named ASA Champion and Rookie of the Year with a record 10 wins.

That same year he made his first start in what is now known as the NASCAR Xfinity Series (NXS). He shared the ride for the 2003 season, winning the NXS Owners Championship. Sauter also made his NASCAR Cup Series and Truck Series debut that year.

Sauter moved to the Truck Series full-time in 2009 and earned his first win at Las Vegas Motor Speedway that year. In 2016, Sauter claimed his first NCTS Championship following a season which included three wins, one pole, 12 top fives and a career-high 19 top-ten finishes.

Sauter continued to earn his place in the record books in 2017 and 2018, winning 10 additional races and securing championship four berths in both seasons; becoming the only driver in the series to appear in all three championship battles since the inception of the Playoffs format up to that point.

Like a true real racer, Sauter continues to compete on a local level in his home state of Wisconsin, where he resides with his wife Cortney and their four children. He stepped away from full-time racing in 2021, but has made sporadic starts in the years since.