Third-Generation Sauter Carries Family Name to ASA Midwest Tour

DAYTONA BEACH, FL (March 28, 2007) – The American Speed Association Kwik Trip Midwest Tour presented by Echo Outdoor Power Equipment has signed 24-year-old Travis Sauter of Necedah, WI as a Touring Star for the inaugural 2007 season.

Travis is the youngest racer in the legendary Sauter family. His grandfather, Jim, competed in 76 NASCAR NEXTEL Cup races over 14 years and recorded four top-ten finishes. He is also well known for preparing the setups and testing IROC cars. Travis is the son of Tim Sauter, 1999 American Speed Association National Tour Champion. Tim has raced part-time in the NASCAR Busch Series over the past seven seasons and is driving the #07 Green Light Racing truck full-time in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series this year. Tim has 10 siblings, including other NASCAR standouts Jay and Johnny Sauter. Jay is competing in the NASCAR Busch Series in 2007 for Frank Cicci Racing and has 23 NBS top-ten finishes to his credit.

Johnny, only four years Travis’s senior, was the 2001 American Speed Association National Tour Champion and is presently competing in the NASCAR Nextel Cup Series in the #70 Chevrolet for Haas CNC Racing with sponsor Yellow Transportation. Travis and Johnny started their careers the same way, competing in the Super Stock division at the (Wisconsin) Dells Raceway Park after high school graduation (Travis graduated Necedah High School in the class of 2000) and quickly advancing to Late Model racing. Johnny competed in the American Speed Association part-time three seasons before dominating the Series with the most wins, most money won in a season, Rookie of the Year honors, and the much coveted Championship. That same year Johnny broke into the NASCAR Busch Series entering six races for Richard Childress Racing, recording a top-five finish in his first event at Richmond. In 2002, Johnny made a full-time commitment to NASCAR Busch Series racing and picked up his first win at the 1.5 mile Chicagoland Speedway. Since then, Sauter went on to win a second race at Richmond (2003), and at The Milwaukee Mile (2005) and record 44 NBS top-ten finishes.

Needless to say, Travis has big shoes to fill, living up to the Sauter name and as a member of the elite Touring Stars program, handpicked by ASAMT administrators for the inaugural 2007 season. “While it’s good to be recognized as a top driver, there’s pressure to be on top of your game and high expectations to succeed,” Travis commented.

While Travis has some of the best in the sport in his family line, he is learning a lot on his own. “I worked on my Dad’s cars in the garage at home when his shop was in Wisconsin and helped out at the track when he ran ASA while I was in high school. He doesn’t really help me out financially; I have to secure my own sponsorship. Coleman Racing Products owns the car I’m driving (#119 in the ASAMT) and without that I wouldn’t have anything but I still have to get the sponsors on it and I’m always looking for Marketing Partners. My Dad shares his track experiences with me, like telling me what to watch for, but he’s not a full-time coach. When I need advice I know he’ll always tell me the truth,” Travis explained.

Johnny had a similar attitude in getting help from his father, Jim. “My dad taught me to work hard for what I want, in racing and in life," Johnny explained, “I sold my street car to buy my first Late Model but after that first win I knew what it was all about. It’s a lesson that has made me a better driver than if I would have been handed everything." (JohnnySauter.net)

Travis caught the attention of fans and fellow drivers in 2006 while competing full-time at the Madison International Speedway (WI) in the Madison Late Model division, the track’s top tier. “I led the points at Madison until the last night when I got a flat tire and it cost me the Championship,” Travis recalled. Bobby Wilberg went on to win the title with a six-point margin.

Sauter has primarily competed at the Dells Raceway Park and Madison International Speedway and is looking forward to traveling this year. “I’m excited about going to new tracks and having new competition. The weekly shows are often the same throughout the season and traveling gives the opportunity to show new talent. I’ve never run a traveling series full-time, but it looks really cool with all the promotion going on. It’s a lot bigger than racing locally,” he continued, “I’m really looking forward to the event at Dells Raceway Park (Tuesday June 12). I haven’t raced there in a long time. It would also be neat if Steve (Einhaus, ASAMT VP) can get all the Sauters together at LaCrosse Speedway. (Tuesday July 3rd). I’ve never raced against any of my relatives yet, not even my Dad.”

“I have watched the entire Sauter family race for as long as I can remember and I don’t think there is another racing family out there with as much success as they have had. Travis deserves every bit of recognition he receives because he has done it all on his own without the help of any of his family members or major sponsors to pave his way. Not only is he the driver, he builds the cars from the ground up, gets them to the track, and acts as his own crew chief. That’s an amazing feat in itself and the exact reason why someone will see this kid and scoop him up and away from us very soon,” stated ASAMT VP Steve Einhaus.

On the off weeks from the ASA Midwest Tour, Travis would like to travel to some other venues and race in events at The Milwaukee Mile and Nashville’s Music City Motorplex.

Off the asphalt, Travis and his wife Amber (married November 2006) reside in Sauk City, WI and he is employed as a Service Writer at Thomas Auto Clinic in Necedah. In the little free time he finds, Travis enjoys playing video games and watching the Milwaukee Brewers baseball games. “I hate winter, so anything in the summer is great,” he laughed.

“I am grateful for the sponsorship Kwik Trip and Echo Outdoor Power Equipment are giving to the Tour,” Travis said, “While I don’t know too much about Echo yet, I spend a lot of money at Kwik Trip. It was pretty much all we had in Necedah and I live near one now so I know those stores really well. The package they put together for us at the informational meeting (March 17, Wisconsin Dells) has gone to good use around my house already!”

Sauter will be making his debut at the ASA Midwest Tour inaugural season opener at Elko Speedway April 28, 2007. More information about Travis is available online at www.travissauter.net.

To learn more about the American Speed Association Kwik Trip Midwest Tour presented by Echo Outdoor Power Equipment please contact the ASA Midwest Tour office by calling (262) 514-3880 or by e-mailing Tim Olson at tim@asamidwesttour.com or Steve Einhaus at steve@asamidwesttour.com.

To learn more of the Daytona Beach, Florida-based Racing Speed Associates or the American Speed Association Racing Member Track program, call (386) 258-2221 or send an e-mail to info@asa-racing.com. For news and information from all the racetracks and regional tours involved in the American Speed Association, visit www.asa-racing.com.


Madison Race Report - 07 May 2013
Watermelon Race Report - 29 Jan 2013
Oktoberfest Race Report - 08 Oct 2012
Madison Race Report - 27 Sep 2012
Madison Race Report - 03 Sep 2012
Elko Race Report - 19 Aug 2012
Madison Race Report - 05 Aug 2012
Indianapolis Race Report - 29 Jul 2012
Madison Race Report - 08 Jul 2012
Marshfield Race Report - 04 Jul 2012
WIR Race Report - 16 Jun 2012
Milwaukee Race Report - 16 Jun 2012
Golden Sands Race Report - 01 Jun 2012
Madison Race Report - 13 May 2012
2011 Oktoberfest Report - 11 Oct 2011
Marshfield Race Report - 12 Sep 2011
Wisconsin International Raceway Report - 21 Aug 2011
Hawkeye Downs Race Report - 14 Aug 2011
Madison Race Report - 25 Jul 2011
Elko Speedway Race Report - 10 Jul 2011
Marshfield Race Report - 10 Jul 2011
State Park Speedway Race Report - 11 Jun 2011
Elko Race Report - 07 Jun 2011
Golden Sands Speedway Report - 31 May 2011
WIR Report - 19 May 2011
Madison Report - 05.01.11 - 02 May 2011
Norway Race Report - 21 Sep 2010
Marshfield Race Report - 22 Aug 2010
DRP Race Report - 22 Aug 2010
WIR Race Report - 05 Aug 2010
Shakopee Race Report - 20 Jul 2010
Madison Race Report - 30 Jun 2010
Golden Sands Race Report - 30 Jun 2010
Illiana Race Report - 30 Jun 2010
Hawkeye Downs Report - 12 Jun 2010
Elko Race Report - 07 Jun 2010
Madison Race Report - 02 May 2010
2009 OKTOBERFEST CHAMPION TO JOIN THE ASAMT FULL-TIME IN 2010 - 12 Mar 2010
Oktoberfest Race Report - 12 Oct 2009
Marshfield Race Report - 23 Aug 2009
Golden Sands Report - 01 Aug 2009
Dells Race Report - 19 Jul 2009
North American Cup Report - 05 Jul 2009
Madison Race Report - 05 Jul 2009
Marshfield Race Report - 14 Jun 2009
Bronze 125 Race Report - 31 May 2009
Madison Race Report - 04 May 2009
ASAMT Dells News - 25 Apr 2009
Travis Sauter Announces 2009 Plans - 22 Mar 2009
Nashville Race Report - 02 Nov 2008
SAUTER HARD CHARGES TO A TOP-TEN FINISH IN THE AMERICAN SPEED ASSOCIATION MIDWEST TOUR SUPER LATE MODEL SERIES - 22 Oct 2008
LaCrosse Race Report - 07 Oct 2008
Marshfield Race Report - 12 Sep 2008
Norway Race Report - 12 Sep 2008
Milwaukee Race Report - 28 Aug 2008
Raceway Park Race Report - 20 Aug 2008
Kaukauna Race Report - 08 Aug 2008
Iowa Speedway Race Report - 22 Jul 2008
Hawkeye Downs Race Report - 22 Jul 2008
I-94 Raceway Race Report - 06 Jul 2008
Madison Race Report - 26 Jun 2008
Grundy Race Report - 26 Jun 2008
Dells Race Report - 02 Jun 2008
Jefferson Race Report - 18 May 2008
Madison Race Report - 05 May 2008
SAUTER HAS SOLID RUN AT ELKO - 20 Apr 2008
TRAVIS SAUTER TO COMPETE IN THE 2008 BIG 8 SERIES - 16 Jan 2008
TRAVIS SAUTER…THE REALITY OF RACING - 08 Nov 2007
Sauter finishes 5th at Oktoberfest - 08 Oct 2007
Travis takes 12th at the Milwaukee Mile - 28 Aug 2007
A close one at Raceway Park - 14 Aug 2007
Good Run Spoiled at WIR - 08 Aug 2007
A Distaster At Madison - 23 Jul 2007
Tough Luck for Sauter at Grundy - 16 Jul 2007
Sauter scores another Top 10 at I-94 Raceway - 09 Jul 2007
Sauter has tough luck at LaCrosse - 09 Jul 2007
Sauter Finishes 10th at Norway - 24 Jun 2007
Travis Sauter has Fast Time and Finishes 3rd at DRP - 14 Jun 2007
Sauter Takes Home Top Five at Hawkeye Downs - 04 Jun 2007
Sauter Takes Home Top Ten at Jefferson 100 - 20 May 2007
Sauter Takes on Elko - 01 May 2007
Third-Generation Sauter Carries Family Name to ASA Midwest Tour - 29 Mar 2007
Travis Sauter Named One of the Twelve ASA Midwest Tour Touring Stars - 13 Feb 2007