J. Sauter hoping Chicago success will continue

JOLIET, Ill. -- There have been two NASCAR Winston Cup and two Busch Series races at Chicagoland Speedway. Of those four events, Richard Childress Racing drivers have won three.

Kevin Harvick has won both Cup races, while Johnny Sauter won last year's Busch Series race.

	Johnny Sauter's first NBS win was in Chicago. Credit: Autostock

"I guess it's a little bizarre that Kevin and I really like Chicago," Sauter.

Ya think so?

Sauter's only Busch Series victory came in the Tropicana Twister 300 at Chicago last year, driving RCR's No. 2 Chevrolet. He lost that full-time ride to Ron Hornaday for 2003 but still drives part-time for Childress.

And who is his partner in the No. 21 car? Harvick, of course. And guess which car leads the Busch Series owners' standings? You got it, the No. 21.

Sauter, meanwhile, is eighth in the Busch Series drivers' standings as he splits time between RCR's team and the No. 43 Mike Curb-owned team.

Sauter is in the RCR car for Saturday's race, and he also will attempt to make his Winston Cup debut Sunday in the Morgan-McClure Motorsports car.

You can understand why he's looking forward to this weekend.

"It's an important place as far as my career goes," he said. "There's just something about Chicago I really like. We've gotten some good breaks at Chicago, and things have gone our way.

"I definitely want to repeat on Saturday, but then again, I want to win every week."

Sauter hasn't won yet this season, but he does have eight top-10 finishes in the 18 races -- all while bouncing back and forth between the No. 21 and the No. 43. That can't be an easy task, but Sauter credits both race teams for making it happen.

ALSO  •  Tropicana Twister 300 videos  •  Busch Series Drivers  •  2003 Race Results  •  Driver Standings

"To be where I'm at in the standings is proof that I'm working with two good teams," Sauter said. "The second half of the season I drive half the races with the 21 and half with the 43. Team chemistry is really important, and so far I've been able to achieve that with both teams.

"It's really important for both teams to work together in the second half and to be consistent for me to be competitive and make a run at the championship."

He's 230 points behind leader Scott Riggs heading to Chicago, but with the way the standings have moved around in 2003, it's not an insurmountable deficit.

Sauter has been consistent in 2003, failing to finish outside the top 20 six times. He was fifth in the RCR car last weekend at Daytona.

"We've had good runs all year long, we just haven't had the finishes to show for it," said Sauter, whose best finish of second came at Nashville in April. "Obviously this is a momentum sport, so our run at Daytona is a boost. We're confident about Chicago, and we're confident about the second half of the season."

Sauter's Chicago confidence was born from a Craftsman Truck Series test there two years ago. With his victory there last year and a successful test with Morgan-McClure two weeks ago, Sauter's smile will be wide when he pulls into the track this weekend.

"Everyone has been great to work with, and I am obviously extremely excited for this weekend," Sauter said. "I think the extra seat time will really benefit me, since I'll be driving the PayDay Chevrolet and the Kodak Pontiac.

"Chicagoland is one of my favorite tracks. It's where I got my first Busch win. I felt right at home in the No. 4 car when we tested there, so I'm optimistic."

More Double-Duty Drivers

Sauter isn't the only Busch Series regular in the Winston Cup field. Jason Keller will drive a fourth Dale Earnhardt, Inc. car in Sunday's race.

	Jason Keller

"I'm really excited about this weekend," Keller said. "I've been planning this weekend for so long I can't believe it's finally here. I think it is going to be a great weekend for both teams. We have been consistent over the past few races and have seen success at Chicago. That combination only boosts my confidence heading into such an important weekend.

"I was able to test with the Winston Cup car and should be able to use some of that information for my Busch car. I've always believed that the Winston Cup drivers have an advantage by running Saturday morning before the Busch race, now I will get to experience it first hand."

Other drivers competing in both races are Greg Biffle (in NEMCO Motorsports' No. 88), Casey Mears (in the Braun Racing Dodge in the Busch race), Matt Kenseth, Dave Blaney (entered in the Whelen Ford in the Busch race), Jamie McMurray, Joe Nemechek (driving the No. 7 Busch car) and Michael Waltrip.

Tight points race

Scott Riggs reclaimed the Busch Series points lead after Daytona, but his margin is precarious. He leads by two points over David Green and 33 over Ron Hornaday. Todd Bodine is fourth, but his Herzog-Jackson Motorsports team isn't going to Chicago.

Keller is fifth, 84 behind Riggs, with Brian Vickers sixth, 88 out of the lead.