Marlin replaces Sauter in No. 1 Phoenix Racing car

Sterlin Marlin will replace Johnny Sauter as driver of Phoenix Racing's No. 1 Chevrolet for Saturday's Nationwide Series Pepsi 300 at Nashville Superspeedway.

Marlin's history with Phoenix began in 2007 when he made two starts in Cup cars for owner James Finch, and two starts in what is now the Nationwide Series. At Dover, he started the No. 1 20th and finished 15th and at Memphis, he fell from seventh to finish 26th.

Phoenix general manager Marc Reno had said at the end of last season if the team could secure the sponsorship to run a limited Nationwide program for Marlin in 2008, it would like to do it, but the backing never developed.

Marlin attempted the 2008 Daytona 500 for Phoenix, but failed to qualify its No. 09 Chevrolet.

Sauter's release is the latest hiccup in what's been a difficult season for Finch's team. Jon Wolfe began the year as Sauter's crew chief, including tests at Daytona and Las Vegas; but he was replaced by Newt Moore for Speedweeks 2008 at Daytona.

Sauter's car was one of five flagged at Daytona for an alleged infraction involving the lid to the car's oil tank enclosure and Moore was suspended, while Sauter and Finch received 25-point deductions and Finch, a $15,000 fine.

After Speedweeks, the team and Moore parted company. In five races, Sauter has a best start of 23rd, at Fontana and a best finish of 13th, at Daytona.

"I was surprised to hear Phoenix Racing wanted to go in a different direction," Sauter said. "I felt like we'd turned a corner on a few things and were just having some really bad luck -- but personnel changes happen in racing, like the fact that two of the best crew chiefs in the business were released from the team two weeks ago.

"So I'm not the only one who has felt the effects of these changes at Phoenix Racing. At the end of the day, I'm a racer and all I want is to be competitive, whether it's a truck, Nationwide or Cup team.

"I just want to be team player and feel like I can make a difference for an organization."

In 2007, Sauter brought a brand new team, Haas CNC Racing's No. 70 Chevrolet, into the top 35 in Cup owner points, scoring the team's first top-five finish at Richmond in the fall and was sixth in the Nextel All-Star Challenge after he finished second in its qualifying race.

Neither Sauter nor his teammate, Jeff Green, was retained by owner Gene Haas after last season. In a statement, Sauter said he was available immediately to drive for another team.