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NASCAR MEDIA CONFERENCE

November 17, 2016

Johnny Sauter

Q. The thing I find impressive with your team is it didn't exist last year. You nearly swept the last round. Are you actually honestly surprised as how far this team has been able to come in one year?
JOHNNY SAUTER: Well, I mean, the team actually did exist. Yeah, so I understand what you're saying. But am I surprised? No. I mean, I felt like that's why I made the move, was ultimately to win races and try to win a championship.
Having said that, you know, things are kind of progressing the way that I thought they would. Honestly, there's just too many good people within the GMS organization. You know, the plan is to do it the right way.
We had the right engines, the right pit crews, assembled the right people. So it's supposed to work like that, I guess is what they say.

Q. With the momentum you have coming in, two wins and a second, do you consider yourself the favorite?
JOHNNY SAUTER: Oh, I don't ever consider myself the favorite. You know, anything can happen. We've seen it time and time again, you know, in the history of running for championships, and obviously in the Cup Series. I mean, anything can happen.
I feel really comfortable with where we are as an organization and as a team going into this race. But to say I'm a favorite, that would not be doing ourselves a service.

Q. At any level of racing prior to this, have you ever been involved with anything like a shootout with four guys for a championship?
JOHNNY SAUTER: No, not quite like this. I mean, this is different. This is different for everybody.
Obviously we've all watched it unfold in the Cup Series over the last few years and have paid pretty close attention to how all that's worked out.
But, you know, I've never been a part of anything that's going to be as nailbiting as this, that's for sure.

Q. Though it's new for everybody, three of the guys here are veterans, experienced guys here. Why is that? Is there any specific reason?
JOHNNY SAUTER: Well, I mean, there's a lot of reasons obviously. But ultimately I think the veteran guys just, you know, probably through the course of the year raced a little bit differently than some of the younger guys, I would say, maybe a little bit smarter. That just comes with experience, taking care of your equipment, things like that.
So I'm not surprised by any means to sit here and know that we've got three of them, three veterans, running for the championship.

Q. Why are you guys so fast right here at the end? Are you in the team finally gelling? Is this Chase format bringing the best out of you?
JOHNNY SAUTER: We actually stole a notebook from one of our competitors. No, I'm just kidding (laughter).
Yeah, I think it's a culmination of a lot of things. But I truly believe it's us getting our arms, not just myself but my crew chief and everybody getting our arms around our program, and understanding what our trucks are, where they could be better.
Honestly, I don't know that the Chase really has a whole lot to do with it because the goal is to win each and every week. So I do feel like we hit our stride at the right time, there's no question about it. I think it's just a lot of hard work from everybody at GMS.

Q. What kind of preparation went into this race, the one‑race shootout, as far as thinking about things that can go wrong? More preparation than normal?
JOHNNY SAUTER: For sure. I mean, I know for a fact they went through the truck with a fine‑tooth comb. It's a truck we used a couple weeks ago at Texas. I was at the shop Monday and Tuesday this week. They were there working late. We went home Monday night at like 7:30, 8:00. So just checking everything, crossing your Ts, dotting your Is, so to speak.
Got a really cool paint job on it this week. Going old school a little bit. I'm looking forward to it.

Q. Are you looking forward to maybe giving that truck a proper burnout this time on Friday night?
JOHNNY SAUTER: I promise you, if everything goes according to plan, they'll probably have to push or bring a tire truck out there to put tires on the back of that thing.

Q. You've one Cup, XFINITY, Trucks. Anything could happen this weekend that could catch you guys off guard?
JOHNNY SAUTER: You know, for me personally, I feel like I've seen and heard and have done it all. So nothing would surprise me in the least. Having said that, I'm going to do everything my best to make sure nothing crazy happens or nothing foolish.
But, you know, this sport is very humbling. You can have all the momentum in the world, you can have everything going your way, you can win two of the last three races in the final round, and tomorrow night anything could happen. But we're going to do our best to make sure nothing crazy happens.

Q. Do you let yourself think about, What if I win the championship, what if we don't win the championship? Have you looked that far ahead or...
JOHNNY SAUTER: No, I think I've definitely done that. You know, what a championship would mean for GMS as an organization, for all the guys and everybody. I mean, this is a long season, starts in February, ends in November.
But I can make a case for both sides of this. Obviously all of it is just nothing until we run that race tomorrow night. You got to make sure you don't get caught up in it, you know, from a mental standpoint.
You know, you just got to keep doing what we've been doing, especially as of late over the final couple of races.

Q. You've won at Homestead. What do you think of that track? What's it like?
JOHNNY SAUTER: Well, I think of it a little bit differently than a lot of the other mile‑and‑a‑half's. To me it almost kind of races like a short track in a lot of ways. You know, it's got very inviting corners, I guess. You can drive in deep or you can drive in shallow. Try to keep it a momentum racetrack.
There's a lot of different ways to approach this racetrack. That's what I think is so interesting about it. I think that's why a lot of the competitors really like it.
You're going to see guys running all over the racetrack, all over the place. I'm not a high‑line guy, so I'm hoping it's cool enough tomorrow night that the grip stays in the middle, maybe a little bit towards the top. That's kind of what I'm hoping for.

Q. So William Byron, he was the kid all year. Now he's out of it right there at the end. Seems like everyone has been chasing him. Now he's out. How much does that change your chances or mentality? The biggest driver all year, he's not in it.
JOHNNY SAUTER: I don't know that it changes my mentality at all. I heard that a lot this week, You should feel a little bit relieved that the 9 truck is not in it.
I'm like, Why? There's still three other competitors that run just as well. Maybe they don't have as many wins, but they're consistent and they're here for a reason.
There's no question that those guys were very fast all year, you know, probably deserve a spot in this thing. It's not meant to be for them.
Having said that, we just have to focus on the three guys we're racing, you know, do the best we can.

Q. You have scored more points than him this year. You also have been winning races lately. Seems like you've been gelling well. Now you're here in Homestead. How important was it to put an entire season together?
JOHNNY SAUTER: Well, you know, it's pretty important. Obviously this is the first year of the Chase, so not everybody kind of knew. We're all going to learn a lot more and feel a lot smarter tomorrow night after the race, no matter the outcome, as to how the Chase works in the Truck Series.
Right now where we're sitting, I'm a big fan of the old points system. That's yesterday's news and we got to focus on tomorrow night. Having said that, you know, we know who we got to beat. That's going to determine the champion.

Q. You wouldn't call yourself the favorite, but of the other three, is there anybody there you think you have to beat to win the championship or is it all three of them?
JOHNNY SAUTER: Honestly, I feel like it's all three of them. Matt obviously won here last year. You know, Timothy has proven that he's been consistent. I've seen Timothy struggle in practice a couple of these races, in the final round, and end up with really good finishes. And Christopher, he's obviously a talented kid. A racetrack like this I think probably plays to his favor a little bit.
So, yeah, I'm worried about all three of them.

Q. Tomorrow's the end of your season, everything comes to an end. How do you feel next season with what NASCAR has put in place with basically is the Kyle Busch rule for you guys in the Truck Series going forward with being able to win more races?
JOHNNY SAUTER: You know, I haven't given that really even a lot of thought. To be completely honest with you, I've been just focused on what we're doing this year. You know, this Chase deal is obviously new to all of us truck guys. I just said it a minute ago. We're all going to feel a lot smarter tomorrow night knowing how this thing is going to unfold. Next year is next year. I can't worry about that right now.
But I will say that it sounds good to me that we have an opportunity to win more races.

Q. This weekend will be the end of Tony Stewart's full‑time racing career. What has he meant to you and the spectators? To me, the first race I ever went to as a NASCAR fan he won. What has he kind of meant to you?
JOHNNY SAUTER: Well, I mean, a guy like Tony, let's face it, I like the passion and I like the things that he's done throughout his career. Those are the kind of guys I feel like I can align with a little bit. To me, you know, a guy that wears his emotions on his sleeve a lot of times, those are my type of guys.
Tony has been a huge asset to this sport, nobody can deny that. He's been a champion multiple times. He'll be missed, believe me.

Q. Allegiant Airlines, one of your main sponsors, what is your preferred seat? Are you taking the middle, the aisle, or are you a window guy?
JOHNNY SAUTER: I'm a window guy (laughter). If you sit in the aisle, you got to wait for people, especially on longer flights, they got to go to the bathroom and stuff. I'm the guy that makes sure I go to the bathroom before I get on the plane so I can just sit there and look out the window the whole time. So I'm a window guy.

Q. Talk a little bit about the growth of GMS this year. Did you expect to come into this team competing for a championship right off the bat?
JOHNNY SAUTER: Honestly, I really did. Otherwise I would have never made the move. So, you know, last year when I got the call from GMS and they said, We want to meet with you, hopped on a plane, went out to Las Vegas, met with the owners. I knew right then and there they had very lofty goals and they were going to do everything in their power to be a championship contender.
Then when you add that with the people that they've hired, you know, Mike Beam, general manager, just so on down the line, a lot of the employees in the shop, yeah, I absolutely felt like we'd be a championship contender.

Q. Talk a little bit about the different guys you're racing for a championship. Who do you feel like could just steal the championship away from you when you've been running so well as of late?
JOHNNY SAUTER: Any one of the three. I mean, I've said it before and I'll say it again: racing is a very humbling sport. Just because things are going your way right now, tomorrow night anything could happen, you know. A bird could fall out of the sky and go through the air cleaner and suck through your carburetor and blow your engine. Know what I'm saying?
Having said that, any one of those three. They're here for a reason. They've been consistent and shown speed and have won races this year. It would be foolish for me to sit here and say that we got a lock on this thing.

Q. With Christopher, he's kind of the young guy of the group. Do you feel like he has an advantage being younger?
JOHNNY SAUTER: I mean, you could look at it a couple different ways. You know, I think Christopher, he raced here last year, so that gives him a little bit better idea of what he's going to be up against tomorrow night.
Having said that, I'd like to be, what is he, 21? I'd like to be 21 again. I think it's impressive that he's in the position that he is. Obviously that organization has shown speed all year.
I don't know. I can make a case for both sides, that that would be a pretty tough one to cypher through.

Q. This is the first year for this format. Obviously you've succeeded at it. What do you guys have to do in order to pull it off here?
JOHNNY SAUTER: I think it's pretty simple: we got to make sure we're in a position to win the race tomorrow night and beat these three guys. That's a little bit easier said than done obviously.
But, you know, with this new format, I think there's a lot of unknowns. I think tomorrow night when we all leave this race, we're all going to be a lot smarter about how this is all going to work out.
It's cool. We've watched this unfold in the Cup Series the last couple years, so I think tomorrow night will be no different.

Q. (Indiscernible.)
JOHNNY SAUTER: I mean, I think so. You've got to look at that and say last year they had a really good truck and ran really well. But a lot of things change through the course of a year, tires, things like that, racetracks get more aged, setups evolve.
So to be honest with you, I put the same marking on every one of these guys as far as a formidable chance to win the championship.
You know, I know what we need to do. I mean, it's no secret. You've got to outrun all three of them. But those guys are going to be tough. But the other two aren't any slouches either. Just got to be smart.

Q. Is this your Texas truck that you have here?
JOHNNY SAUTER: Yes.

Q. Confidence in that thing?
JOHNNY SAUTER: Yeah, I'm obviously very confident. There's a reason we brought it. So, you know, Texas we felt like we had a really good truck, especially on a long run. I think this race has the potential to have a long run towards the end of it because we do spread out so much because it's a handling racetrack.
Texas is a handling racetrack as well. So that puts a big premium on downforce and things that really make grip over long runs. Have a lot of confidence in this truck, for sure.

Q. Set out what you wanted to do this season?
JOHNNY SAUTER: For sure. I've been asked this question a hundred times. Did you really think you'd be a championship contender in the first year? The answer is yes, or I would have never made the move.
You know, for me personally, got a lot of experience. When you look back at just a lot of people that they had assembled within that organization, Mike Beam on down through the list, ECR engines, and obviously Chevrolet is heavily involved.
So sure, why not? I mean, smart people working together with one common vision, of course we can accomplish it.

Q. (Question about how much time he has left racing.)
JOHNNY SAUTER: I don't think if I win the championship tomorrow night my racing career would be complete because there's always more championships.
You know, when I say I'm running on time, I'm no fool. I see, like you said, the landscape is changing. Having said that, it's a younger man's game. That seems to be the new trend.
I personally feel like, you know, I'm running out of chances. That obviously weighs in the back of my mind a little bit. But at the end of the day I'm going to give 100%. If it works out, great. If it doesn't...

Q. You're not really active on social media. You have access to it, access to TV shows and radio. Have you stayed away from that? Everyone has said this is Johnny's championship to win.
JOHNNY SAUTER: To be honest with you, that's the first I've heard of it. I don't Facebook. I don't Twitter. I don't watch a whole lot of television, to be honest with you. If I do, it's History Channel or something that I feel like I can learn something from, just because I'm a history buff and that kind of stuff.
But I haven't had a lot of time this week. I got home from Phoenix Saturday and went to church with my kids and my wife on Sunday morning, got on a plane, flew to Charlotte, was at the race shop Monday and Tuesday night, flew home Tuesday night, was on a plane here yesterday. Haven't had a lot of time to watch anything and pay attention to anything.

FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports

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