“Milwaukee is my Daytona,” says the Necedah, Wis., native and driver of the No. 13 Chevrolet.
Sauter grew up two-and-a-half hours from Milwaukee in central Wisconsin, and his ties to the area remain strong. In addition to his wife, Cortney, hailing from Milwaukee – the couple was married there in December 2007 – Sauter grew up with 10 brothers and sisters. He now has 40, yes 40, nieces and nephews, most of whom reside in Wisconsin. That’s a ready-made fan base, but also a lot of birthdays to remember.
“It’s so hard to keep track of all of them anymore but I give the standard McDonald’s gift cards because it’s a favorite of everyone,” jokes Sauter.
Sauter, a die-hard Milwaukee Brewers’ fan, has enjoyed some highlights of his own in Milwaukee. After debuting there in ASA competition, Sauter became the first Wisconsin native to win at the Mile when he scored a Busch Series victory in 2005. That’s pretty heady stuff when you consider Wisconsin also produced the likes of Cup champions Alan Kulwicki and Matt Kenseth.