Catchfence

Johnny Sauter returns to the site of sweet NASCAR victory for the EnjoyIllinois.com 225 at Chicagoland Speedway on Friday.

Though this is the first NASCAR Camping World Truck Series visit to Chicagoland, Sauter is familiar with the track, including Victory Lane. He won his first Nationwide (Busch) Series race at Chicagoland in ’02.

“I love racing at Chicagoland,” Sauter said. “In a way, it’s like a home-away-from-home for me (Sauter is a Necedah, WI native), because I’ll have a whole bunch of family and friends come out to support me. That’s always special, and of course, we want to put on a good show for them. It’s cool that the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series is coming to Chicago, because those fans love racing and they support the heck out of it.”

Sauter expects a wide-open affair on Friday.

“The track has a ton of grip, and it’s obviously a fast place to race,” said Sauter. “And the track, especially the back straightaway, is a bit different from how it might appear on television, because you’re constantly turning. It’s a great facility, and I expect an outstanding race. I think the fans are in for a treat. Hopefully, we can put all the pieces into place at Chicagoland, and take our No. 13 Fun Sand/Rodney Atkins-Curb Records Chevy to Victory Lane on Friday.”

- ThorSport Racing Press Release