Sauter finds redemption in Truck win at Texas

One year removed from a black-flag penalty that cost him a Camping World Truck Series win at Texas Motor Speedway, Johnny Sauter belatedly pulled into Victory Lane on Friday night.

Sauter passed ThorSport Racing teammate Matt Crafton on Lap 145 of 167 and rolled to victory by a margin of 2.101 seconds in the WinStar World Casino 400. Sauter, who hadn't led a race since the season opener at Daytona International Speedway in February in his No. 13 Toyota Tundra, decisively snapped a string of three consecutive finishes of 24th or worse. Sauter scored his fifth career victory in his 93rd start.

Sauter's first victory of 2012 was his second top-10 of the season and sixth top-10 result on TMS' 1.5-mile quad-oval.

Crafton, driver of the No. 88 Toyota, held off Joey Coulter, who finished a career-best third in his No. 22 Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet Silverado. He was followed across the line by Brendan Gaughan and Nelson Piquet Jr.

Sauter's shot at the win in this event last year went awry when he was black-flagged for moving out of his lane before reaching the start/finish line on a restart opposite leader Ron Hornaday Jr. Sauter wound up 22nd.

Results Top-5

Pos. Driver Make
1. Johnny Sauter Toyota
2. Matt Crafton Toyota
3. Joey Coulter Chevrolet
4. Brendan Gaughan Chevrolet
5. Nelson Piquet Jr. Chevrolet