Johnny Sauter wins 1st Truck Series championship
HOMESTEAD, Fla. (AP) Johnny Sauter won his first NASCAR championship by edging three other contenders in the inaugural Chase for the Camping World Truck Series.
Sauter finished third at Homestead-Miami Speedway on Friday night to win the championship.
William Byron won the race - his seventh victory of the season - to wrap up the owner championship for Kyle Busch Motorsports. Byron was headed toward the win last weekend at Phoenix that would have put him in the final four, but his engine blew in the closing laps.
Sauter finished fourth in the standings the last four years, but the Chase format gave him a shot at the title at Homestead.
The 38-year-old has had a career year driving the No. 21 Chevrolet for GMS Racing. He won three races, had 12 top-five finishes and the dominant run in the Chase. Sauter won back-to-back races at Martinsville and Texas, and was runner-up at Phoenix.
