The move to GMS Racing last season paid off big time for Sauter. Not only did he win three races and collect 19 Top-10 finishes, but he finally captured the elusive Camping World Truck Series championship. After several seasons of near-misses at ThorSport Racing, Sauter was able to hoist the trophy at Homestead last November. With that accomplishment, Sauter and GMS have ascended to the throne of NASCAR's truck series. They will be the team to beat week-in and week-out for the championship in 2017. With the return of Sauter and crew chief, Joe Shear, the team is set to defend this title well in the upcoming season. There has been a changing of the guard atop this division of NASCAR, and Sauter is now its leader.

Sauter makes the big jump from ThorSport Racing to GMS Racing this year. He takes over the truck that the Dillon brothers and Brandon Jones raced in 2015 to some modest success. That driver lineup combined for one win and 13 Top-10 finishes. The addition of Sauter to the No. 21 Chevrolet elevates this team overnight. The 37-year-old veteran had a bit of a lackluster 2015 with no wins, 16 Top-10 finishes and a fourth-place finish in the final standings. Sauter is capable of winning races and challenging for the championship. He should be able to do that at GMS Racing. While a championship this season is not likely, we wouldn’t rule it out down the road in the very near future.

2012 was a down year for Sauter and the ThorSport Racing team. Despite the two victories and nine Top-10 finishes, he finished a lowly ninth in the final driver standings. That is a four-season low for Sauter. The ability to win races was there, but the marked consistency we expect from Sauter and the No. 13 team was no where to be found. That should change in the upcoming season. Sauter averaged one-and-half wins and 15 Top 10’s per campaign prior to last year’s drop in performance. He should return to this level in the upcoming season and that easily puts him back inside the Top 5 drivers of this racing series.