Jonathan Joseph Sauter is an American professional stock car racing driver who competes in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series, driving Toyota Tundra for G2G Racing. Before reuniting with G2G, he drove for ThorSport Racing.
Sauter has also driven for Xfinity Series and Camping World Truck Series. He has achieved a lot of success as a racing driver.
The professional racing driver was the Camping World Truck Series Rookie of the Year in 2009. He also won the ASA National Tour Rookie of the Year award in 2001.
Not to mention, he is the son of late stock car racing driver Jim Sauter. Similarly, his older brothers, Tim and Jay, are well-known race drivers.
Both of them have competed in the NASCAR series. Hence, it is safe to say Johnny comes from a family of racers, and stock racing runs in his blood.
Johnny’s father was the biggest inspiration behind his career choice. Moreover, Jim’s spectacular career motivated all of his sons to follow in his footsteps.
In this article, we will learn about Johnny Sauter and his overall racing journey. Here are some quick facts about him;
Quick Facts
| Full Name | Jonathan Joseph “Johnny” Sauter |
| Birth Date | May 1, 1978 |
| Birth Place | Necedah, Wisconsin, the United States |
| Nick Name | Johnny |
| Religion | Christianity |
| Nationality | American |
| Ethnicity | White |
| Education | Not Available |
| Horoscope | Taurus |
| Father’s Name | Jim Sauter |
| Mother’s Name | Penny Sauter |
| Siblings | Two; Tim & Jay Sauter |
| Age | 45 Years Old |
| Height | 5’11″/1.80 m/180 cm |
| Weight | 90.7 kg/200 lb. |
| Hair Color | Black |
| Eye Color | Brown |
| Build | Athletic |
| Profession | Stock Car Racing Driver |
| Current Race Team | G2G Racing |
| Position | Driver |
| Active Years | 2001-Present |
| Marital Status | Married |
| Wife | Cortney Owen |
| Kids | Four |
| Net Worth | $18 million |
| Social Media | |
| Merchandise | Signed Trading Card |
| Car Number | 46 |
| Last Updated | March 2024 |
Early Life, Family, And Education
Jonathan Sauter was born to his parents, Jim Sauter and Penny Sauter, in Necedah, Wisconsin, the United States.
His father was a well-known professional stock car driver who drove in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series, NASCAR Xfinity Series, and NASCAR Camping World Truck Series.
Hence, Jim served as a great role model for his young boys, who considered him their hero.
Moreover, he used to teach his kids some tips and tricks here and there, sowing enthusiasm in them.
Jim had made Johnny promise him that he would complete his high school education before pursuing stock car racing professionally.
So, the No. 46 driver for G2G Racing kept his word and graduated high school before turning professional.
Sadly, Jim passed away at 71 due to some health complications. His sons carry on his legacy.
Moreover, the racer’s mother was a supportive and loving figure in his life and encouraged her kids to live their dreams.
Age, Height, And Weight
Jonathan was born in 1978, making him 45 years old as of 2024. He celebrates his birthday on May 1 every year, and his horoscope is Taurus.
The stock car racing driver car stands at the height of 5 feet 11 inches (1.80 meters) and weighs around 90.7 kg (200 pounds).
Johnny takes excellent care of his health and diet. As a result, he is reasonably fit and in great shape.
NASCAR Career
Early Career
Johnny had massive success in amateur stock car racing. As a result, he was invited by Richard Childress Racing to drive the No. 21 Rockwell Automation-sponsored Chevy in five Busch Series races.
The then-amateur racer finished fifth in his first start of the series for AutoLite Fram 250 at Richmond. Besides, he finished in the top 15 in three out of five Busch starts.
The following year proved to be an excellent year for Johnny. He drove for Childress Racing and the Curb Agajanian Performance Group in the Bush Series.
Stint In The NASCAR Xfinity Series career
For the following season, he began driving the No. 27 Pontiac for Brewco Motorsports in the complete Busch series and concluded the season to an 18th-place point finish.
The racer joined Phoenix full-time in 2005 and had an impressive start to the series. He had 11 Top 10 finishes and a win at his home track, propelling his position in points to 12th for the season.
In May 2018, he returned to the Xfinity Series with GMS. Nevertheless, he finished 19th in the final standings, after which GMS decided to part ways with him.
NASCAR Cup Series
During the 2003 Season, Sauter made his Winston Cup debut, driving for Kodak Easy Share-sponsored Pontiac Grand Prix with Morgan-McClure Motorsports.
Again in the following year, Childress hired him full-time for the 2004 Winston Cup. However, after thirteen races, he was replaced by Dave Blaney.
As a result, he began driving Dodge Intrepid for Phoenix Racing and had the best finish of the 29th.
Not much improvement was seen from the racer until 2011. Despite his improved performances, he lost the championship to Austin Dillon by 6 points.
He competed for another Winston Cup in 2015 but failed to capture the trophy. Therefore he decided to compete in the truck series fully.
Camping World Truck Series
Sauter competed in one truck race at Martinsville for SS-Green Light Racing in 2008 and officially joined the series in 2009, driving for ThorSport Racing.
After over two years, he won the 2012 WinStar World Casino 400K with ThorSport Racing.
In 2013, the racing car driver started the season with his first win at Daytona International Speedway in the NextEra Energy Resources 250.
Following this win, he won the Kroger 250 at Martinsville Speedway, marking only the second time in Truck Series history to win back-to-back season-opening wins since Mark Martin in 2006.
Johnny announced his ties with GMS Racing on October 15, 2015, and he won his debut with GMS Racing at Daytona.
In the run, he finished first at Martinsville and Texas to advance to championship 4 and later the championship at Homestead, finishing third in the race.
However, he lost the championship in 2018, finishing 3rd in the overall standings.
Not to mention, he received a one-race suspension from NASCAR after he crashed in Ashton Hill at Iowa Speedway’s final stage.
Besides that, the racer won the 2021 WISE Power 200 race as his first win in 2021.
Achievements And Highlights
- NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Regular Season Champion in 2018
- NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Champion in 2016
- 2017 Oktoberfest winner
- ASA National Tour Champion in 2001
- 2009 Camping World Truck Series Rookie of the Year
- 2001 ASA National Tour Rookie of the Year
Marriage, Wife, and Kids
The American racer is married to Cortney Owen. The two had dated for a long time before getting married on December 15th, 2007.
They had a beautiful winter wedding at St. Monica Parish in Whitefish Bay, Wisconsin, blessed with the presence of their loved ones, family, and close friends.
Owen wore a beautiful strapless ball gown, while Johnny rocked a tuxedo. The duo looked magnificent.
Likewise, the couple has been together for almost 15 years, but their love has been as fresh since they first met.
Besides, the pair prefer to keep their personal life out of the limelight.
Nevertheless, they are the proud parents of four adorable children; Penn, Paige, Annie, and Alice.
Net Worth, Salary, And Earnings
Sauter earned most of his wealth through his professional car racing career in the NASCAR series.
Although his exact net worth is undetermined, many sources have estimated it to be at $18 million as of 2024.
The amount makes sense, as he has been a racer almost all his life. It has been over 22 years since he started racing as a professional.
He is exceptionally skilled and has earned several honors and awards throughout his career.
Besides that, Johnny earns a decent amount through endorsements and sponsorship deals.
Social Media Presence
The second-generation race driver is moderately active on social media platforms and tries to stay connected with his fans and well-wishers.
He is available on Twitter under the handle @JohnnySauter, and tweets about racing and NASCAR-related news, events, and highlights.
Twitter: 29.8k followers
Popularity
Active since 2001, this stock car racing driver has continuously gained popularity.
The above graph gives brief information about the popularity of Johnny Sauter based on Google searches in the United States over a year.
Awesome guy, not only a great racer but a great man, husband and father