CAMPING WORLD TRUCK SERIES NEWS AND NOTES

8/9/11
NASCAR CAMPING WORLD TRUCK SERIES
 Sauter Retains Points Lead For Now, But Black Cloud Continues To Rumble
When it rains it pours for series standings leader Johnny Sauter, and after failing post race inspection at Pocono it could get stormy. 
 Three finishes outside the top-20 in the last six races have dwindled Sauter’s solid lead in the standings to a mere five points over Austin Dillon.
 Texas Motor Speedway (Race No. 9) – A black flag penalty on the final restart for switching lanes before the start finish line results in a 22nd place finish.
 Kentucky Motor Speedway (Race No. 10) – A broken rear axel following the final pit stop ruins a dominant run and relegates Satuer to 24th.
 Lucas Oil Raceway (Race No. 13) – A flat right-front tire forces Sauter to pit under green and results in a disappointing 23rd place finish.
 Despite wrecking his primary truck in qualifying Sauter appeared to have rebounded with a fourth place finish at Pocono. However, during post race inspection the No. 13 truck exceeded the right rear maximum height on the height sticks.
 So, for now Sauter still holds the command on the standings – a spot he has held for nine of the 13 race weeks.
 Penalties related to post-race inspection are expected to be announced Tuesday afternoon.
 Whitt, Coulter Now Tied for Sunoco Rookie Of The Year
Cole Whitt splashed onto the scene capturing five top-10 finishes in the first seven races making him the frontrunner in the Sunoco Rookie of the Year battle.
But while Whitt was making noise, Joey Coulter was slowly finding his rhythm and itching ever so closely to the top spot.
In the last seven races Coulter has earned three top-five and four top-10 finishes to Whitt’s five finishes of 15th or worse.
With 11 races remaining, Coulter has arrived at the top spot of the rookie standings which he shares with Whitt – the duo is tied with 162 points each.
Who has the upper hand? Hard to tell.
Coulter is on a roll as Whitt finds himself trying to regain the dominance he held during the first half of the season.
Buescher Continues To Overcome the "What If’s" Of The 2011Season 
The "what if" discussions continue - what if James Buescher earned a spot in the second race of the season at Phoenix?
It seems Buescher has put Phoenix behind him and is on a mission to prove he can do the impossible – take home the 2011 NCWTS championship.
Buescher has run off a string of 10 consecutive top-10 finishes, the longest of any driver this season – including finishes inside the top-three the last two races.
In just three events he has cut his championship deficit from 42 points to a mere 18 points.
While the NCWTS teams enjoy an open weekend on the schedule, Buescher will compete in the NASCAR Nationwide Series event at Watkins Glen where he will pilot the No. 30 entry for Turner Motorsports.
  In six NNS starts this season he has three top-10 finishes.