How do things look for Johnny Sauter in the No. 70 car this year?

Pacing 34th in owner’s points is the No. 22 Caterpillar Camry, driven by Dave Blaney and owned by Bill Davis for Bill Davis Racing (BDR). BDR spent much of 2007 in rebuilding mode, along with adjusting to a new manufacturer in Toyota. An inauspicious start to the year in the Daytona 500 didn’t help things either. While trying to avoid an accident on the track, Blaney made his evasive maneuver down pit road, reaching a high rate of speed which didn’t please NASCAR officials. After first being assessed a five lap penalty, he was later remanded to the garage for the remainder of the race.

Blaney, an unassuming but gritty racer, did great things with the equipment he was given and posted solid finishes for most of the season. He had one top five and four top tens in 2007. Indeed, most of the turmoil for the team happened internally. A lawsuit against BDR reared its head in May when former BDR driver Scott Wimmer sued for back pay, claiming he had been incorrectly fired from the team.

Kevin Hamlin, Blaney’s crew chief, was released in early June. Needing a new crew chief, BDR looked no further than its competition director, longtime Cup crew chief Tommy Baldwin, Jr. Baldwin guided Ward Burton to victory in the 2001 Southern 500 and the 2002 Daytona 500 for BDR and Caterpillar. Baldwin also retained his competition director title when he returned to the box.

In late June, the predictable negotiations began when Caterpillar’s sponsorship contract would be ending at the conclusion of the 2007 season. Blaney’s contract would also end at the same time. Caterpillar decided to retain its longtime association with the team and will return in 2008.

Blaney passed an enviable milestone this year when he started his 250th career start. He also announced that he would be with BDR through 2008, with options to stay with the team longer.

Worries about BDR’s stability went into overdrive when it was reported that driver Jacques Villeneuve and his manager/business partner Craig Pollock bought BDR lock, stock and barrel. Denials flew like wildfire, but one thing Bill Davis didn’t deny was that he was open to having a partner or a merger.

When the headlines then reported that Bill Davis Trucking was going into bankruptcy, the Villeneuve rumors picked up even more heat. What most people didn’t understand is that the trucking company and the racing company are two different entities, and one’s failure was not linked to the others. According to news reports, Bill Davis Trucking filed bankruptcy due to an injury lawsuit.

Villeneuve finally spoke up to say that he was not interested in buying neither BDR nor any part of a NASCAR operation, and would simply be a driver in the BDR stable next year. He will be Blaney’s teammate, driving the No. 36 Camry.

While all of this ensued, Blaney found himself with water in his fuel line at Atlanta, a misfortune that befell several drivers from different teams and across manufacturers. Some thought sabotage was involved, but later the cause was determined as a faulty part in the fuel delivery system in the Sunoco Fuel pumps at the track.

Blaney himself finished 31st in driver points. He put on a strong showing at the end of the year and was frequently seen in the top 15 or top 10 near the end of the races.

Look for Blaney to be more comfortable with his Toyota next year. I expect Blaney to run in the top 25 - 20 next year. That may seem low, but considering they finished 34th in owner’s points and 31st in driver points, increasing another 5-10 positions would make a big difference for this team. Blaney is competent and solid. If he can stay with crew chief Baldwin and continue to click, he may compete for wins next year.

Finishing 33rd in owner points is the No. 70 Yellow Transportation Chevrolet driven by Johnny Sauter, owned by Joe Custer and raced for Haas/CNC Racing.

Sauter moved back to Cup this year and brought with him his Busch Series sponsor, Yellow Transportation. Paired with fan-favorite crew chief Robert “Bootie” Barker, many hoped Sauter would have a breakout season. The Haas/CNC team, closely affiliated with Hendrick Motorsports, announced a boon to their staff when Matt Borland was hired as director of competition.

Sauter continued to post mid-pack finishes, with a season average of 26.9. In some cases, Sauter’s finishes did not reflect the good runs he had had during races. Sauter ran in the top five and ten during the fall Talladega race, notably. He lurked closely enough to the front to give some of the top dogs fits. Known for his extremely aggressive driving style, many believed Sauter would muscle his way to the front and post good finishes, maybe even a win.

Then, a blow came to the program when the No. 70 failed post-race inspection in Loudon in July. The car failed to meet minimum height requirements. Crew chief Bootie Barker was fined $25,000 and 25 owner points were deducted.

While Sauter was searching for his place in Cup racing, the team’s owner, Gene Haas, was searching for a place to hide from the law. Convicted of an elaborate scheme to avoid taxes, Haas was sentenced to two years in jail, and is required to serve 85% of the sentence before he can be eligible for release. Haas/CNC Racing’s parent company Haas Automation will not be affected by the jailing of its creator, and the race team will not be affected operationally. One change that did take place was the abrupt owner swap. When Haas was sentenced, the ownership of the No. 70 and No. 66 changed to general manager Joe Custer. It is unclear if any money changed hands or if the change was in name only, but Custer continues to be listed as the team owner.

In late September rumblings from the Dodge camp were that racer Scott Riggs was about to be released from Gillett Evernham Motorsports. A week later, Riggs had been announced as a new driver for Haas/CNC in 2008. It was increasingly clear that Sauter’s job in the No. 70 was on the line.

Sauter said he was receiving “mixed signals” from his team and grew frustrated with negotiations, such as they were. Weeks later in October, Jeremy Mayfield was signed and Sauter was out of a ride for 2008. Speculation then picked up that Sauter would be going to a second team with Robby Gordon.

When a deal with Robby Gordon Motorsports failed to materialize with Gordon, Sauter, and Sauter’s sponsor Yellow Transportation, Sauter agreed to take a full-time ride in the Busch (now Nationwide) series next year. Sauter will drive the No. 1 Miccosukee car in the Nationwide Series. Scott Riggs will drive the No. 70 next year for Haas/CNC.

Sponsors have not been announced for Haas/CNC with Yellow Transportation “evaluating” its place in the Cup Series and Best Buy taking its wares to Elliott Sadler’s No. 19. Expect to hear announcements just after January testing, at the latest.