R.I.P Driver Jim Sauter 71

Veteran racer and family patriarch Jim Sauter died Friday evening following a short illness. He was 71. Sauter, who recorded four top-10 finishes in 76 starts in what is now the the Sprint Cup Series and won multiple championships as a short-track racer in the Midwest, is the father of NASCAR Camping World Truck Series driver Johnny Sauter.
 Jim Sauter's other sons-Tim,Jay and Jim Jr.-- also followed in their father's footsteps with racing careers of their own. None of Sauter's seven daughters are involved in racing.
 A native of Necedah,Wis., the elder Sauter made starts in each of NASCAR'S three major series,but is perhaps best known for his role as a test driver for the now abandoned International Race of Champions, which featured top drivers from different genres of motorsports competing on the same track for an annual championship. Sauter raced on a limited basis in what was then known as the Winston Cup Series in the 1980's and 1990's. As an independent driver with limited funds, he conducted Goodyear tire tests to help pay the bills and support his racing endeavors.
 Sauter's final NASCAR start came in a Truck Series race at the Milwaukee Mile in 2004.
 The entire, " Race Chatter Nation" expresses it's condolences to the Sauter family. Source; Photo & press release; Fox Sports