Sauter to make Cup return with RCR at RIR.

NASCAR Nextel Cup rookie Johnny Sauter will make his return to the series this weekend with Richard Childress Racing, the team that released him from the #30 AOL Chevrolet earlier this year.

Sauter will pilot the team's #33 Chevrolet with sponsorship from Mag-Lite and GM Card both at the three-quarter mile Richmond International Raceway and then later in the year at the one-mile oval in Phoenix. The difference between Sauter's relationship with the team now is that the 26 year-old driver will be allowed to set-up his own car.

"Richmond short track racing is the best as far as I'm concerned," said the winner of last September's NASCAR Busch Series event at Richmond. "To be able to come back here with a Childress car that I've been able to help prepare with great sponsors like Mag-Lite and the GM Card, it's a great opportunity. I'm certainly going to make the best of it."

"RCR is excited to have Johnny back in one of our Cup cars," commented Richard Childress, president and CEO of Richard Childress Racing. "Johnny is about as exciting to watch on the race track as any driver I've ever had on my team, especially at Richmond. There's no doubt he proved that in last year's Busch race. We've given him a car that has been built and set up just for Johnny, so we're definitely looking for good things."

Saturday's Chevy Rock and Roll 400 will be Sauter's first NASCAR Nextel Cup race since the MBNA America 400 at Dover in June. In 13 starts for the #30 team in 2004, Sauter scored just three top 15 finishes with a best result of 14th at the North Carolina Speedway in February.