The racing world has lost a great driver, father and grandfather on Friday evening as the news started to spread of the loss of legendary driver Jim Sauter.

Sauter was 71 when he passed away Friday night from a brief illness according to a family member.

The patriarch of the Sauter family is survived by his five sons and seven daughters.

Tim, Jay, Johnny and Jim Jr. followed their father’s footsteps by each having their own successful racing careers. Joe is the youngest in the family.

Terione, Danielle, Terese, Jennifer, Angela, Andrea and Gabrielle are the surviving daughters.

He also had several grandchildren, one being Travis Sauter who is having a successful Super Late Model racing career in the Midwest.

Jim Sauter was one of the top shoes racing in the Midwest mainly in the ARTGO and ASA racing series.

He is a two-time ARTGO champion (1981, 1982), where he had 20 victories. Sixteen of those wins came during his championship years with seven in 1981 and nine in 1982.

He also has seven wins in the ASA National Series. Even though he never won an ASA championship, Tim won the title in 1999 and Johnny won it in 2001.

Throughout Jim’s career, he competed and won some big short track events.

He is the 1983 winner of the All-American 400 at the Fairgrounds Speedway Nashville (TN) and won the 1980 National Short Track Championships at Rockford Speedway (IL).

He also competed in the Snowball Derby, Winchester 400, Slinger Nationals and World Crown events.

He also made 76 starts in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series where he had four top-10 finishes along with starts in the NASCAR Nationwide Series and NASCAR Camping World Truck Series.

In 2002, he made his final Nationwide Series start at the Milwaukee Mile competing in the same race with Tim, Jay and Johnny.

He will also be remembered for being a part of the International Race of Champions (IROC) Series where he, along with fellow Wisconsin drivers Dick Trickle and Dave Marcis, helped test and prepared the cars for their events.

He was a gentleman and a great ambassador for short track racing.

Everyone at speed51.com extends their condolences to the entire Sauter family.

Photo Credit: Jim Sauter Jr. Facebook

Family Patriarch Jim Sauter Passes Away