Landen Lewis has been tapped to make his third NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series start in Friday’s Zip Buy Now, Pay Later 200 at Martinville Speedway.
An updated version of the entry list for Friday’s 200-lap contest has Lewis listed as the driver of the No. 16 Toyota Tundra TRD Pro for Hattori Racing Enterprises.
The change-up comes after a convoluted sequence of events, which began when NASCAR suspended Conner Jones for intentionally wrecking Matt Mills at Homestead-Miami Speedway last weekend.
In need of a driver to fill the vacancy left by the suspended Jones, ThorSport Racing called Johnny Sauter, a long-time competitor for the championship-winning NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series team.
Sauter, already slated to compete in Friday’s event with Hattori Racing Enterprises, agreed to drive the No. 66 Ford F-150 for ThorSport, leaving the part-time operation to find a new driver.
Lewis is a race-winner in both the ARCA Menards Series and ARCA Menards Series West and was involved in last season’s West Series championship battle until he parted ways with Cook Racing Technologies.
Earlier this season, Lewis had a standout run in the ARCA Menards Series event at Bristol, challenging for the victory and finishing second to William Sawalich while driving for CR7 Motorsports.
The 18-year-old racer joined Roper Racing Team for a pair of starts in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series last year, scoring a career-best 24th-place result on debut at Mid-Ohio Sports Course.
A native of Ocean Isle Beach, North Carolina, Lewis has continued to work with Ron Hornaday as a development driver, while also spending time working on the Late Model Stock Car program for Kevin Harvick Incorporated.
At Wake County Speedway in August, Lewis captured the victory in the CARS Late Model Stock Car Tour event, driving for Kevin Harvick Incorporated. In 10 starts this season for KHI, the driver recorded three top-10s. and a pole position at Hickory Motor Speedway.
Hattori Racing Enterprises and Lewis will work together for the first time at Martinsville Speedway on Friday, with the organization attempting its fourth race of the season.
Johnny Sauter competed in the No. 16 Toyota Tundra TRD Pro at Indianapolis Raceway Park (IRP) and Talladega Superspeedway, recording a best finish of 23rd this season.
The Zip Buy Now, Pay Later 200 will take place on Friday, November 1 at 6:00 PM ET. Coverage of the event will take place on FOX Sports 1, with radio broadcasting on MRN and SiriusXM (Channel 90).
