On October 15, 2015, Sauter announced that he would be joining GMS Racing for 2016. Sauter won in his debut with GMS at Daytona. In the Chase, Sauter won at Martinsville and Texas to advance to the championship 4. Sauter went on to win the championship at Homestead, finishing 3rd in the race. Sauter had a successful 2017 season, winning Dover in early June and had a couple stage wins and had been consistent all year long. He won his second race of the year at Chicagoland in September. Sauter won Texas and Phoenix, which advanced him to the final round at Homestead Miami. He finished 3rd in the race but Christopher Bell, who finished runner-up, took the championship and Johnny Sauter finished 2nd in the standings by just one point. Sauter opened up 2018 by winning the Daytona race for the third time in his career. He would subsequently win at Dover, Charlotte, Texas, Bristol, and Martinsville and finish 4th in points.