Elliott Sadler

**Shayne1911** · 12-19-2006, 10:45 PM

I also wrote this one for my english class. I had to pick a person to do a FAQ on and give a presentation. Of course I did mine on Elliott Sadler!

I researched Elliott Sadler because he is one of my favorite NASCAR drivers and I wanted to know more about him. Even though what he does can be very dangerous, he started racing at a very young age. Over the years he has become pretty successful racing in his own right.

Who is Elliott Sadler?

Elliott Sadler is a NASCAR driver where he races full time in the Nextel Cup Series driving the #38 M&Ms Ford Fusion for Robert Yates Racing. In the Busch Series he occasionally appears driving the Robert Yates Racing #90 CitiFinancial Ford.

Where was Elliott Sadler born?

Elliott was born in Emporia, Virginia on April 30, 1975 to Herman and Bell Sadler. His dad and his uncle, Bud Elliott were also racers. Elliott has an older brother name Hermie, who also races a limited schedule in both Nextel Cup and Busch. Even though he hasn’t been as successful as Elliott, he still races. He also has a sister named Missi.

How did Elliott Sadler get into racing?

Racing is a family sport and tradition. The tradition began in the Sadler family about forty-five years ago. Bud Elliott, Herman Sadler, and their brother raced on the short tracks in Virginia. When Elliott was just a little guy, he went from race track to race track to watch his dad and uncles race in the weekly racing series. He basically grew up around racing. It’s not a surprise that he got started into racing at a young age.

What series has Elliott Sadler raced in?

When Elliott Sadler was just seven years old, he raced his first go-kart. After getting over 200 victories, he moved in to the Late-Model stock car division. In the Late-Model division, he won several series championships. When Elliott was eighteen, he moved up to the weekly racing series. From 1995-1996, he raced a limited schedule in the Busch Series and in 1997 he ran a full Busch Series schedule. Elliott made his Winston Cup Series, now Nextel Cup, debut in racing a limited schedule in 1998. 1999 Elliott started racing full time in the #21 for the Wood Brothers, competing for Rookie of the Year honors with Tony Stewart. Even though Tony won the honors of Rookie of the Year, Elliott showed plenty of potential for years to come.

What teams have Elliott Sadler been on?

When Elliott first started racing in the Busch Series in 1997, he drove the #66 Busch Grand National (now just Busch) for Gary Bechtel. In 1999 the legendary Wood Brothers let Elliott drive the #21 Motorcraft in the Winston Cup Series. By the end of the 2002 season Elliott decided it was time to move on. The 2003 season brought a new opportunity with Robert Yates Racing driving the #38 M&Ms Ford where he is still currently employed.

What has Elliott Sadler won?

Besides more than 200 go-kart victories and several Late-Model stock car championships, Elliott has added a long list of accomplishments to his accolades. In 1995, he won a track championship title in the weekly racing series. Elliott won the pole for his first Busch race in 1997 at Daytona International Speedway. In thirteen Busch Series starts, Elliott won his first race. He won three poles, four outside poles, and two more races in 1997. He was also awarded the Busch Bud Pole award for getting the most poles in one season. Elliott won the pole again at Daytona in 1998, and he recorded two more wins to his list of accomplishments. In 1999 Elliott finished second in the Rookie of the Year battle to Tony Stewart. In 2001, he recorded his first Winston Cup win with a win at Bristol Motor Speedway. He accomplished something no one else had been able to do before. Starting in the thirty-eighth position, he is the only driver to win at Bristol after starting that far back in the field. He recorded two more top-five finishes in 2001. In 2004, Elliott won the outside pole for the Daytona 500, the Gatorade Twin 125 qualifying event, and two races during the season. He had eight top-five finishes and fourteen top-ten finishes. In 2005, Elliott did not win any races, but won the pole position four times and finished thirteenth in the point standings. The 2006 season began Sunday, February 19th at the Daytona 500. Elliott won the Gatorade Twin 125 for a second time, putting him in the third starting position for the Daytona 500, where he finished in fourth place.

How does the 2006 season look?

NASCAR has predicted this year that Elliott Sadler will be the come back driver. He will more than likely make the Chase for the Nextel Cup but won’t win the championship. For the 2006 season, Elliott got a new crew chief, Tommy Baldwin, Jr.. Tommy previously worked with Kasey Kahne. In 2005, he led Kasey to his first Nextel Cup win. He’s expected to bring a new intensity and focus to the M&Ms team. A couple new cars should be good for this season. The Ford Taurus was replaced with the Ford Fusion. From the way the new car has looked on the track in qualifying and practices, it looks like Elliott is going to have a great season!

What does Elliott Sadler like to do in the off-season?

Unlike other drivers, Elliott doesn’t like to go on vacations in the off-season. He would rather stay at his home in Emporia, Virginia with family and friends. Hunting is Elliott’s favorite thing to do other than racing. He also enjoys golf, video games, hanging out with friends, and sports.