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March 13, 2012

Elliott Sadler Event Preview: Bristol 300

"It's heaven on earth. I always tell race fans that if you haven't been to Bristol, you have to make the trip there."

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Event Preview Fact Sheet

Elliott Sadler
No. 2 OneMain Financial Chevrolet Impala

Event/Date:       
Bristol 300
March 17, 2012

Venue:          
Bristol Motor Speedway

Race Notes and Quotes:

This Week's OneMain Financial Chevrolet at Bristol Motor Speedway ... Elliott Sadler and the No. 2 OneMain Financial Chevrolet team will unload Chassis No. 101 from Richard Childress Racing's NASCAR Nationwide Series stable. This is the same chassis that Sadler drove to Victory Lane two weeks ago at Phoenix International Raceway for the team's first victory of 2012. No. 101 also saw action in 2011 at Kevin Harvick Inc., where Sadler earned the pole award and ninth-place finish at Texas Motor Speedway, as well as a sixth-place result at Homestead-Miami Speedway.

Battling at the Bullring ... Sadler has 10 Nationwide Series starts at Bristol Motor Speedway, including one win in 1998. He has earned one pole award (2010), three top-five and four top-10 finishes, including 125 laps led. Sadler also has experience in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series at the half-mile track with 25 starts, one win (2001), one pole award, three top-five and four top-10 finishes. Additionally, Sadler has two starts in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series, with one pole award he earned last season and a high finish of ninth.

By the Numbers ... Heading into this weekend, Sadler and the OneMain Financial team has earned three top-five finishes in three events thus far this season, including a win at Phoenix International Raceway. According to NASCAR Loop Data, Sadler is the season leader for average starting position (4.0), average finishing position (2.3), percentage of laps led (11.5 percent) and driver rating (113.1). He also sits in the second position for laps in the top 15 with 93.5 percent.

Last Time By ... In the spring event at Bristol Motor Speedway last season, Sadler battled back from bad luck after a cut tire in the first practice forced the team to go to the backup car. The Emporia, Va., driver climbed from the back of the field to earn a fourth-place finish. Sadler followed that success with an eighth-place finish under the lights in the August 2011 event.

Race Rewind: Las Vegas ... The No. 2 OneMain Financial team showed speed early last week at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, leading the first practice and earning their first pole award of the 2012 season. Leading the field to the green flag in the main event, Sadler reported that the Chevrolet was hitting the track, forcing a long pit stop to lift the front end off the track. Restarting from the 20th position at the halfway marker, Sadler was able regain track position quickly and worked his way to a third-place finish.

To the Point ... Sadler remains at the top of the Nationwide Series driver championship point standings for the third week in a row, edging out RCR teammate Austin Dillon by 15 points. The No. 2 OneMain Racing Chevrolet also sits atop the Nationwide Series owner's point standings, leading by 14 points over the No. 33 RCR Chevrolet.

Going for Four...Boxing titles? ... Sadler has a lofty goal this weekend: to defend his three-straight Wii Boxing Championships at the Food City Race Night festival at Bristol Motor Speedway. Fans have the opportunity to watch Sadler go for four-consecutive championships as he competes against other drivers and NASCAR personalities, including his brother Hermie, on Friday night at the Bristol Motor Speedway tent beginning at 6:30 p.m.

Meet The Driver ... Before Sadler defends his Wii Boxing title, fans have the opportunity to meet Sadler at the Food City Race Night festival autograph session on behalf of Armour Vienna Sausage. Starting at 4 p.m., 200 wristbands will be handed out at the Bristol Motor Speedway tent with Sadler's appearance beginning at 5 p.m. For more information, visit www.foodcity.com.

Special Ticket Package ... Fans still have time to purchase the Elliott Sadler ticket package for this weekend's events at Bristol Motor Speedway. The package includes a ticket to the Nationwide Series race on Saturday, access to an exclusive Q&A session with Sadler and a No. 2 OneMain Financial hat, all for only $67. For more information, go to www.bristolmotorspeedway.com or call 1-866-415-4158.

ELLIOTT SADLER QUOTES:

Why does Bristol Motor Speedway mean so much to you?
"I love Bristol. Those two weekends at Bristol Motor Speedway are always circled on my schedule because that track means so much to me. It's heaven on earth. I always tell race fans that if you haven't been to Bristol, you have to make the trip there. It's one of the most exciting venues that we race. It's where I grew up and really fell in love with racing. I went there as a fan first, which is really special. My dad took me there as a kid, and then I went there as a crew member for my brot0her. Being able to sit in the stands, work behind the wall and then be able to race there in all three NASCAR series is a pretty cool feeling."

You have had a lot of success at Bristol Motor Speedway. How are you looking forward to capitalizing on that success?
"I have pole awards and wins in both the Nationwide and Sprint Cup Series there, as well as a pole in the Camping World Truck Series. I think it is one of my best tracks as a driver. Last season, we had two good runs there in the Nationwide Series program, and we are heading there this weekend with something to prove. We will be taking the same car that we won at Phoenix International Raceway with two weekends ago, and my crew chief Luke Lambert has a really good setup to help us unload quickly at the track and hopefully be there in Victory Lane at the end of the race."

March Madness is upon us. What is your strategy on picking your bracket?
"I have so much passion for college basketball. I have so much respect for what they do on and off the court. I have been there, done that, so I understand how much work and how hard these guys have to play to even make the tournament. We all know that I am a huge supporter of the North Carolina Tar Heels, all the way to the end. I pick my bracket based off my gut. I read a lot of articles about who is hot, which teams have a lot of momentum and how they played in their own conference tournaments. I join a few office pools to see how I match up against some of my friends and just have fun with it."

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