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Tag: Elliot Sadler

  • Carl Edwards Scores Victory at the Dollar General 300 Miles of Courage at Charlotte

    Carl Edwards Scores Victory at the Dollar General 300 Miles of Courage at Charlotte

    Carl Edwards only led five laps in Friday’s race but they were the ones that mattered. On lap 195, with a little help from teammate Trevor Bayne, Edwards took the lead from Kyle Busch and never looked back, bringing his Roush Fenway Ford into Victory Lane.

    “If Trevor hadn’t given me that push,” said Edwards, “we would have had a really hard time. So [it was] just a really, really good team effort.” This was his 37th victory in the Nationwide Series.

    Kyle Busch finished second followed by Trevor Bayne in third, who scored his first top-five finish in three races at Charlotte Motor Speedway.  Elliot Sadler in fourth and Brian Scott rounded out the top five.

    Elliot Sadler also claimed the Nationwide Insurance Dash4Cash $100,000 bonus and won $100,000 for NASCAR fan Joe Thornton of New Port riche, Fla.

    “It’s a thrill just to come to the races, but to win the $100,000 I’m speechless,” Thornton said. “I don’t know what we’re going to do with it — my wife wants to pay the house off, we’ll see. It’s just unbelievable, you know.”

    Sadler is now only 15 points behind points leader Ricky Stenhouse Jr.

    Paul Menard, winner of the Coors Light Pole Award, brought the field to green Friday evening at Charlotte Motor Speedway but only led the first 26 laps.

    Brad Keselowski seemed to have the most dominant car of the night, leading 119 laps. But on lap 170 he suddenly slowed due to a tire going down.

    In the end, it was a battle between Edwards and Kyle Busch with Trevor Bayne making a late charge in the final five laps. But Edwards was able to hold off Busch and the remainder of the field for the win.

    Jack Roush, car owner of the No. 60 Fastenal Ford, was ecstatic and a little amazed after the race.

    “I think I’m gonna lose my mind here,” he said. He continued, “Carl wrecked his car today and the car decided it wouldn’t give up. I’m going to talk to that car and I’m going to give that car a kiss tonight.”

    Ricky Stenhouse Jr retains the points lead followed by Elliot Sadler, Aric Almirola, Justin Allgaier and Reed Sorenson in fifth.

    Unofficial Race Results
    Dollar General 300 Miles of Courage, Charlotte Motor Speedway
    =========================================
    Pos. No. Driver Make Points
    =========================================
    1 5 60 Carl Edwards Ford 0
    2 6 18 Kyle Busch Toyota 0
    3 11 16 Trevor Bayne Ford 41
    4 12 2 Elliott Sadler Chevrolet 41
    5 8 11 Brian Scott Toyota 39
    6 3 22 Brad Keselowski Dodge 0
    7 10 31 Justin Allgaier Chevrolet 37
    8 1 33 Paul Menard Chevrolet 0
    9 2 6 Ricky Stenhouse Jr. Ford 36
    10 9 32 Brian Vickers Chevrolet 0
    11 17 30 Jason Leffler Chevrolet 33
    12 7 12 Sam Hornish Jr. Dodge 32
    13 19 66 Steve Wallace Toyota 31
    14 13 7 Josh Wise Chevrolet 30
    15 14 88 Aric Almirola Chevrolet 29
    16 20 9 Kenny Wallace Toyota 28
    17 22 62 Michael Annett Toyota 27
    18 27 81 Blake Koch * Dodge 26
    19 4 20 Joey Logano Toyota 0
    20 23 19 Mike Bliss Chevrolet 24
    21 32 15 Timmy Hill * Ford 24
    22 36 1 Mike Wallace Chevrolet 22
    23 31 150 T.J. Bell Chevrolet 0
    24 41 28 Derrike Cope Chevrolet 20
    25 39 89 Morgan Shepherd Chevrolet 19
    26 33 39 Joey Gase Ford 18
    27 37 52 Kevin Lepage Chevrolet 17
    28 18 38 Kasey Kahne Chevrolet 0
    29 24 51 Jeremy Clements Chevrolet 15
    30 35 23 Robert Richardson Jr. Chevrolet 14
    31 34 14 Eric McClure Chevrolet 13
    32 15 182 Reed Sorenson Dodge 12
    33 38 40 Charles Lewandoski * Chevrolet 11
    34 16 99 Ryan Truex * Toyota 0
    35 42 70 Angela Cope Chevrolet 9
    36 40 87 Kevin Conway Toyota 8
    37 28 97 Joe Nemechek Toyota 7
    38 25 104 Tim Andrews Ford 6
    39 26 103 Scott Riggs Chevrolet 5
    40 30 141 Johnny Chapman Chevrolet 4
    41 21 147 Scott Speed Chevrolet 3
    42 29 142 Erik Darnell Chevrolet 0
    43 43 44 Jeff Green Chevrolet 1
  • Bristol Motor Speedway Promises to Deliver – Sprint Cup Preview

    Bristol Motor Speedway Promises to Deliver – Sprint Cup Preview

    Bristol Motor Speedway had humble beginnings.

    [media-credit name=”CIA Stock Photo” align=”alignright” width=”241″][/media-credit]In 1960 Larry Carrier and Carl Moore visited Charlotte Motor Speedway and came away with a dream. They wanted to build a race track in Tennessee.

    But the goal was not to imitate. They had a vision of a half-mile track with turns banked at 22 degrees and amphitheater style seating that would offer a more personal experience for race fans.

    With the help of R.G. Pope, the dream of Bristol International Speedway became a reality and the first race was run on July 30, 1961. The seating capacity was 18,000.

    A practice session was held for ‘The Volunteer 500’ on July 27, 1961 and Tiny Lund was the first driver on the new track. Fred Lorenzen won the pole for the first race with a speed of 79.225 mph. The 1960 Rookie of the Year, David Pearson, was there, becoming the first driver to drive the No. 3 at Bristol.

    Jack Smith became the first winner at Bristol even though he wasn’t in the car when the race ended. He made it to lap 290 but had to turn the car over to relief driver Johnny Allen, due to severe blistering on his feet.

    Throughout the years, there have been many changes. The name has changed, ownership has changed and the track has undergone a few makeovers.

    In 1969 the banked turns were  increased  up to 36 degrees, the track size was enlarged  to .533 miles and in 1992, they switched to a concrete surface.  Today the seating capacity is approximately 160,000. The current Sprint Cup qualifying record is 128.709 mph and was set by Ryan Newman on March 21, 2003.

    There has however been one constant.  Bristol Motor Speedway is short track racing at its best. The drivers love it and the fans can’t get enough.

    Dale Earnhardt got his first Cup win at Bristol in 1979. Other first time winners include Rusty Wallace, Ernie Irvan, Elliot Sadler and Kurt Busch.

    The 2011 Sprint Cup season has already seen five first time winners. Will we add another name to the list at Bristol Motor Speedway?

    Anticipation is building for the NASCAR Sprint Cup Irwin Tools Night Race at Bristol this Saturday as drivers try to snare a spot in the Chase.

    Kyle Busch has already clinched at least a Wild Card slot in the Chase with his win at Michigan. He is also a favorite to win this weekend. He swept all three series last August and has 11 wins at Bristol, including five in the Cup Series. Those five wins tie him with Jeff Gordon and Kurt Busch, for most among active drivers.

    Darrell Waltrip currently holds the record for most driver wins with 12 (7 consecutively).

    We could also be looking at a little rivalry between the Busch brothers. Kyle’s win at Michigan was his 23rd Sprint Cup victory which mirrors brother Kurt’s 23 total wins.

    Brad Keselowski is another one to watch at Bristol Saturday night.

    Only a month ago he was 23rd in points and didn’t appear to have any chance of making the Chase. Three weeks ago, he broke his ankle and everyone counted him out. But then the unthinkable happened. Instead of giving up, he used the injury as motivation and has rebounded to 12th in the points standings.

    His win at Pocono plus a second place finish at Watkins Glen and a third place finish at Michigan have moved him up to only 52 points outside the top ten.

    For all the Chase contenders, the number to remember this weekend is 97. Any driver leaving Bristol with a 97 point lead over 11th place will guarantee themselves a spot in the Chase. All of the top eight drivers can mathematically reach this goal.

    On the Wild Card front, Brad Keselowski and Denny Hamlin have laid claim to the top two spots. Keselowski has two wins and Hamlin has one victory. Hamlin scores the second spot because of points position.

    Paul Menard in 18th place and David Ragan in 20th, each have one win and are still in the running for a wild card slot. Marcos Ambrose and Regan Smith each have victories, but currently sit outside the top 20.

    Bristol is also the final race for drivers to become eligible for the Sprint Summer Showdown. The Bristol winner will join Paul Menard, Brad Keselowski, Marcos Ambrose and Kyle Busch, who have all secured a spot. If one of these eligible drivers wins at Atlanta, they will claim a million dollar payout. The driver’s charity and one fan will also receive a million dollars.

    It’s getting crunch time in the ‘Race to the Chase’ and Bristol Motor Speedway promises to deliver a night of excitement. You never know what will happen but one thing is certain. You don’t want to miss it.

  • Brad Keselowski Captures Unexpected Win at Lucas Oil Raceway

    Brad Keselowski Captures Unexpected Win at Lucas Oil Raceway

    [media-credit name=”Adam Lovelace” align=”alignright” width=”245″][/media-credit]After starting on the pole and leading 189 laps of the Kroger 200 Nationwide Series race at Lucas Oil Raceway Saturday night, Ricky Stenhouse Jr. could almost taste the win. But with Brad Keselowski in the picture nothing is certain.

    After a green-white-checkered restart, Keselowski wasted no time in overtaking leader Stenhouse Jr. and blasted across the finish line for his second win this season in the Nationwide Series.

    “It’s a very special win being from Michigan,” Keselowski said. “I’ve been coming to this race track for years. I’ve been to victory lane as a team guy and a mechanic but never a driver. It’s so special to win here and win here in a Dodge.”

    The majority of the race was tame with Roush Fenway Racing teammates, Stehnouse Jr. Carl Edwards and Trevor Bayne leading the pack.  Elliot Sadler who started the race in last position and rookie Austin Dillon were also looking strong as the race began winding down.

    The action became more heated towards the end of the race. Things began to go badly for Carl Edwards after a caution on lap 175 for a wreck involving Steve Wallace, Michael Annett and Tim Andrews. Edwards was penalized for exiting too fast off of pit road. He slowly worked his way back towards the front but the penalty cost him a shot at the win.

    Dillon did not pit and restarted the race in first position, followed by Stenhouse Jr., Bayne, Sadler and McDowell. But Dillon didn’t keep the lead long and was quickly passed by Stehnouse Jr. and Bayne advanced to second place.

    But with only twelve laps to go, Bayne suffered a blown engine, bringing out another caution.

    More chaos ensued when Justin Allgaier, who had made his way into the second position, had a brake fire which forced him off the track.

    Because the drivers had already lined up for the restart, the NASCAR rule which states that drivers must stay in their lanes, went into effect.

    This moved Brad Keselowski, who had been behind Allagaier in fourth, up to the second position.

    Keselowski, who had been mid-pack for much of the race, was now in a position to make something happen.

    On the restart, Keselowski quickly made his move, forcing Stenhouse Jr. high and taking the lead.

    The race was under green for only two laps when Elliot Sadler spun out, collecting his teammate Austin Dillon, and ending their hopes for a top five finish.

    Finally, on lap 202, the race was underway again but Keselowski held onto the lead to capture the victory.

    After the race, Stenhouse Jr. was obviously disappointed saying, “It’s frustrating. I’ve been working on my restarts all year, but it got us tonight. Our car was pretty fast, but you couldn’t say it was dominant since we didn’t win the race.”

    However, Keselowski gave Stenhouse Jr. credit for having the car to beat.

    “I had a great short-run car that could give Ricky a run for his money.  If the race was two or three laps longer, I’m sure Ricky would have drove around us.”

    James Buescher finished in second place with Stenhouse Jr., Aric Almirola and Carl Edwards rounding out the top five.

    Stenhouse Jr. leads the points standings in the NASCAR Nationwide Series, followed by Reed Sorenson, Elliot Sadler, Justin Allgaier and Aric Almirola.