RICHMOND, Va. – OK, in all sense of the word – Elliott Sadler hasn’t been out of the race car for that long, but the Emporia, Va. native is taking a brief sabbatical from being in early retirement mode to return to the NASCAR Xfinity Series scene for two races this season driving for Kaulig Racing.
Deciding to step out of the race car full-time at the end of 2019 driving for JR Motorsports, Sadler has embraced his new role as coach of his kids’ baseball team – while also making a path to enjoy the other walks of life outside of the race track – but when Nutrien Ag Solutions came calling with a vast financial interest in the sport and wanting Sadler to be a part of their new chapter, the veteran knew the opportunity was a chance to pay it forward.
Nutrien Ag Solutions offers a wide range of products and services to facilitate clients in the agricultural sector. While eager to work with a rising star in the sport, the company also needed a household name to help build their presence and Sadler was their top prospect.
“It’s good to be back,” Sadler said Friday afternoon at Richmond Raceway. “I was nervous this week, I’m not going to lie. It’s got a way different feel to it coming to run one race as compared to each and every week knowing what’s going on and everything going inside the garage. It had a pretty good feel.
“I didn’t sleep much this week wanting to come here, excited and nervous and all of that good stuff to come back to my home track. It was a little different. Different team, different car, the switches are in a different spot and gas, brake and clutch all work a little different – steering wheel a little different. It was good to be back in the office for a little while.”
Agreeing to compete for two races, Sadler chose Richmond because of the home track vibe, while Nutrien Ag Solutions selected Las Vegas (Nev.) Motor Speedway in September. With Sadler’s commitment, Nutrien also agreed to support 26-year-old Ross Chastain in three Xfinity Series races in 2019.
Chastain drove the No. 10 Nutrien Ag Solutions Chevrolet at Daytona (Fla.) International Speedway in February where he qualified sixth, led 23 laps, won a stage but ran out of drafting help at the end of the race and settled for 13th at the checkered flag.
With Chicagoland Speedway and Texas Motor Speedway the other two races for Chastain and Nutrien, Sadler is eager to jump back in the Xfinity spotlight – but with zero pressure or expectations.
“Compared to being here in the fall, I was very emotional here in the fall, because there was so much going on,” added Sadler. “And with the championship, the Playoffs and trying to get points and every little point mattered and then know coming back this year, it’s kinda like icing on the cake.
“Definitely a lot different feeling.”
A career spanning more than two decades and wins in the sport’s three top-national series, Sadler says he’s the happiest he’s ever been in his life. With two young children who are thriving both on the field and away, Sadler is enjoying a new sector of his life that doesn’t involve turning left every weekend.
“I’m as happy as I’ve ever been in my life,” noted Sadler. “I definitely made the right decision stepping away full time. I was worried when Daytona came. I really was. Wondering how I was gonna feel – how I was going to take it. But, it was right on my son’s birthday and we had a cool birthday party.
“This cures kinda a little bit of the itch to come back here to my home track and we’ll come back to Vegas in the fall – but I don’t regret my decision at all. I love being a fan of the sport at home. Been very happy with this decision.”
Even content with his decision to get out of the sport, Sadler says his decision to come back out of hiatus and compete in a second-car for Kaulig Racing was a no-brainer when it meant helping another competitor get an opportunity to boost their resume.
Sadler reminisced about the time it was done for him, particularly in the mid-1990s with NASCAR champion driver Dale Jarrett.
“When I first started racing – I had people that helped me get started and made phone calls and kinda took me under their wings. Dale Jarrett comes to mind. I felt like if it wasn’t for people helping me I don’t think I would have had the opportunity to race as long as I did – 24 years.
“This opportunity came up with Nutrien Ag Solutions, they are a brand-new sponsor to the sport. First time in this sport. They were just being rebranded, they wanted to be a part of NASCAR and they wanted to have someone that has a little bit of name recognition, but they are also looking for a young driver as well to kinda build with and they just kinda come up with this package with me and Ross. Kinda like passing of the torch.
“I felt that if people help me get in the sport and get going, why can’t I do the same? I think Ross has a lot of talent. Matt Kaulig opened his doors to us and gave us a great opportunity to run the 10 car for a couple of races. It’s a different situation, a unique situation but at the end of the day, if I can help give somebody a great opportunity to be a part of the sport a long time like someone gave me then it’s well worth it.”
As for Friday night, the crave to win is always there – but Sadler at least wants to keep a strong stretch of Richmond finishes alive and believes his team ha brought him a car to do it.
“If we can stay on the lead lap and make a story at the end, we’ll do that and who cares if we don’t. If we can run top-five and I think I have six top-seven (finishes) in a row, so I don’t want to finish any worse than that, because that would make it look bad if I came back and did that.
“Hopefully, we can run in the top-five, top-six tonight. It’s all about long-run speed here and hopefully, we made enough adjustments to be good for that.”
Sadler says he has no expectations to climb back behind the seat following Las Vegas in the fall and with the NASCAR Gander Outdoors Truck Series returning to the Richmond short track next year, the thought of returning to Truck was enticing but without adequate sponsorship and a top-notch truck, Sadler doesn’t see the opportunity happening but said, “I’m jealous that the trucks are coming back to Richmond Raceway.”
Follow Chris Knight on Twitter @Knighter01.
