Does experience matter?
If it does, Elliott Sadler should have an edge. Of the 12 drivers competing in the inaugural NASCAR XFINITY Series Chase, he’s the only one who also qualified for the original 10-driver NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Chase in 2004, finishing ninth in the final standings.
“I don’t know if that’s good or bad,” Sadler chuckled. “I do remember that, being a part of the first-ever [Sprint] Cup Chase and now this one. I think that’s pretty cool.”
But will his long-standing NASCAR experience help him in a Chase that’s top-heavy on 20-somethings?
“I don’t think so,” said Sadler, the regular-season series leader who saw his substantial advantage disappear when points were reset for the Chase. “It’s not like I’m a seasoned quarterback that can read the defense better than a rookie quarterback coming in. I think that’s when experience plays a part.
“I think now it’s just about which teams can get their cars the fastest, what driver can get the best information and not make mistakes on the track. I feel like everybody that’s a part of this Chase—all 12 guys—can do just as good a job as anybody else, no matter their age or where they’re from or how many years they’ve raced.”
Source: Reid Spencer / NASCAR Wire Service
