HOMESTEAD, Fla. – Seeing his opportunity for his first career NASCAR XFINITY Series championship slip away in the final laps of Saturday afternoon’s Ford EcoBoost 300 at Homestead-Miami (Fla.) Speedway, Elliott Sadler felt Joe Gibbs Racing’ driver Ryan Preece cost him the title.
For the final 30 laps or so of the XFINITY Series finale, JR Motorsports teammates William Byron and Sadler swiped the lead for the title several times but inside the final 10 laps of the race, the duo caught third place runner Preece.
Preece in a championship fight of his own – trying to secure Joe Gibbs Racing another XFINITY Series owners title was passed cleanly by Byron, but a lap later Sadler and Preece made contact while racing in the high line sending both cars sideways.
Brilliant saves were made by both drivers, but Sadler had to pit a few laps later with a flat tire sending him from fifth to eighth when the checkered flag waved.
On pit road, an obviously frustrated Sadler climbed from his No. 1 OneMain Financial Chevrolet and confronted Preece who was parked directly ahead of him.
Sadler had to be restrained by NASCAR officials but did have a verbal exchange with the Berlin, Conn. driver.
“He cost us a championship and he wasn’t even racing anybody,” Sadler said of Preece. “I let my race team down tonight. Somebody not even racing for anything let Byron get back to us. He cost us a championship.”
For the fourth time in seven XFINITY Series, Sadler had to settle for second in the series standings. He lost Saturday’s title by five points to Byron.
Sadler called Saturday night’s result the most devastating moment in his career.
“I’d say tonight is the most devastating and down and out I’ve ever felt in my career,’’ he said. “To be that close and not win a championship is frustrating.
“I don’t have many years left, and I wanted to try to fulfill a childhood dream. I didn’t know it was going to come down to a guy that’s not even racing for anything to hold us down like that. No respect at all.’’
Preece maintains he was doing what he was told to do – which meant racing for the owner’s championship.
The NASCAR Whelen Modified Series standout was making his fourth start of the season for JGR and was the last of the Toyota contingent in the hunt for the owner’s battle.
“I mean, really I got hired to race this race for the owner championship,” said Preece. “We weren’t anywhere near the 22 (Sam Hornish Jr.), but we were racing the 9 (William Byron). It’s pretty much what I said. If it was the 7 (Justin Allgaier) and the 1 (Elliott Sadler) or anyone else that wasn’t in for that owner championship, probably, I definitely would have just laid right over.
“I’ve been an Elliott Sadler fan growing up, so if I wanted somebody to win that owner championship or driver championship, it would have been him. Just, I can’t not listen to my owner. I can’t not listen to my, the guy who’s paying you in the end, so it’s just a tough deal. It’s crappy in the end – but I hate controversy.”
The owner’s championship ultimately went to Team Penske and their No. 22 XFINITY Series team driven in the Ford EcoBoost 300 by Sam Hornish Jr.
Sadler felt that championship didn’t matter since Preece was nowhere close to contending with Hornish for position.
“He wasn’t because the 22 was a half a lap ahead of him, so he wasn’t racing anybody,” Sadler quipped.
Preece insists there wasn’t much he could do.
“As soon as the 9 (William Byron) got by us, my, my point for racing him was gone, he was going to pull away, so I wanted to let him go, but you know obviously there was just contact,” he added.
“That’s the last thing you want. You know growing up, I was a huge Elliott Sadler fan and I know his spotter Brett (Griffin) very well, so you don’t want that type of scenario, especially right now. It is what it is. I got to thank Joe Gibbs again and we’ll look forward to 2018.”
Earlier this week JGR announced that Preece would run a minimum of 10 XFINITY Series races for the Huntersville, N.C.-based organization next season in the team’s third rotating entry.
Preece won his first career XFINITY Series race in July at Iowa Speedway edging out JGR teammate Kyle Benjamin.
Follow Chris Knight on Twitter @Knighter01
