NASCAR BGN Series All Pro Bumper to Bumper 300 Preview: #29, Elliott Sadler
1 October 1997
#29 Elliott Sadler, Phillips 66 Performance Chevrolet Monte Carlo
NASCAR Busch Series Grand National Division
All Pro Bumper to Bumper Advance
Charlotte Motor Speedway
ELLIOTT SADLER NOTES & QUOTES: ALL PRO BUMPER TO BUMPER 300
CONCORD, NC - Now that Elliott Sadler has one complete NASCAR Busch Series
race at Charlotte Motor Speedway under his belt, he is ready for another trip
to the 1.5-mile oval. At the spring race, Sadler qualified eighth, but
finished 21st due to handling problems. The team is bringing a different No.
29 Phillips 66 Performance Team Chevrolet Monte Carlo to CMS than they ran in
May, which they hope will be the key to win in front of a hometown crowd.
"I really feel good about the car we are running, and I also feel like I
learned a lot about the track when we were here in May," Sadler said. "The
spring event was the first time I had raced at Charlotte Motor Speedway. I
tested there a couple of times, but it isn't until you get into racing
conditions that you really learn how your car needs to be on the track. I've
logged some seat time at the track since May, testing one of our Winston Cup
cars there in mid September, and I feel that more seat time and a different
car will give us an excellent shot at picking up our fourth win this season."
Through the majority of 1997, Elliott Sadler has been on a qualifying mission.
Sadler has started in the top 10 for 13 of 26 races thus far. That figure
includes four pole positions, the most by any one driver so far in 1997, and
three outside poles. Sadler has put the No. 29 Phillips 66 Performance Team
Chevrolet on the front row more times, seven, than any other driver this
season.
Sadler's sixth-place finish at Dover Downs was his 10th top-10 finish of the
season. Sadler's 1997 stats to date also include six top-five finishes and
three wins (Nazareth, Myrtle Beach and St. Louis).
There was a break in the NASCAR Busch Series schedule this past week, but
Elliott Sadler was busy doing service in his hometown of Emporia, Va. Sadler
rode the streets on Emporia on Saturday, September 27, as Grand Marshall of
the 35th Annual Virginia Peanut Festival. He also signed autographs as part of
his festival duties. The No. 29 Phillips 66 Performance Team transporter was
also on hand for the parade.
Elliott Sadler has a full slate of activities planned for the Charlotte race
week. Sadler was part of the Checkered Flag Restaurant & Bar's Celebrity
Charity Golf Classic Monday, September 29. He is scheduled to sign autographs
at the Phillips Pipe Line Customer Appreciation Day in Paw Creek, N.C., on
Tuesday, September 30, and will also make an appearance at the Phillips 66
Diamond Tower Suite at CMS on Saturday prior to the race.
Elliott Sadler will be driving in the UAW-GM Teamwork 500 Winston Cup race on
October 5, 1997. Sadler will drive the No. 40 Coors/Coors Light Chevrolet
Monte Carlo for Team SABCO in his first Winston Cup start. He is driving in
place of Robby Gordon, who parted company with Team Sabco earlier in the week.
1997 NASCAR BUSCH SERIES RESULTS
Date Location ST FIN LC/TL Earnings Status
2/15 Daytona Beach, FL 1 15 120/120 18,262 Running
2/22 Rockingham, NC 6 5 197/197 9,985 Running
3/1 Richmond, VA 20 26 246/250 5,901 Running
3/8 Atlanta, GA 2 9 196/197 11,355 Running
3/16 Las Vegas, NV 2 30 140/200 13,925 Accident
3/22 Darlington, SC 1 29 144/147 6,415 Running
3/29 Hickory, NC 11 8 300/300 5,795 Running
4/5 Ft. Worth, TX 2 20 200/200 13,725 Running
4/12 Bristol, TN 28 14 249/250 6,455 Running
4/19 Nashville, TN 12 30 286/320 3,970 Running
4/26 Talladega, AL 7 16 117/117 10,280 Running
5/10 Loudon, NH 11 34 140/200 4,885 Accident
5/18 Nazareth, PA 1 1 200/200 30,887 Running
5/24 Charlotte, NC 8 21 199/200 5,842 Running
5/31 Dover, DE 7 12 199/200 10,310 Running
6/13 South Boston, VA 24 22 238/300 6,790 Running
6/29 Watkins Glen, NY 8 11 82/82 8,812 Running
7/6 Milwaukee, WI 11 2 250/250 28,575 Running
7/12 Myrtle Beach, SC 1 1 250/250 30,750 Running
7/26 Madison, IL 12 1 240/240 48,925 Running
8/1 Indianapolis, IN 19 2 200/200 18,900 Running
8/16 Brooklyn, MI 39 18 99/100 9,395 Running
8/22 Bristol, TN 32 41 43/250 7,420 Accident
8/30 Darlington, SC 20 9 147/147 9,625 Running
9/5 Richmond, VA 19 21 248/250 9,075 Running
9/20 Dover, DE 8 6 200/200 10,990 Running
Outside
Starts Poles Poles Wins Top 5 Top 10 LC/TL Earnings
26 4 3 3 6 10 4929/5367 (91.8%) $349,249
CAREER NASCAR BUSCH SERIES RESULTS
Year Starts Poles Wins Top 5 Top 10 Winnings Car Owner
1995 2 0 0 0 1 6,065 Marion Sadler
1996 13 0 0 1 3 64,370 Gary Bechtel
1997 26 4 3 6 10 349,249 Gary Bechtel
Totals 41 4 3 7 14 419,684
By Events & Outings, Inc.
