NASCAR BGN Series Jiffy Lube Miami 300 Preview: #29, Elliott Sadler
5 November 1997
#29 Elliott Sadler, Phillips 66 Performance Chevrolet Monte Carlo
NASCAR Busch Series Grand National Division
Jiffy Lube Miami 300 Advance
Metro-Dade Homestead Motorsports Complex
ELLIOTT SADLER NOTES & QUOTES: JIFFY LUBE MIAMI 300
HOMESTEAD, FL - The season finale for the NASCAR Busch Series holds a lot in
its pocket for NASCAR Busch Series driver Elliott Sadler. He will be battling
to regain his position in the top five in driver points after falling to sixth
following the ACDelco 200 at North Carolina Motor Speedway two weeks ago.
Sadler clinched the Busch Pole Award for the 1997 season with four pole
positions. Mark Martin and Joe Nemechek, who have three poles each, are out of
contention regardless of how they qualify this weekend. Sadler would break any
tie by having the most outside poles positions this season.
A win at the Metro-Dade Motorsports Complex would be Sadler's fourth for the
season. Sadler's other wins came earlier this season at Nazareth Speedway,
Myrtle Beach Speedway and Gateway International Raceway.
Sadler's visit to the South Florida track last year produced the first
top-five finish of his young career. In only his 15th career start in the
NASCAR Busch Series, Sadler started his Diamond Ridge Motorsports entry from
the sixth position and finished fifth.
"The top five last year at Homestead came right on schedule for me," Sadler
said. "I knew I had the team, the car and the ability to go down there and
run against the Winston Cup drivers and still do well. And what a shot in the
arm it was for the entire Diamond Ridge crew. That was just the beginning for
this team. 1997 has been an awesome year for me and the entire Phillips 66
crew. We've had our share of ups and downs this season, but I feel confident
we will finish out 1997 on a high note."
The Phillips 66 Performance Team tested at the Metro-Dade Homestead
Motorsports Complex October 28-29 along with several other cars. Crew chief
Sandy Jones was pleased with their performance at the newly reconfigured
track.
"I guess you never go as fast as you want, but we were decent at the test,"
Jones said. "The track is a good bit different than last year. The
straightaways are shorter and the corners are more rounded, but I think we
will be in the hunt for the win."
The car the Phillips 66 Performance Team will race in the Jiffy Lube Miami 300
has a quite a record. The car Sadler nicknamed 'Baby Duck' has five starts
this season including two wins (Nazareth and Myrtle Beach), two pole positions
(Nazareth and Myrtle Beach) and two second-place finishes (Milwaukee and
Indianapolis).
Metro-Dade Homestead Motorsports Complex Results
Date Start Finish Poles Wins Top 5 Top 10 Winnings
11/3/96 6 5 0 0 1 1 $19,500
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
10/4 Charlotte, NC 18 14 200/200 12,098 Running
10/19 Fontana, CA 4 26 146/200 16,750 Running
10/25 Rockingham, NC 12 28 194/197 7,780 Running
Outside
Starts Poles Poles Wins Top 5 Top 10 LC/TL Earnings
29 4 3 3 6 10 5469/5914 (92.5%) $385,877
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 29 4 3 6 10 385,877 Gary Bechtel
Totals 44 4 3 7 14 456,312
By Events & Outings, Inc.
