On Friday morning it was announced that Elliott Sadler would move from Joe Gibbs Racing to Roush Fenway Racing which means that Elliott Sadler’s most important season may be the upcoming 2015 season.
Sadler moves to the organization after spending two lackluster seasons at Joe Gibbs Racing. Sadler’s tenure there was an opportunity to not only win a NASCAR Nationwide Series championship but a chance to eventually move back to the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series. Sadler has 435 career NASCAR Sprint Cup Series starts and has three victories to his credit.
Sadler’s 435 starts in the Sprint Cup Series had its ups and its downs. His career started driving for one of NASCAR’s most respected teams, Wood Brothers Racing. Sadler did well in his first five seasons driving for the organization, including a victory at Bristol in 2001. It was the Wood Brothers Racing team’s first victory since 1993.
Prior to the 2003 season Sadler joined Robert Yates Racing replacing Ricky Rudd, who moved to Sadler’s former team at Wood Brothers Racing. Sadler and his team struggled in their first season, finishing a disappointing 22nd in points and recording just nine top-10 finishes. However, the team would make some major changes, including combining their engine program with Roush Racing. The team had high expectations going into the 2004 season.
The team ran great, winning two races and qualifying themselves into the inaugural season of the Chase for the Nextel Cup. At the end of the season Sadler finished ninth in points and was ready to show his strength as the 2005 season began.
Sadler’s 2005 season looked a lot like his 2004 season minus two victories. While the team didn’t qualify for the Chase they did all but that. However in 2006 things started to change at Robert Yates Racing. The once proud organization had been falling on really hard times, winning just one race in the 2005 season.
In June of 2006 Sadler left Robert Yates Racing to drive for Evernham Motorsports a team owned by one of NASCAR’s most brilliant minds, Ray Evernham. Sadler was slated to drive the No. 19 Dodge for Evernham, a ride which became vacant after Evernham and driver Jeremy Mayfield decided to part ways in the middle of the year. Sadler was in prime equipment and things appeared to be headed in the right direction for the 30 year old veteran.
As good as things appeared to be was as bad as they turned out to be. Evernham Motorsports would go through major changes throughout the next four seasons, seeing three different owners at the organization and leaving the team in limbo for several seasons. Sadler’s career began to spiral downward. He finished 25th and 24th in points in the 2007 and 2008 seasons. During the off-season rumors surfaced that Sadler would not be returning to the organization in 2009, even though he still had two years left on his contract. Sadler threatened the organization with breach of contract and the team had no other choice but to keep Sadler until his contract was up after the 2010 season. In 2009 Sadler finished 26th in points and his final year at the organization he finished 27th in points. For something that seemed so promising, the Evernham Motorsports deal had turned into a disaster.
The whole situation was viewed as a mess and though the Emporia, Virginia native struggled, many pointed to the organization’s dysfunction as the reason why. Included among those people was friend and fellow Sprint Cup Series competitor, Kevin Harvick.
At the time Harvick had respectable NASCAR Nationwide and NASCAR Camping World Truck Series teams and when it was announced that Sadler would not return to the organization now known as Richard Petty Motorsports, Harvick jumped at the opportunity to sign Sadler, as did sponsor Citi Finiancial. Sadler joined both Citi and Kevin Harvick Incorporated to run two seasons in the NASCAR Nationwide Series. It was a huge move for Sadler’s career.
Things began to pick up for Sadler, who would compete for the championship in the 2011 season with KHI. While he didn’t visit victory lane, Sadler finished runner-up in the point standings. Kevin Harvick Inc. would shut down after the 2011 season and Harvick sold his assets and team to Richard Childress Racing. Sadler would run for RCR in 2012.
The 2012 season was far and away Sadler’s best season in the Nationwide Series. He won four races and although he didn’t win the championship Sadler proved that he was still a force to be reckoned with. Other owners began to notice, including the owner of perhaps the best NASCAR Nationwide Series team in the sport. That owner was Joe Gibbs.
Gibbs offered Sadler a two year contract prior to the 2013 season and although he had won four races at Richard Childress Racing, Sadler decided to leave the organization and move to Joe Gibbs Racing. Sadler’s two years at JGR has left much to be desired. It’s been reported that Sadler and his crew chief Chris Gayle haven’t seen eye to eye on a lot of the decisions made on the team this season and that has left Sadler with just one victory in his two years at JGR. Add that to the fact that Sadler was passed up for a Cup ride this season at JGR in favor of Carl Edwards, and it’s no surprise that  Sadler looked elsewhere for a ride. He found one at Roush Fenway Racing.
As Sadler enters the 2015 season, it will be the most important season in his career. There have been some reports that Sadler ultimately would like to get back to the Sprint Cup Series. He will turn 40 years old next season which means the opportunity to move back to the Sprint Cup Series is getting less likely as the years pass by.
Something that may also cloud Sadler’s future Cup return may be Sprint Cup Series driver Kasey Kahne. In 2015 Kahne will be entering his final year of a three year contract with Hendrick Motorsports. There is speculation that HMS development driver Chase Elliott may make the jump to the Sprint Cup Series to replace Kahne at HMS in 2016. If that’s the case Kahne may be looking to go elsewhere for the 2016 season and will automatically become NASCAR’s hottest free agent. The Washington native, Kahne, will be 35 years old at the end of the 2015 season and has 17 career NASCAR Sprint Cup Series victories to his credit. Kahne could be mentioned in a fourth car at Roush Fenway Racing in 2016, meaning Sadler could be passed up again for a Sprint Cup Series ride. That is, if the struggles continue for Sadler.
He will also be entering his fifth season in the NASCAR Xfinity Series with his fourth different race team. His sponsor One Main Financial has been very loyal to him and still believes he can win the championship in the NASCAR Xfinity Series. However, the big rides for Sadler may be running out and if he doesn’t have a strong season in 2015, it could be the beginning of the end for Sadler’s career in NASCAR.
Sadler is a sponsors dream but that’s about it. He has had many good rides with different organizations yet hasn’t displayed raw driving talent in any way.