05/18/2015
Sadler Leaves Iowa Speedway With A Ninth Place Finish
NEWTON, Iowa (May 18, 2015) – Roush Fenway Racing’s Elliott Sadler finished in ninth-place during Sunday’s NASCAR XFINITY Series (NXS) race at Iowa Speedway. Sadler qualified for the 250 lap event on Saturday evening and started the NXS race from the 10th position. As a defending pole award and race winner at Iowa, Sadler used his race experience to make key mid-race adjustments to the car. The No. 1 OneMain Financial team quickly learned that Sadler’s car was the fastest during longer runs. During the second half of the race, Sadler’s car was running well and Sadler worked his way up to third. After a long caution, Sadler’s tires cooled down and on the following restart, Sadler drifted back to the 14th position. In the final laps, Sadler battled his way through traffic and crossed the finish line in the ninth position.
“My No. 1 OneMain Financial Ford Mustang ran the best during longer runs,” Sadler said at the end of the race. “When our tire pressures heated up, my car handled extremely well and I was able to put down some solid lap times. However, when we had the long caution with a hundred laps to go, my tires cooled down too much and I was crazy loose on the restart. In the final laps I was able to pass a few cars to bring home a top-10 finish. The guys worked hard all weekend and we’ll build off this ninth place finish and try to bring home a victory in Charlotte.”
Saturday kept Sadler busy with two practice sessions in the morning and qualifying in the late afternoon. Sadler made it to the final round of qualifying and started Sunday afternoon’s race from the 10th position.
The NXS race started off slow with two early cautions in the first ten laps. After the second caution, the field raced until lap 60 when the yellow came out again for the scheduled NASCAR competition caution. Sadler entered pit road 13th, but after a fast stop by the crew, Sadler exited in the 11thposition.
On Lap 120, Sadler worked his way back into the top-10 and continued to battle his way to the front.
Lap 141, the yellow flag waved for debris on the track. Sadler entered pit road in the eighth position. The OneMain Financial crew changed four tires, added two cans of fuel and cranked the track bar down two rounds in the rear. The fast stop gain two positions on pit road and Sadler restarted in sixth position.
Following the restart, Sadler continued his journey to the front and by Lap 164, the No. 1 Ford was in third place.
A caution occurred not long after Sadler worked his way into the third position. During the long caution laps, Sadler’s tire pressures cooled and when it was time to go back to green flag racing, the car was extremely loose. With a loose car, Sadler drifted back to the 14th position.
On Lap 249, the caution flag waved again at Iowa Speedway. Sadler came down pit road one final time for four fresh tires. When the green flag waved, Sadler’s fresh tires helped him hold the corners and pass three more cars in the final three laps. Sadler crossed the finish line in the ninth position.
The No. 1 OneMain Financial Ford Mustang will be back in action on May 23rd at Charlotte Motor Speedway.
NEXT UP:
NASCAR XFINITY Race
Hisense 300
Charlotte Motor Speedway
Charlotte, NC
Saturday, May 23rd, 2015
2:30 p.m. ET on FOX Sports 1 and PRN
RACE SUMMARY
Elliott Sadler
Started: 10th
Finished: 9th
Complete Race Results:
POINTS SUMMARY
Elliott Sadler
2015 Season Total: Seventh with 317 points
2015 SEASON SUMMARY
Elliott Sadler
Starts – 10
Wins – 0
Poles – 0
Top-5s – 0
Top-10s – 4
