Sadler takes blame for late crash with Fike

ROCKINGHAM, N.C. -- Hermie Sadler shouldered the blame for a savage-looking crash in Saturday's NASCAR Busch Series Goody's Headache Powder 200 at North Carolina Speedway.

With 32 laps remaining, Johnny Sauter and Aaron Fike got together in Turn 3, with Fike's car backing toward the outside wall. His No. 43 stopped in the outside lane as traffic spilled by underneath.

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Several seconds later, Sadler's car slammed into the driver's side door of Fike's car, moments after Fike started to roll down the 25-degree banking.

The front of Sadler's car was destroyed, but the two-time Busch Series winner was OK.

Fike, though, was taken to a local hospital for further evaluation as a precautionary measure, a NASCAR spokesman said. Fike was awake and alert in the infield care center.

VIDEO CLIPS Hermie Sadler and Aaron Fike make hard contact Play video

"I don't know what happened to the 43," Sadler said. "It was my fault. I came around the outside. I had just made a move to the outside of the 20. My spotter called and said, 'The caution's out.' By the time I saw the 43, I tried to slow down. There just wasn't enough room. I apologize to him and all my guys. It ruined a good run. We had a good day going."

Sadler said he saw Fike drifting down the banking, but it was too late to take evasive action.

"Once I saw him, I started slamming on brakes to go straight," Sadler said. "Then when he was sitting there, I turned left, and as soon as I turned left, he let go of the brakes and started coming down. But it was my fault. I should've slowed down quicker."

NASCAR spokesman Rick Houston said officials from the sanctioning body talked with Sadler, crew chief Ernie Cope, and Sadler's spotter about the incident.