Sadler fights illness to post top-five finish

CONCORD, N.C. -- Elliott Sadler slumped to the ground after a long, hard night in the Coca-Cola 600. The strapping young driver had fought Lowe's Motor Speedway to a draw, but the track slipped in a few good shots.

COCA-COLA 600 Johnson celebrates his dominating victory at Lowe's Play video Waltrip and McMurray review their strong performances Play video Johnson cruises to the his second Coca-Cola 600 win Play video In separate incidents, Andretti and Newman spin off of Turn 4 Play video  •  Results  •  Standings

Sadler ended up finishing fifth Sunday night, but he was whooped. Sadler needed emergency workers to tend to him on pit road, pouring water and ice on him and eventually giving him oxygen.

"I'm so proud of my guys," Sadler said. "I've been sick a little bit this week and, man, we got to Lap 156 after that long run and I said, 'There ain't no way I can make it.'"

More than half the race remained, but Sadler gritted his teeth and kept going.

"They kept giving me cold water, and I had a great race car," Sadler said. "We got a little bit out-adjusted there at the end, but I am proud of my guys. I am so proud of my guys."

And his guys were proud of him. To come back and finish fifth "says a lot for him and this whole team," crew chief Todd Parrott said.

"I wish that cat right there would've been 100 percent, because he would've give 'em a run for it," said Parrott, waving to Sadler, who was propped up against the side of the No. 38. "We have a really good hot rod here. There were times we might not have run exactly with (Jimmie Johnson), but I think we'd have given him a shot for his money."

Johnson had the dominant car Sunday night, leading 334 of the 400 laps. But Sadler was pretty darn good, too, and for much of the race seemed to be the only car to at least match Johnson.

	Sadler jumped to seventh in the Nextel Cup standings Sunday. Credit: Autostock

Perhaps that was why Sadler never talked about getting a relief driver.

"I've seen times when people would rather get out," team owner Robert Yates said. "He's not going to let the team down there. He'll drive it with his tongue hanging out, which he did."

But Yates and Parrott said Sadler never complained about his condition.

"He didn't say nothing all day long," Parrott said. "He told us he was doing everything he could do. He was driving his heart out, and that's what he did."

About halfway through the race, Yates said, Sadler's sickness caught up to him. Sadler continually asked for water to keep him hydrated, but it was a losing battle.

"He felt so lousy during the race," Yates said. "He was like, 'Give me some water, give me some water. Find me all the ice. Give me 50 bottles. Give me all the water you can get me.' He was very dehydrated."

Sadler stayed in the top five most of the night, but fell back to seventh when Parrott decided to change four tires under a yellow flag on Lap 369. Sadler maintained seventh place in the closing laps when NASCAR decided to red flag the race for Ryan Newman's blown engine.

That wasn't what Sadler needed. Sitting in a hot car with no circulation didn't help his condition.

	The No. 38 team led 41 laps Sunday. Credit: Autostock

"When they red-flagged it, I was like, 'Oh, my gosh,'" Yates said. "He was not talking a whole lot. We saw him with his hand out the window, and we knew he was suffering. He did a great job."

Sadler did even better when the race restarted, scrambling past two cars to finish in the top five

"He got up on the wheel," Yates said.

"He drove his heart out right there at the end," Parrott said.

Sadler's performance was probably more impressive than his victory at Texas earlier this year, which happened to be his last top-five finish. With a remodeled pit crew and several strong runs in 2005, Yates said the No. 38 team is "anxious to go racing everywhere."

Just not right away. Sadler needs some rest.

"We'll give him a couple days off," Yates said, "before we go test Wednesday or Thursday."