Elliott Sadler's win at Texas broke a three-year losing streak. Credit: Autostock

Sadler's 2004 season all about good timing

After nearly fulfilling all the promise of his first season with Robert Yates Racing, Elliott Sadler became a potent contender for race victories and the NASCAR Nextel Chase for the Championship.

The highlight of Sadler's season was his victory over Kasey Kahne at Texas. That narrow victory --. 028 seconds -- gave Sadler his first victory at RYR, and it also was the first triumph for sponsor M&Ms, which had been a primary sponsor for several seasons with nary a top-five finish to its credit.

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Not only has Sadler come into his own as a driver, he has come into the purview of Todd Parrott, who took over as crew chief midway through the season.

Parrott, who guided Dale Jarrett to the series title in 1999, has been a calming influence on the excitable Sadler, and has coaxed more performance out of him as well.

His Race to the Chase has been punctuated not so much by consistency as by tenacity.

In the first seven races of the season Sadler had four top-10 finishes and two top-fives, including his victory.

Over the next 17 races, that total slipped to six top-10s and four top-fives, including a third-place run at Indianapolis.

He had troubles, such as the crash at the second Michigan race which sent him to 32nd at the finish, but others around him did as well.

He never went into a prolonged losing streak, getting a top-10 or top-five when he needed it. In fact, he was in the top-10 in points all season.

After 24 races, he was seventh in the points and 127 ahead of 11th place. With the victory at California and a 17th-place effort at Richmond, Sadler clinched sixth spot in the points. He had two victories, seven top-fives and 11 top-10s on the season.

Daytona 500: Sadler was strong from the start, qualifying second and finishing seventh at the biggest race of the season.

Subway 400 at Rockingham: Solid, if not spectacular. He was 18th at the finish.

UAW-DaimlerChrysler 400 at Las Vegas: The theme is finishing races, and Sadler was sixth here.

Golden Corral 500 at Atlanta: Early troubles relegated him to 29th at the end, five laps down.

Carolina Dodge Dealers 400 at Darlington: His first top-five finish (fifth) and a good way to leave Darlington.

Food City 500 at Bristol: 14th at Bristol is one you take, load the car up and get the heck on down the road.

Samsung/Radio Shack 500 at Texas: Sadler had knocked on the door to Victory Lane in 2003 at the wheel of the M&Ms machine, but at Texas he broke it down, beating Kasey Kahne by 0.028 seconds, the sixth-closest finish in NASCAR since electronic scoring began in 1993.

Advance Auto Parts 500 at Martinsville: After contending early, he faded to 12th at the finish.

Aaron's 499 at Talladega: After catching a piece of one of the big crashes, he finished 28th, three laps down. Of course, it sure beat his tumble down the backstretch last year in October.

Auto Club 500 at California: Sadler was 22nd, a lap down, here.

Chevy American Revolution 400 at Richmond: Too much Dale Jr. and not enough handling resulted in a 12th-place finish, one lap down.

Coca-Cola 600 at Lowe's: He was stout all night long, not that it mattered with the smackdown that Jimmie Johnson put on the field. He was fifth, one spot below where he qualified. It was his third top-five and fourth top-10.

MBNA 400 at Dover: One of the multitudes caught up in the late-race foolishness, he was 18th, nine laps in arrears.

Pocono 500: The good news was he finished 12th. The bad news was, that was where he started. He did lead a lap, however.

DHL 400 at Michigan: The Fords go well at Michigan, and Sadler's was one of the good ones this day, finishing fifth. He, and every other Ford on the track it seemed, led at least one lap.

Dodge/Save Mart 350 at Sonoma: A top-10 at Sonoma is a good deal, and he finished 10th.

Pepsi 400 at Daytona: Not a good night by the sea. He took a provisional and then finished 26th.

Tropicana 400 at Chicagoland: Middle-of-the-road in the nation's midsection. He was 21st.

Siemens 300 at New Hampshire: Sometimes it's tough to get going at New Hampshire, and Elliott never really did. He was 15th.

Pennsylvania 500 at Pocono: Two spots better this time, breaking into the top 10 in 10th. It was his first top-10 since Sonoma, the sixth of the season for Sadler.

Brickyard 400 at Indianapolis: If you're going to shine, Indy isn't a bad place to do it. He started third and finished third, leading one of the laps that Jeff Gordon didn't take for himself.

Sirius at the Glen: His 15th-place effort gave him an average road-course finish this season of 12.5. Not too shabby.

GFS Marketplace 400 at Michigan: Sadler was well on the way to matching the spring race's fifth-place finish until a wall jumped in front of him. He was 21 laps down in 32nd when the checkered waved.

Sharpie 500 at Bristol: Bristol is a chore at night, and Elliott toiled to fifth, giving him six top-fives and 10 top-10s with two races left. He was seventh in the points heading to California.

Pop Secret 500 at California: A banzai move on the final restart gave Sadler his third career victory and the second of the season. He powered to the outside of Mark Martin, Kasey Kahne and leader Brian Vickers heading into Turn 3 to take the lead, and he held off a fast-closing Kahne for the second time this season. Kahne was second to Sadler again, although this time the margin was a lazy .263 seconds.

Chevy Rock and Roll 400 at Richmond: Starting the race assured him of a spot in the final 10, and he finished 17th.