 | | If Elliott Sadler has a worry, it's his performance in the year-end Chase. Credit: Autostock |
By Lee Montgomery, NASCAR.COM
January 30, 2005
06:51 AM EST (11:51 GMT)
MOORESVILLE, N.C. -- Some view Elliott Sadler's appearance in the 2004 Chase for the Nextel Cup as a fluke. Those same skeptics expect Sadler to fade into anonymity this year, proving last year's two-victory season was nothing more than a stroke of luck. But Sadler, crew chief Todd Parrott and the rest of the No. 38 Robert Yates Racing team have other ideas. To use one of Sadler's favorite phrases, 2004 was simply the "tip of the iceberg." In other words, his fellow drivers better look out, for Sadler and his team has plenty of depth and strength. "We've got a lot people with high hopes, and people wonder if we can back up what we did last year," Sadler said. "I think as consistent as we were and as good as we ran the entire season, I can't see us not being able to do that again. "If you knew what I knew -- as far as the changes we've made and the headway we've made -- we can do that. I think we're definitely going to be a top-10 team." Why so much confidence? Several reasons. For starters, RYR hired front-tire changer Mike Lingerfelt and front-tire carrier Ryan McCray for the No. 38 pit crew. That has upgraded the crew, Sadler said, and could provide him several spots in the running order throughout the season. Heck, they might even get Sadler a victory. "The pit crew that we've got right now, we're going to have everybody covered on pit road," Sadler said. "I'm not worried about that." If Sadler does have a worry, it's his performance when he gets into the Chase. Even then, Sadler is confident he's learned the right lessons from 2004, when he roared into the Chase for the Nextel Cup with loads of confidence, only to fizzle with disappointment. But he'll be much better prepared this time around, learning to use the "race the track" approach. "I should've listened to my teammate more," Sadler said of former Cup champion Dale Jarrett. "He's been in that position. I tried to listen to him some, but sometimes your natural instincts take over, and you make some mistakes. "Todd and I both learned a lot of lessons last year that are going to help us." Parrott agreed with his driver, noting their "nothing to lose" attitude seemed like a good idea at the time. "The last five races, that was the attitude we went with," Parrott said. "It didn't work out too well. He made some mistakes on the racetrack racing with some guys he should've have been racing with." Parrott admitted to making some mistakes on pit road, too. "I think we'll back down some from the 'Katie bar the door, we're going for it, guns blazing' attitude," Parrott said. Sure, aggression is always needed in a Nextel Cup race, but Sadler could stand to learn a little Shakespeare in 2005: Sometimes, discretion is the better part of valor. "As a driver, I've never been running up front every weekend, running for wins every weekend," Sadler said. "There is stuff you've got to learn." Sadler likened his 2004 season to some NFL quarterbacks. "They do a good job in the regular season but maybe they don't in the postseason because they're not used to the intense kind of play," Sadler said. "You've got to learn from your mistakes. "I learned a lot from last year, being in the Chase. I think the 10 guys in the Chase last year have an advantage over the people who weren't because we understand how much different the pressure was, how much different the pit strategy was." This year, Sadler hopes the testing of the 2005 package both last year and this one gives him a good start to the season. In a perfect world, Sadler would pick up a couple victories early in the year, build up a solid cushion in the points and cruise to the Chase. "We really think we've got a shot to win at a majority of the tracks we go to," Sadler said. "The tracks we're maybe not so successful at, we've got a doggone good chance to finish in the top five. Our mindset's a little different. "It's all how well we jell together. Momentum is going to be the difference in us finishing in the top five or maybe winning a championship. But I think we've got all the pieces together. We've just got to be at the right place at the right time." → Click here for 2005 Driver Previews. | 
