Elliott Sadler tries to clear Casey Mears (41). Sadler spent 217 laps in the top 10. Credit: Autostock

Sadler finally gets a top-10 at Richmond

Robert Yates Racing driver pulls within 150 points of leader

RICHMOND, Va. -- Todd Parrott gave Elliott Sadler a big ol' bear hug and every last member of his team offered congratulatory pats on the back.

The driver was elated, relieved, as if a heavy burden had been lifted from his shoulders.

No, Sadler wasn't in Victory Lane.

Elliott Sadler Credit: AP

And while he didn't win the Chevy American Revolution 400 Saturday night, he did finish seventh.

And when you consider that he'd finished outside the top 20 in nine of his 12 career starts at his home track and never better than 12th, it's easy to see why it felt like a win.

"Man, this is an awesome weekend, great weekend, best weekend I've ever had I think," said Sadler, a native of nearby Emporia.

Key word: Weekend. Sadler nearly won the Funai 250 NASCAR Busch Series race before finishing second to Carl Edwards in a physical duel to the checkers.

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"To run that good in the Busch car last night and come back, struggle at the beginning of the (Cup) race and keep working on it, it was awesome on long runs, I'm just so proud of my guys."

Sadler has finished in the top-10 in all three short track races his season - a stark contrast to last year's effort when he finished in the top-10 just once in six short track events.

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"Last year we were so bad on short tracks, we kind of made a pact with each other over the winter, did a lot of testing at Lakeland (Fla.) and it's paid off, man," said Sadler, who improved to fourth in the championship point standings Saturday.

"We were good at Bristol, really good at Martinsville, and to come out to Richmond and run like this, great job."

And it could have been better.

"We drove up to third and pitted, and (Bobby Labonte) lost a tire and it rolled across and knocked my fender up and we fought tight (handling conditions) the rest of the night," Sadler said.

"This is a short track, but aerodynamics is important. It's a shame to lose a top-five that way but, hey, I ain't gonna complain. Seventh place, car's in one piece. Good stuff."