In the Field: Elliott Sadler

I'll tell you a couple things: One, I feel a lot better now than I did a week ago, when I was sicker than I've been in a long time; and two, it's hard to say if I'm more excited about the way my Tar Heels are doing in the NCAAs, or going to Bristol for the first Car of Tomorrow race.

I know some people might try to cover it up -- but getting babied by my mom last week back home in Emporia was great, and that's why I didn't mind talking about it.

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I didn't feel too good at all last week, almost all week. I had something like the flu and I really felt bad, but to be back in Virginia when I got sick and to be in a position where my mom could take care of me and fix me soup and things like that was definitely an advantage.

I'd bet there are plenty of times that people have gotten sick and wouldn't have minded if their mom and dad could have taken care of them.

How bad was it? I basically didn't get out of bed for three days and I had to change my shirt about every two hours because I was sweating so bad, and then I was freezing with cold chills coming over me.

Thankfully her TLC had me all well and ready for the busy race weekend in Atlanta.

Yes, we do pick up some marketing savvy by racing in the Nextel Cup Series, but I have no designs on marketing my mother as the ideal "get better quick nurse," or anything like that.

She has taken care of me, my brother, Hermie, and my sister, Missi, for a long time, and we all still live around home, where we were born and raised -- so she still doesn't miss a chance to take care of us.

"Momma Bell" is what most of my friends call her. She's never sick, and she's always on call, it seems like, for any time we have any problems she's always there to come to the rescue, so let's keep her around home, just in case.

We use her pretty hard, right now.

Fortunately she had me well in time to go to Winston-Salem to see the Tar Heels play in the first round of the NCAA Tournament. (Continued)