In the Draft: Heading to Chi-Town

It's time to head to the Windy City for our first race of the season at Chicagoland Speedway. I really like Chicagoland. It's shaped like a Kansas or a Charlotte or a Texas, which are some of my favorite tracks. Mile-and-a-half tracks seem to be my strong suit, so Chicagoland should be a good race for us. I've run pretty well there in the past in a Sprint Cup Series car, and we really feel comfortable in our program on the mile-and-a-half ovals, so I'm always looking forward to those tracks.

I'm also excited about how the competition is heating up as we head into the summer months. Two weeks ago in Iowa we saw the first Nationwide Series regular win a race, and since then I've received a lot of questions about Cup Series drivers competing in the series and the fact that it took 12 races before a Nationwide Series regular won a race.

Let me begin by saying that I am a big supporter of Cup drivers competing in the Nationwide Series. I think they're good for the sport in terms of fan base and ratings, and it also gives some of the young up-and-comers a chance to race against the best in the business and learn from the Cup guys, which is also good for the future of competition.

When you consider the fact that it has taken 12 races for a Nationwide Series points contender to win a race, you have to consider who these guys are that we're competing against. It's not middle-of-the-pack Cup drivers; these are literally some of the best drivers in the sport. You've got Carl Edwards, who just won a million dollars in the All-Star Race and is leading the Cup Series points; you've got Kevin Harvick, who has the most Cup wins this year and who almost won the championship last year; you've got Kyle Busch, who has the second most Cup Series wins this season; you've got Denny Hamlin, who earned the most Cup wins in 2010.

The Nationwide Series is an important series in our sport. I've seen it serve as a stepping stone for some of the best drivers in the Cup Series today, and I've also seen it serve as a place of rebirth for drivers in which others may have lost faith. It's where we see the future of the sport. I'm grateful to be running in the Nationwide Series and to be able to come to the race track each and every week knowing that I drive for one of the best teams in NASCAR and that I have a chance to win races and poles every weekend. It would mean the world to be able to lift the Nationwide Series championship trophy over my head in Homestead.

HOLLA!

In the Draft with Elliott Sadler is a twice-monthly blog and the opinions expressed are solely those of the writer. Follow him and the No. 2 KHI team on Twitter: @Elliott_Sadler, @OneMainRacing or @KHI_NNS.