How will Sadler fare with new crew chief Phil Gould?
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Team: Roush Fenway Racing No. 1 Ford
Rank in final 2014 standings: Third
Wins: 1 (Talladega in May)
Strides: Once again Sadler was a contender for the title, and while he eventually finished third (trailing the 1-2 tandem of JR Motorsports drivers Chase Elliott and Regan Smith), it was the fourth consecutive top-five points finish for the Emporia, Virginia racer.
In wrapping up a two-year stint with Joe Gibbs Racing before moving to Roush Fenway Racing for the ’15 season, Sadler added career victory No. 10 at Talladega, his first on the huge, 2.66-mile layout. His runner-up finish at Darlington and fifth at Auto Club equaled previous bests at those two tracks, while his 25 top-10 finishes in 33 starts were a first.
Setbacks: Although his results were far from bad, Sadler was a consistent top-10 performer in need of top-fives down the stretch. After working his way to the top of the points standings with a 10th-place finish at Kentucky at mid-season, he promptly gave it back the following week with a 21st-place finish at Daytona. That began a stretch that saw him finish 10th or worse in five of the next eight races, including 29th at Bristol.
Quoteworthy: “Edsel Ford would come up to me every single race when he was there and we would shake hands and he would ask me how I was doing. It didn’t matter what … manufacturer I was driving (for). No other head of a manufacturer has ever done that. That’s always been special. He came up to me in Phoenix, gave me a hug and told me ‘welcome back’ after we made the announcement. That meant the world to me.”
What’s next: Sadler returns to the Ford family for ’15, joining Chris Buescher, Ryan Reed and Darrell Wallace to make up the Roush Fenway Racing XFINITY Series lineup. He last drove for the automaker in 2010 (with Richard Petty Motorsports in the Sprint Cup Series.)
Phil Gould, former crew chief for Brian Scott at Richard Childress Racing, made the move to RFR as well and will oversee the No. 1 Ford entry. One Main Financial will provide sponsorship.
“My relationship with Phil is awesome,” Sadler said. “We have the same beliefs in racing and a really strong friendship, which to me in this sport means a lot. I feel very confident.”
In spite of the move, Sadler isn’t expecting a slow start, or a sub-par effort.
“The last (few) years … we’ve always been in the top three or four in the points, been on poles, won races,” he said. “Going back to Ford with Roush Fenway, with (engine builder) Doug Yates especially, we’ve got high hopes.
“Those cars ran very well at the end of the year and I think we can bring some knowledge over there that can help the program. I feel very good about getting back with those guys.”
Sadler is a 14-time winner in NASCAR and is one of 24 drivers to have won at least one race in the Sprint Cup, XFINITY and Camping World Truck Series.