Sadler saddles up for Evernham
Round and round they go.
Whether it?s burning around Michigan International Speedway at blazing speeds, or playing musical chairs by switching teams in midseason, the drivers on the NASCAR Nextel Cup circuit are no strangers to chaos. This week?s event at Michigan, the GFS Marketplace 400, will see Elliott Sadler making his first start for Evernham Motorsports. Taking over for Sadler in his old Robert Yates Racing slot is blue-chipper David Gilliland.
It?s about as good a situation as either driver could hope for. Sadler was likely out the RYR door at the end of the season, anyway, as Yates has dismantled his struggling team in favor of a rebuilding project. That project has taken a big step forward with the addition of Gilliland. All this movement was made possible when Evernham fired Jeremy Mayfield last week, opening up an escape route for Sadler. Mayfield filed a lawsuit over that firing; on Friday, he and Evernham reached an out-of-court settlement.
These are bizarre times for Mayfield, who won the GFS Marketplace 400 last year, but is expected to be watching this year?s race from the comfort of his North Carolina home. In his lawsuit, he blamed the distraction of a ?close personal relationship? (ahem) between team owner Ray Evernham and Craftsman Truck Series driver Erin Crocker for the team?s poor performance this season. Not only that, Mayfield had his experienced crew transferred to the No. 9 Dodge of rising star Kasey Kahne before the season started. That combination sent Mayfield plummeting from qualifying for the Chase for the Cup the last two years to 34th this season.
Mayfield?s struggles have already had a direct impact on Sadler. When Mayfield crashed at the Allstate 400 at the Brickyard two weeks ago, the No. 19 Dodge team fell out of the Top 35 in car owner points, forcing the team to qualify for Sunday?s race. And Sadler did just that, tearing up the Michigan track to qualify in second place on the grid, much to the delight of the supportive crowd. Jeff Burton bested Sadler to win the pole. Kahne will start in 15th place ? a tough qualifying result for the pre-race favorite.
Now that Sadler has qualified strongly, he is in an excellent position to erase his frustrations ? both with RYR and at Michigan ? by taking the checkered flag Sunday. The Michigan track is considered Dodge-friendly; the last 10 races there have been split evenly between Dodge and Ford. In 15 previous trips to the Wolverine State, Sadler managed just two Top-10 finishes, driving a Ford every time.
As for Gilliland, he will forgo a chance to compete for 2007 Rookie of the Year honors (and a potential seat with a higher-echelon team) to run the rest of this Cup season full time with RYR. Gilliland is striking while the tire iron is hot. He made a big splash in June by winning the Busch Series race in Kentucky; Sadler?s brother Hermie, who was working for the FX television network at the time, called it ?the biggest upset in Busch Series history.? Gilliland then made his Cup debut at Infineon Raceway for CJM Racing, finishing in 32nd place at the Dodge/Save Mart 350. He has qualified in 26th place for Sunday?s event with his new team in the No. 38 Ford. That car will also be Gilliland?s ride next year.
Speaking of Hermie, he?s also qualified for the GFS Marketplace 400, sneaking his No. 00 Michael Waltrip Racing Chevy into the last spot on the grid. Waltrip confirmed earlier this week that Mayfield will not be joining the team in 2007 as it makes the switch to Toyota ? it has been rumored for months now that Mayfield will don the helmet for Bill Davis Racing next year. That leaves Waltrip continuing to look for a pair of teammates for Dale Jarrett, who will also leave RYR after the season. Round and round they go.
In other noteworthy news from Friday?s qualifying, it appears Mark Martin isn?t quite ready to be put out to pasture just yet. After saying repeatedly that this would be his last year on the Cup circuit (Martin plans on running a full 2007 season in the Craftsman Truck Series), Martin now says he is open to the idea of making 10 or 12 Cup appearances next year, on top of his Truck schedule. Martin is currently in sixth place in the Cup drivers? standings despite picking up zero victories heading into Michigan. The 47-year-old has four career wins in 41 races there, the last in 1998.
--Perry
BetWWTS.com
Round and round they go.
Whether it?s burning around Michigan International Speedway at blazing speeds, or playing musical chairs by switching teams in midseason, the drivers on the NASCAR Nextel Cup circuit are no strangers to chaos. This week?s event at Michigan, the GFS Marketplace 400, will see Elliott Sadler making his first start for Evernham Motorsports. Taking over for Sadler in his old Robert Yates Racing slot is blue-chipper David Gilliland.
It?s about as good a situation as either driver could hope for. Sadler was likely out the RYR door at the end of the season, anyway, as Yates has dismantled his struggling team in favor of a rebuilding project. That project has taken a big step forward with the addition of Gilliland. All this movement was made possible when Evernham fired Jeremy Mayfield last week, opening up an escape route for Sadler. Mayfield filed a lawsuit over that firing; on Friday, he and Evernham reached an out-of-court settlement.
These are bizarre times for Mayfield, who won the GFS Marketplace 400 last year, but is expected to be watching this year?s race from the comfort of his North Carolina home. In his lawsuit, he blamed the distraction of a ?close personal relationship? (ahem) between team owner Ray Evernham and Craftsman Truck Series driver Erin Crocker for the team?s poor performance this season. Not only that, Mayfield had his experienced crew transferred to the No. 9 Dodge of rising star Kasey Kahne before the season started. That combination sent Mayfield plummeting from qualifying for the Chase for the Cup the last two years to 34th this season.
Mayfield?s struggles have already had a direct impact on Sadler. When Mayfield crashed at the Allstate 400 at the Brickyard two weeks ago, the No. 19 Dodge team fell out of the Top 35 in car owner points, forcing the team to qualify for Sunday?s race. And Sadler did just that, tearing up the Michigan track to qualify in second place on the grid, much to the delight of the supportive crowd. Jeff Burton bested Sadler to win the pole. Kahne will start in 15th place ? a tough qualifying result for the pre-race favorite.
Now that Sadler has qualified strongly, he is in an excellent position to erase his frustrations ? both with RYR and at Michigan ? by taking the checkered flag Sunday. The Michigan track is considered Dodge-friendly; the last 10 races there have been split evenly between Dodge and Ford. In 15 previous trips to the Wolverine State, Sadler managed just two Top-10 finishes, driving a Ford every time.
As for Gilliland, he will forgo a chance to compete for 2007 Rookie of the Year honors (and a potential seat with a higher-echelon team) to run the rest of this Cup season full time with RYR. Gilliland is striking while the tire iron is hot. He made a big splash in June by winning the Busch Series race in Kentucky; Sadler?s brother Hermie, who was working for the FX television network at the time, called it ?the biggest upset in Busch Series history.? Gilliland then made his Cup debut at Infineon Raceway for CJM Racing, finishing in 32nd place at the Dodge/Save Mart 350. He has qualified in 26th place for Sunday?s event with his new team in the No. 38 Ford. That car will also be Gilliland?s ride next year.
Speaking of Hermie, he?s also qualified for the GFS Marketplace 400, sneaking his No. 00 Michael Waltrip Racing Chevy into the last spot on the grid. Waltrip confirmed earlier this week that Mayfield will not be joining the team in 2007 as it makes the switch to Toyota ? it has been rumored for months now that Mayfield will don the helmet for Bill Davis Racing next year. That leaves Waltrip continuing to look for a pair of teammates for Dale Jarrett, who will also leave RYR after the season. Round and round they go.
In other noteworthy news from Friday?s qualifying, it appears Mark Martin isn?t quite ready to be put out to pasture just yet. After saying repeatedly that this would be his last year on the Cup circuit (Martin plans on running a full 2007 season in the Craftsman Truck Series), Martin now says he is open to the idea of making 10 or 12 Cup appearances next year, on top of his Truck schedule. Martin is currently in sixth place in the Cup drivers? standings despite picking up zero victories heading into Michigan. The 47-year-old has four career wins in 41 races there, the last in 1998.
--Perry
BetWWTS.com
