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Bass Pro is doing 23 races with Truex this year. The thing is the official vehicle of Bass Pro is Toyota so I dont see them staying at EGR>
Evernham says Sadler talks started in July
Thursday, August 17, 2006
DAVID GRIFFIN / NASCAR SCENE
Team owner Ray Evernham says that talks with Elliott Sadler began in July, but at that time they centered around a potential fourth NASCAR Nextel Cup team.
Sadler, who drove for Robert Yates Racing through last Sunday's AMD at the Glen, confirmed Wednesday that he would drive Evernham Motorsports' No. 19 Dodge the remainder of this season.
"He was under contract with Yates, and we didn't have a place to put him at that time, so we initially started looking at what we could do in the future with our fourth program," Evernham said in a national teleconference.
Evernham pointed out the team's top goal is returning to the top 35 in owner points. Sadler must qualify for the race based on speed this weekend at Michigan International Speedway. Evernham's other two teams, with drivers Kasey Kahne and Scott Riggs, are locked into the field for the GFS Marketplace 400.
To help get ready for the event, Sadler and his new team tested together at Kentucky Speedway earlier this week. They're working on the other area that Evernham sees as needing improvement for the team.
"We see possibly some better communication," he said. "Certainly when a new person comes in - we've just fought communication and attitude issues there kind of all year. I believe a fresh attitude, a winning perspective, a different view on some things can help. This business doesn't seem to be about equipment anymore. It's about people and communication, so the 19 has the same equipment as [Riggs' team] and [Kahne's team], so it should be at least able to compete on those levels. Our group works really well together with the cars being set up the same way. A lot of things we'd do for the other two cars we couldn't do for the 19, so possibly this will allow us to get back on the track that we feel is best for Evernham Motorsports."
Sadler is a man looking to rebuild a little as well. He joins Evernham ranked 20th in points after a 2004 season with Robert Yates Racing that saw him qualify for the Chase For The Nextel Cup. Last season, Sadler was third in points in early summer before falling out of contention. This year he hasn't been a threat to the title chasers.
"This has definitely been a difficult season for me, and the last month has really been tough," Sadler said. "I'll be honest. I couldn't ask to work with better people than I have. Ray has been so understanding with some of the conditions and commitments and some of the things I have not only with Robert Yates but with sponsors and some of the things we had.
"My commitment was with the 38 throughout the rest of the year. I told [team owners] Doug [Yates] and Robert [Yates] that from the beginning. 'Whatever you guys need me to do, that's what I want to do. If you need me to stay in the car through Homestead to get the system working better, that's what I want to do. If it take me getting out of the car to get David [Gilliland] in the car and get some track time, then I'm willing to do that.'
"I'm all about being the company guy and doing stuff like that. When those guys came to me and decided they wanted to do something now I was able to go ahead and jump in the 19 car, which I think is better for all of us."
Sadler added that nobody on the team is "sour" about anything and that everything was done the "ethical way."
Mentioned Drivers: Elliott Sadler
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