Rusty Jarrett/Getty Images |
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| 2005 Season |
| Final Points Standing | 13th
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| After First 26 Races | 11th
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| Earnings | $5,811,941
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| Starts | 36
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| Poles | 4
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| Wins | 0
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| Top 5 | 1
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| 6-10 | 11
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| Laps Led | 383
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| Lead Lap Finishes | 24
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| Bonus Points | 70
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| Races Led | 13 |
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| 2005 Performance |
| Below is the ranking of the team on each type of track along with the driver's best finish. |
| Track Type | Ranking |
| Flat Tracks | 25th
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| Best Finish | 11th, Phoenix (2)
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| Intermediate Tracks | 12th
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| Best Finish | 6th, Dover
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| Plate Tracks | 12th
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| Best Finish | 6th, Talladega
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| Road Courses | 5th
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| Best Finish | 6th, Infineon
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| Short Tracks | 6th
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| Best Finish | 2nd, Bristol |
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2006 Spin
Elliott Sadler enters the 2006 season hoping he can find the magic that propelled him to third in the point standings entering the July Daytona event. The M&M's Ford, which seemed to be a lock for the Chase through the first half of last season, struggled in the second half, eventually sliding down to 13th in the final points standings.
In hopes of rectifying this situation and returning his two-car stable to the forefront of the sport, team owner Robert Yates hired veteran NASCAR crew chief Tommy Baldwin Jr. to take the reins for the 38 team. Baldwin comes over from the Evernham organization and should make an immediate impact.
After last year's collapse, this team is virtually starting from scratch. Sadler can win — most likely on the intermediates — and should once again be in the thick of the Chase hunt.
Getting a handle on the new Ford Fusion will be priority No. 1. Note-sharing between the two teams will be especially vital this season. If the teams transition well into their new sheet metal, Sadler should win a race or two. He is an able pilot who has become quite a versatile driver. While his equipment may not always hold up, he is competitive on any type of track. He is in the prime of his career and has the perfect mentor in Dale Jarrett.
Watch for Sadler to be a sleeper in the Daytona 500. If he learns the “sit-back-and-wait” method that worked so well for DJ at Talladega last season, he may sneak up and take home the trophy.
2006 Recap
Everything was rolling along just fine for Elliott Sadler and the M&M's crew. Sitting comfortably inside the top 10 for the majority of the first half of the season, they seemed to be on cruise control. And maybe that's what did them in.
A 21st-place finish in the Pepsi 400 at Daytona in July started the bleeding, but things looked like they might take a turn for the better at Indianapolis. Sadler sat on the pole and led 39 laps, but a tire blew with 10 to go while he ran sixth. The result was a 32nd-place finish. This dropped the team to 12th in the point standings. Sadler would never re-enter the top 10.
With Chase hopes dashed after Richmond, Yates appointed Kevin Buskirk as the interim crew chief. The team had a sterling run at Lowe's, leading a race-high 112 laps before a blown tire ended the evening. Beginning two weeks later, Sadler put together a string of three top 11 runs in the season's final four races, giving his team reason for optimism heading into 2006.
• The Good: The best part of the season for Sadler and the team was qualifying. They had 19 top 10 starts, including four poles.
• The Bad: The June Dover race found Sadler in the lead for 128 laps with a chance at the win before the power steering went out, relegating him to a 10th-place finish.
• The Ugly: Indianapolis. After sitting on the pole, Sadler blew a tire with 10 laps to go while running sixth. The team never fully recovered from that one.
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