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Kelly Crandall | August 15, 2018 7:14 AM Elliott Sadler will not race full-time in NASCAR after the end of the 2018 season.The 43-year-old JR Motorsports driver revealed via his website and social media channels what went into his decision to be “a full-time dad” to son Wyatt, who is eight, and daughter Austyn, who’s six. Sadler has been competing in NASCAR since 1995, when he finished eighth in his national series debut at South Boston Speedway in the Xfinity Series.
To date, Sadler has made 841 starts across all three NASCAR national series.Currently competing for JRM in the Xfinity Series, Sadler is second in the point standings but still looking for his first win of the season. Sadler returned to full-time competition in the Xfinity Series with Kevin Harvick, Inc. in 2011, a transition he said revitalized his career after a rough stretch in the Cup Series.
With 438 starts in the Cup Series, Sadler has three career wins. He won his first career race in the iconic No. 21 Ford with Wood Brothers Racing in the spring Bristol race in 2001. In 2004, Sadler won two races (Texas and Fontana) while qualifying for the inaugural playoffs with Robert Yates Racing in the No. 38 M&M’s machine. Sadler finished a career-high ninth in points in 2004. His most recent Cup Series start came in 2017.
Now back in the Xfinity Series, Sadler has been chasing what has become an elusive championship. With eight wins in his last 253 starts (dating back to 2011), Sadler has led the standings at various points, won the 2017 regular season championship but has finished second in points in four of his last seven seasons. Sadler’s most recent Xfinity Series victory was at Kentucky Speedway in 2016, a season that brought him three wins.
A native of Emporia, Virginia, Sadler also has one Camping World Truck Series victory.