Elliott Sadler to Retire From Full-Time Competition

A career spanning 23 years in NASCAR’s top-three series will come to an end — at least as far as full-time racing is concerned — for Elliott Sadler when the checkered flag is waved for the NASCAR XFINITY Series at Homestead-Miami Speedway.

The 43-year-old announced his retirement from NASCAR in a tweet early Wednesday morning.

After much consideration and many conversations with my family, I’ve decided this will be my last season racing full time in NASCAR. (Full Statement: https://t.co/iLQnNG215o) pic.twitter.com/cKEclUt55F

— Elliott Sadler (@Elliott_Sadler) August 15, 2018

Sadler, who has been competing full-time in the XFINITY Series since dropping down from the Cup Series a number of years ago, will hang up his helmet at the end of the year, a career boasting 17 wins across the three national series.

Sadler’s career in NASCAR took a downswing in the late 2000s. Struggling to find quality rides in the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series and struggling to finish in the top-10, he turned to Kevin and DeLana Harvick and their then team, Kevin Harvick Inc.

Sadler began competing for the team on a partial basis in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series. In only his fifth start for the team at Pocono Raceway, Sadler went to victory lane.

The following year, Sadler drove for Harvick’s team in the XFINITY Series on a full-time scale. While he went winless that season, he finished second in the points standings.

Over the following years, Sadler drove for several teams, including JR Motorsports, whom he currently races with. In the years since he moved from Cup to XFINITY, he’s won on eight occasions and finished second in the points standings four times.

As the XFINITY Series heads to Bristol Motor Speedway this week, Sadler finds himself in a familiar position; second in points. He will contest his first win of the season at the same track he scored his first career Cup win at in the spring of 2001.