Elliott Sadler is calling it a career after 2018, the longtime driver announced on Wednesday. Sadler, who drives for JR Motorsports in the NASCAR XFINITY Series, will step away from racing full-time to focus on his family, he said in a statement released on his website.
“After much consideration and many conversations with my family, I’ve decided this will be my last season racing full-time in NASCAR,” Sadler said in a statement on Wednesday. “It’s time for me, as a Dad, to help my kids pursue their dreams. Wyatt is eight and Austyn is six and both of them are very active in school and in extracurricular activities. I want to be with them for all of their special moments. I want to be there to hug them when they do well and dust them off and send them back out there when they fall. It’s time for me to be the full-time Dad that I want to be.
“As I look back, I’ve had an amazing career thanks to an overwhelming amount of support from so many family members, friends, team members, corporate partners and fans,” Sadler continued. “I know I’m going to miss seeing all of y’all week in and week out. The people are what make our sport so special.”
“My work here is not done just yet. Dale Jr., Kelley [Earnhardt] and Mr. [Rick] Hendrick have afforded me the opportunity to win races and championships at JR Motorsports. We’re going to finish 2018 doing everything we can as a team to go out on top. I love my guys and appreciate everything they’ve done for me since I came to JRM. It has been so much fun racing for Dale and Kelley because we’ve known each other for such a long time. It’s always fun to win and celebrate but it’s even more fun to do so with lifelong friends. I’m going to give everything I have in the playoffs to end my career on a high note.”
Sadler currently sits tied for second in the XFINITY Series points standings. Though he has yet to win in 2018, he is nearly a lock to make the playoffs. In 383 career starts in the series, he has won 13 times. Sadler has finished runner-up in the final standings four times including each of the last two years.
He raced for several different teams in the XFINITY Series such as the now-defunct Kevin Harvick Incorporated, Richard Childress Racing, Joe Gibbs Racing, Roush Fenway Racing and JRM.
On top of his XFINITY career, Sadler has made 438 starts in the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series and won three times. Additionally, he has a win in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series making the Virginia native one of just a handful of drivers to win in all three national touring divisions.
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Being an unreconstructed Southerner myself, it’s sad to see another “old school” driver retire. I’m guessing he couldn’t find sponsorship.
Or add the following stats to the reasons he stated. 43 tears old, 21 years in NASCAR, 841 starts, more than $57 million in earnings.