Drivers

Elliott Sadler
  • Birthday: April 30, 1975
  • Hometown: Emporia, Virginia
  • Marital Status: Married, Wife Amanda
  • Children: Currently Expecting First Child in March

Elliott Sadler, a three-time NASCAR Sprint Cup Series winner, comes from a long line of drivers. As the youngest of Herman and Bell Sadler’s three children, he joined a family whose time was spent traveling the short-track circuit of Virginia.

The Sadler family began their involvement in racing nearly 45 years ago. Bud Elliott, Sadler’s uncle for which he was named, and father Herman Sadler, along with their brothers, raced on the short tracks of Virginia long before the young Sadler was born. It was here where, just as his father and uncle before him, Sadler received his training on the short tracks of his home state.

Climbing behind the wheel of his first go-kart at age seven, Sadler captured over 200 victories before moving on to the heavier stock cars. At the age of 18, Sadler joined the ranks of the NASCAR Weekly Racing Series, claiming a track championship title at South Boston Speedway in 1995. His success served as a stepping-stone to the NASCAR Nationwide Series when he caught the eye of team owner Gary Bechtel. Bechtel tabbed the young driver to pilot his car in a full-season Nationwide Series effort in 1997.

Sadler wasted no time in proving his ability. The rookie driver captured the pole for the season-opening event at Daytona International Speedway. Thirteen starts are all Sadler would need to capture his first career Nationwide Series win at Nazareth (Pa.) Speedway. Sadler rounded out his rookie year with three more poles and victories at Myrtle Beach (SC) Speedway and Gateway (Ill.) International Raceway. He finished the year an impressive fifth in the Nationwide Series point standings. Sadler scored two more Nationwide Series wins in 1998 (Bristol (Tenn.) Motor Speedway and North Carolina Speedway), in what would be his final season as a full-time Nationwide Series driver.

In 1999, the legendary Wood Brothers, also native to Virginia, looked no further than their own backyard to find the driver for their No. 21 entry and signed Sadler to his first full-time NASCAR Cup Series ride. Their first victory together came in 2001 at Bristol Motor Speedway in Sadler’s 75th career start. The win in “Thunder Valley” was monumental for two reasons. First, Sadler started deep in the field in the 38th spot. More importantly, it returned the Wood Brothers to victory lane for the first time since 1993.

After four seasons, Sadler and the Wood Brothers parted ways and the Virginia native headed to Robert Yates Racing (RYR). Sadler won two Bud Poles (Darlington Raceway and Talladega Superspeedway) in 2003 with his No. 38 team. He completed the year with two top-five and nine top-10 finishes which earned him a 22nd-place finish in the season point standings. Energy was infused into Sadler’s team with personnel changes during the off-season, setting the stage for Sadler’s most successful season to date.

The 2004 season proved to be a breakout year as the Virginia native surprised many in the garage area. Sadler struck early at the season opening event as Daytona International Speedway by winning the outside pole for the Daytona 500. Later in Speedweek, he won in the Gatorade Twin 125 qualifying event that gave primary sponsor M&M’s their first ever trip to Victory Lane.

Success was sweet and continued throughout the season as Sadler saw more of the same with an emotional win at Texas Motor Speedway. Later in the season Sadler scored his third career victory at California Speedway, clinching a position in the inaugural NASCAR Sprint Cup Chase for the Championship. Sadler was one of four drivers to stay in the top 10 in the point standings the entire season and rounded out the year with two wins, eight top-five and 14 top-10 finishes. He finished ninth in the final standings.

In 2005, Sadler was strong out of the gate. He stayed in the top five in the point standings throughout the first half of the season. However, late season difficulties plagued the No. 38 team as they narrowly missed qualifying for their second Chase for the Championship. Sadler was 11th in points after the cutoff race at Richmond International Raceway in September. Still, there were several highlights for Sadler in 2005 as he clinched four pole positions including the starting spot at the prestigious Brickyard 400 at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway.
After three-and-a-half seasons with Robert Yates Racing, Sadler joined forces with Gillett Evernham Motorsports as the driver of the No. 19 entry. He took the wheel of his new ride at Michigan International Speedway in August of 2006 for the final 14 races with his new team posting two top-10 finishes.

In 2007, Sadler led 62 laps, posted two top-10 finishes and finished 25th in points.  He finished a season best sixth at the Daytona 500. Sadler went longer than any other driver before failing to finish a race in 2007. The 2008 season saw several highlights including a fifth-place finish at New Hampshire and a fourth-place finish at Indianapolis while leading 21 laps during the season.

In 2009, Gillett Evernham Motorsports teamed up with Petty Enterprise to create Richard Petty Motorsports.  Joining Sadler were teammates Kasey Kahne, AJ Allmendinger and Reed Sorenson.  Sadler closed out the 2009 NASCAR Sprint Cup season with one top five and five top-10 finishes.

Entering the 2010 NASCAR Sprint Cup series season, Richard Petty Motorsports will make the change to Ford Racing.  After merging with Yates Racing during the offseason, Paul Menard will replace Sorenson as Sadler’s new teammate.  Along with the change to Ford Fusions, the Richard Petty Motorsports shop will move to Concord, N.C. 
Sadler will also take on a new challenge in the new decade, climbing behind the wheel of the No. 2 Kevin Harvick Inc. Truck Series entry for selected races in 2010. He will join KHI co-owner Kevin Harvick sharing the ride through the 2010 season.  Sadler returns to the series for the first time since 2003. 

“Racing in the truck series in 2010 with KHI will be a blast,” said Sadler.  “It’ll be nice to jump in the truck and go out and race for wins and not have to worry about points. We’re going to kick the year off with a bang in Daytona and have some great races to run between then and the finale in Homestead.”

Kevin Harvick
  • Birthday: December 8, 1975
  • Hometown: Bakersfield, California
  • Marital Status: Married, Wife DeLana
  • Children: None

Year   Races     Wins   Top 5’s   Top 10’s   Poles   Earnings
2009   22 of 35   2       14         16         2       $693,075
2008   22 of 35   0       8           11         1       $822,662
2007   26 of 35   6       11         20         2       $1,663,395
2006   35 of 35   9       23         32         1       $2,850,864
2005   21 of 35   4       14         15         2       $1,086,519
2004   22 of 34   2       10         15         0       $812,232
2003   19 of 34   3       12         18         5       $959,335
2002     4 of 34   0         0           1         0       $66,900
2001   33 of 33   5       20         24         4       $1,833,570
2000   31 of 32   3         8         16         2       $995,274
1999     1 of 32   0         0           0         0       $6,730

Two-time Nationwide Series champion (2006 and 2001) Kevin Harvick will return to the driver’s seat of the No. 33 Kevin Harvick Inc. (KHI) Chevrolet Impala for the 2010 NASCAR Nationwide Series season. Following another successful year, Harvick looks to continue making history and leaving his mark on NASCAR’s elite Series.
For kindergarten graduation in 1980, Harvick received a go-kart and began his racing career. In the ten years that he competed on the go-kart circuit, Harvick earned seven National Championships and two Grand National Championships. During that time, he also learned the value of dedication and discovered the joy of success that would transform into fierce determination that defines Kevin Harvick.

Harvick left the go-kart circuit to begin competing in the local Late Model Series before moving on to the Featherlite Southwest Series – a regional touring division of NASCAR – in 1992. While completing high school, Harvick ran a limited schedule for two seasons and then in 1995, was back on track competing in a full season and earning Rookie of the Year honors.

Deciding to pursue a career in racing rather than study architecture in college, Harvick progressed to the Winston West Series. Two years later, Harvick won five races on his way to the 1998 Winston West Series championship.

A brief stint in the Camping World Truck Series introduced Harvick to acclaimed car owner Richard Childress. Childress, having seen potential in Harvick’s hard-charging driving style, offered him a ride in the Nationwide Series. Harvick accepted the offer.

In February of 2000, the blue-and-white ACDelco Monte Carlo pulled out of the garage area at Daytona (Fla.) International Speedway with rookie Kevin Harvick behind the wheel. A remarkable two-year campaign in the Nationwide Series had begun.

Harvick won three races and finished third in the points on his way to the Rookie of the Year title. On the track, he was known for his aggressive driving, but off the track his affable attitude and ever-present smile earned him the nickname “Happy.”

Harvick began 2001 as the favorite for the Nationwide Series title, and completed the year a Sprint Cup Series superstar. After losing Dale Earnhardt in a wreck on the final lap of the Daytona 500, car owner Richard Childress asked Harvick to assume driving duties for the GM Goodwrench Service Plus Monte Carlo on the Sprint Cup circuit. Despite the intense schedule and difficulty of driving full-time in two series, Harvick agreed and began the most incredible year of his life.

For having started on such a terrible note, the 2001 racing season was one of the most memorable of Harvick’s career – both personally and professionally. On February 28, 2001, Harvick married DeLana Linville, whom he calls his “best friend,” in a beautiful Las Vegas ceremony. Despite not having time for a honeymoon, Kevin and DeLana’s first year of marriage was filled with incredible moments that DeLana called “wedding presents.”

Those “wedding presents” included two Sprint Cup Series wins – the first coming in Harvick’s third start – and a Nationwide Series championship, which Harvick earned on the strength of 20 top-five finishes and five wins. Harvick also earned Rookie of the Year honors on the Sprint Cup circuit, finishing ninth in the point standings.

Harvick became the first driver in NASCAR history to run full time on both the Nationwide and Sprint Cup circuits – a total of 70 races – in one season, and the first to be named Sprint Cup Rookie of the Year the same season that he earned the Nationwide Series championship.

In the fall of that same year, Kevin and DeLana ran their first Kevin Harvick Inc. (KHI) entry in the NASCAR Truck Series. The truck, built in a friend’s garage, set the stage for what is now a full-fledge racing operation. In August of 2004, Kevin and DeLana opened a 70,000 square foot facility in Kernersville, N.C., that became the home of KHI. The next year, KHI fielded its first full-time Nationwide Series team, winning the season-opener at Daytona (Fla.) International Speedway with Tony Stewart behind the wheel. The 2005 season was also successful for KHI’s truck team, as they finished fourth in points, winning an event at Atlanta Motor Speedway.

Since his start in NASCAR’s premier racing series 10 years ago, Harvick has had many memorable career moments. He is currently one of only 20 drivers who have won a race in each of the National Series (Truck, Nationwide and Sprint Cup).

Harvick went on to win his second Nationwide Series championship in 2006, competing in all 35 events. He recorded nine victories, 23 top-five and 32 top-10 finishes, holding an average finish of 4.6, all the while competing in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series. He earned five victories, 15 top-five and 20 top-10 finishes, and finished fourth in the Chase for the Sprint Cup.

Adding to his career highlights, Harvick kicked off the 2007 season on a high note as he swept the Nationwide and Sprint Cup Series events at Daytona (Fla.) International Speedway, claiming the elusive Daytona 500 title. Harvick went on to finish the 2007 Nationwide Series season fourth in the Owner’s Point standings after visiting victory lane six times and earning 11 top-five and 20 top-10 finishes in only 26 starts. At the same time, Harvick competed full-time in the Sprint Cup Series, winning not only the season opener Daytona 500, but also winning the All-Star Challenge before finishing the season 10th in the Chase for the Sprint Cup. Topping off the year, Harvick and wife DeLana became Championship Owners as Ron Hornaday and KHI’s No. 33 Camping World Truck Series team claimed the 2007 NASCAR Truck Series championship.

The 2008 season proved to be another year for the record books for Harvick. He raced his way to his third consecutive NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Chase for the Championship, capping the year off with five top-five and 19 top-10 finishes on his way to matching his career best fourth-place finish in the final Sprint Cup point standings. On the Nationwide front, Harvick made the decision to drive only for KHI, finishing the season seventh in the Owner’s Point standings and secured one pole, eight top-five and 11 top-10 finishes in 22 starts. Harvick did visit Victory Lane in 2008, behind the wheel of the No. 2 KHI Silverado truck at Phoenix International Raceway.

Continuing his success in 2009, Harvick made his mark on all three of NASCAR’s elite Series on his way to helping solidify KHI as a top team in the NASCAR Nationwide and Camping World Truck Series. Harvick kicked off the Sprint Cup Series season by winning the 2009 Budweiser Shootout at Daytona (Fla.) International Speedway and after a year of changes at RCR, ended the season with five top-five and nine top-10 finishes. Turning his attention to KHI, Harvick returned to the No. 33 KHI Chevrolet Impala and at one of his most successful tracks, Bristol (Tenn.) Motor Speedway, notched his first Nationwide Series win in a KHI-owned car. In a total of 22 starts during the 2009 Nationwide Series season, Harvick was able to score two victories, including his first Nationwide Series win at Atlanta Motor Speedway, two poles, 14 top-five and 16 top-10 finishes. With the help of Harvick’s stellar stats, the No. 33 KHI Nationwide Series team finished the 2009 season fourth in the NASCAR Nationwide Series Owner’s Point Standings.

In addition to running in the Nationwide Series in 2009, Harvick also ran six races in the Camping World Truck Series claiming three wins, six top-five and six top-10 finishes. Of his three wins, he added his first set of back-to-back wins and first win on a 1.5-mile track by earning victories at the final two events of the season, Phoenix International Raceway and Homestead-Miami (Fla.) Speedway. While Harvick was making “guest” appearances in the Truck Series and walking away with wins, his KHI teammate, Ron Hornaday and the No. 33 KHI Truck Series team were making history of their own and made Harvick and wife DeLana two-time Truck Series Championship owners.

To cap the 2009 season, Harvick was named the NASCAR Nationwide Series driver of the decade with two series titles in the decade – 2006 and ‘01 – and was named the series’ Raybestos Rookie of the Year in 2000. During the decade, Harvick leads all NASCAR Nationwide drivers with 34 wins.