The Candyman

With Easter just passing us, damn the candy was good I figured a little insight into the candyman would be fitting. Well in two weeks Elliott William Barnes Sadler will be thirty-one years old. Starting with go-karts at age seven Elliott has always been a winner. The '84-'85 Virginia State Champion, '89 runner-up in the World Karting Association title chase. Winning the North Carolina Gold Cup in 1991.When he turned 18, he moved to the old Winston Racing Series and ran full-time beginning in 1993. That same year, he got his first victory, and in 1995 was crowned track champion at the South Boston speedway where he got 13 wins that year, including a 6-race winning streak. After some part time efforts in 1995 and '96, he finally hooked up with a full time ride in 1997 with Gary Bechtel. Winning the pole at Daytona in his first start with the team and getting his first win 13 races later at Nazareth Speedway. In total, he earned a total of 4 poles, and 3 wins. He also finished 5th in the Busch Series standings that year. 1998 was a repeat at Daytona with another pole and winning 3 races and 4 poles. the 1998 Coca-Cola 600 was his first introduction to Cup racing. Going Cup racing with the Wood Brothers number 21 Citgo machine full time in 1999. Finishing second to Tony Stewart for the Rookie Of The Year. Elliott's first Cup win came in 2001, at Bristol at age 21. He got there after a very gutsy pit call had him not come into pit lane when everyone else did. It really paid off, as Elliott started in 38th place, the lowest anyone has started at Bristol and won. He got two more top-5 finishes in 2001, and he finished 20th in the final point standings. 2002 sucked totally for Elliot, making it easy to move to RYR in 2003 in the M&M ride. In the first nine races of 2003, he earned two top-5 and five top-10 finishes. During that span, he also got his first career Cup pole position, at Darlington Motorspeedway. In 2004, Sadler won twice, and finished a career-best ninth place in the Nextel Cup standings, which also included eight top-5 finishes and fourteen top-10's. Still, it wasn't until 2004 that he had his breakout year. Crew Chief Todd Parrott and Sadler set career highs with two wins, eight top-fives and 14 top-10s to make the inaugural Chase. He was one of only four drivers that season to stay in the top 10 in points the entire year and finished ninth in the final standings. 2005 wasn't the greatest season finishing thirteenth in points and having won four poles and only one top five. Things are starting to look a little better thgis year with Elliot getting 1 top five and 2 top tens after only 7 races. Sitting twelfth in points only 259 points back for the Chase. Still early, but don't count out the "Candyman" yet. Elliott was after all my pick to win it all this year and I STAND by my prediction!