Christian Elder on upward learning curve
By Tim Packman, Turner Sports Interactive
January 7, 2002
10:42 AM EST (1542 GMT)
MOORESVILLE, N.C. -- For any athlete, time, patience and practice can eventually lead to success. One athlete that welcomes the upward curve of learning is Christian Elder.
 | |
Christian Elder
|
|
|
The Goody's Dash Series winner at Daytona in 1999 and Charlotte in 1997, Elder competed in 16 NASCAR Busch Series races in 2001. He wanted to race more, but the need to gain experience and the structure of sponsorship dictated his path.
This year, the 33-year-old native of Minneapolis, Minn., will enter 23-27 Busch races. His sponsor, Great Clips, will return to the No. 38 Ford owned by Akins Motorsports.
Great Clips has been with Elder for five years, beginning with him in the four-cylinder Dash cars and following him to ARCA.
"The limited schedule in NASCAR has been the plan all along," Elder said. "We just wanted to bring Great Clips along so we can grow at the same rate as their advertising budget. I suggested to them that we do a tier system doing 15 races one year, 25 the next and a full deal the following year.
"I don't have a lot of experience in full-bodied cars with V8 engines in them. After the Dash Series, I ran in only 16 ARCA races. Throwing me in a Busch car as a rookie makes it good for me to run a limited schedule and do a lot of testing."
The 2001 season saw Elder post no top-five or top-10 finishes. He finished 39th in points. Mechanical problems seemed to be his worst demon throughout the year.
Elder and the team hope that last year's experience will lead to improved results in 2002. They will return to familiar tracks with an elevated level of comfort.
This year, Elder is hoping to enter the Winston Cup race at Indianapolis. The team has purchased the car Shawna Robinson used at Michigan last year and is readying it for Indy.
 | |
Elder's best finishes in 2001 were 20th at Bristol and Dover.
|
|
|
"The whole team is pretty much brand new," Elder said. "My part of the team, the No. 38 crew, is all new after the No. 98 team was sold to Michael Kranefuss.
"Cars, employees and the equipment are all new, as well. We moved into Kenny Schrader's old shop in Mooresville and have everything and everyone together there."
Incidentally, Kranefuss closed the No. 98 Ford team and had to release driver Elton Sawyer at the end of 2001. Despite finishing fifth in points, the team didn't sign a sponsor, leading to its demise.
As Elder continues his curve of learning, he would like to be racing each weekend. But maturity and a good business sense reinforce the reasoning behind the team's limited schedule this year.
"Being a driver, I want to race every weekend," he said. "I have a hard time going to the track and not racing. When I go to the track, a lot of guys help me out. Even if you're not racing, you can still learn something just by being there.
"But if I look at the long term, I'm pretty happy to be running the limited schedule. My main goal is to start and run better than we did last year.
"I know it's going to take a little bit of time, but I'm confident in my team and my abilities. It's all part of that learning curve."
And with that extra time and patience this year, Elder's wish to race every weekend should come true in 2003.
| 
