Know Your NASCAR: The Sadlers

July 30, 2001
3:33 PM EDT (1933 GMT)

Hermie Sadler is no Cal Ripken Jr., but this driver knows plenty about streaks.

From Oct. 24, 1992, to Feb. 16, 2000, he made 173 consecutive starts in the NASCAR Busch Grand National Series. Along the way, he won twice at Orange County Speedway in Rougemont, N.C. in 1993 and 1994 and won three career pole positions -- one in 1996 and two in '97.

Unfortunately, his success and longevity were not rewarded, as he could never land a Winston Cup ride.

This season, however, Sadler took matters into his own hands by running his own Cup team on a limited schedule.

Sadler entered the Brickyard 400 Aug. 5 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway and he also plans to run his No. 13 Virginia Lottery Chevrolet at Martinsville, Va. (Oct. 14) and Homestead-Miami Speedway (Nov. 11) with his crew chief Jeff Buckner.

"Right now, I just have a one-year deal with the Virginia Lottery to run this limited Cup schedule," said Sadler, who is 31 years old. "We are in negotiations to extend the program, but I would also like to find a full-time Cup or Busch Series ride."

While, Hermie is fighting to get into the Cup ranks, younger brother Elliott is in his third full season of driving for the storied Wood Brothers Cup team.

"We have real high hopes for the rest of the season," said Elliot, who made his Cup debut by running two races for Gary Bechtel and Diamond Ridge Motorsports.

"We definitely want to finish in the top 15 in the points standings and to do that we need to get as many top ten performances as we can."

Elliott has been hovering around the top 15 all year, on the strength of one win, two top-fives and a pair of top-10 finishes.

Elliott's first victory, which was the first of his Cup career, came at the famed Bristol Motor Speedway on March 25.

"That win was very, very special," said Elliott. "It is something I will never forget."

What's more, it was the 97th checkered flag for the Wood Brothers -- but their first since Morgan Shepherd's victory in 1993.

And, Hermie was cheering the loudest when Elliott finally made it to Cup's Victory Lane.

"I talk to Elliott everyday and it has been awesome to watch him succeed the way he has," Hermie said. "His win at Bristol was amazing and he is just having a very solid season."

As for Elliott, he is always doing whatever he can to try and help Hermie's career.

Elliott Sadler

"I have always been his biggest supporter," said Elliott. "Plus, I am always telling him what the latest and greatest things that Cup teams are doing and just keeping him the loop as much as I can."

Hermie, meanwhile, has a positive outlook.

"You never know what is going to happen out there," he said. "It is all about being in the right place at the right time and hopefully, things will work out for me."

Elliott and Hermie's present-day plights are a reversal of fortune for the brothers.

After their father, Herman, started each of their racing careers in their hometown of Emporia, Va., it was Hermie who was setting the pace for Elliott to follow.

"I was a few years ahead of him and I started with go-kart racing, and then helped him start," said Hermie. "Then I started in Late Model Stocks, and we later built a car for him and helped him get started there.

"When he started running in the Busch Series, we prepared one of my cars and let him get some seat time there. So, we've kinda done things together more so than competing-wise and we try to keep it."

Those years are still fresh in Elliott's head.

"I still remember working on Hermie's Late Model Stock cars and being a part of his pit crew in the Busch Series," said Elliott.

"That was a lot of fun. When he went into Late Model racing, I tried to go to every race that I could and then when he went into the Busch Series, he came back and tried to help us with the Late Model division. We really had a great time helping each other."

Hermie Sadler

Hermie was making a name for himself in the NASCAR Winston Racing Series at South Boston (Va.) and Orange County Speedway in Rougemont, N.C.

By 1993 he was running a full slate in the Busch Series and took home Rookie of the Year honors, thanks to one win and eight top-10 efforts.

A year later, he captured his second Busch Series victory and was in the top-10 11 times en route to placing fourth in the final points chase.

In 1996, Elliott joined Hermie full time in the Busch Series.

Then, in '97, Elliott started making his own headlines by virtue of winning three races, including Myrtle Beach and Gateway in back-to-back weekends in July.

On the season, Elliott was fifth in points, while Hermie was 10th.

When 1998 came around, Hermie and Elliott were not only still both in the Busch Series, but they were both driving Chevrolets for Gary Bechtel's Diamond Ridge Motorsports Team.

Elliott won two more races and came in eighth in points, while Hermie was 10th in the final standings.

"Yeah, we had a big family thing going on," said Elliott. "Family's always been a big deal for us."

Hermie especially enjoyed their on-track battles in the Busch Series.

"It was great getting to be with him at tracks every week, going for the checkered flag," said Hermie. "But, I would be lying if I said racing against him was the same as racing against anybody else. I was more careful sometimes when we were side-by-side and I always gave him more room when I could."

Elliott echoed Hermie.

"We didn't get to go door-to-door a lot out there on the track, but when we did it was pretty special," said Elliott.