Elliott Sadler looking to earn JGR first NNS victory of 2013
After the first of 33 Nationwide Series events, Sadler sits 12th in the driver championship point standings.
Elliott Sadler heads to Phoenix International Raceway in the No. 11 OneMain Financial Toyota looking to earn Joe Gibbs Racing's first NASCAR Nationwide Series victory of 2013.
The OneMain Financial driver has eight Nationwide Series starts at the one-mile track with one win, two top-five finishes, 79 laps led and holds the race record of 116.317 mph from March 2012.
LOOKING TO REPEAT: In the March 2012 event at PIR, Sadler started from the eighth position and stayed within the top 10 for the entire 200-mile race.
Taking the lead with less than 30 laps to go, Sadler refused to relinquish the lead and nabbed his first win of the 2012 season and first Nationwide Series victory since 1998 at Rockingham Speedway.
WATCH IT: Sadler will be a guest on SPEED channel's Trackside on Saturday, March 2nd at 11 a.m. Eastern Time.
LAST WEEK AT DAYTONA: In the first event of the 2013 Nationwide Series season, Sadler and the No. 11 OneMain Financial team started from the sixth position at Daytona International Speedway.
Working with JGR teammate Brian Vickers, the tandem drafting partners worked their way to the front of the pack several times with Sadler leading 13 laps.
Coming to the checkered flag, Sadler couldn't avoid the wreck in front of him as he skidded to a 15th-place finish. Despite the finish, he held the highest driver rating of 112.0.
TO THE POINT: After the first of 33 Nationwide Series events, Sadler sits 12th in the driver championship point standings, 12 points behind the leader.
Elliott Sadler: "The past few times that I have been to Phoenix, it has either been feast or famine. We have either won or wrecked. I have to do a good job of keeping our plan intact and keeping that all-important track position.
We feel really good about our setup, and we just really need to get our season going on the right foot. I'm really looking forward to going to back to Phoenix and repeating as the race winner. That's what I have in mind.
The Joe Gibbs Racing organization won the race there in the fall, so everyone on this No. 11 OneMain Financial team is ready for the challenge."
Joe Gibs Racing
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