Sadler announces surprise NASCAR return at 51 – Sports News
Elliott Sadler is returning to NASCAR (Image: Getty)
Elliott Sadler is popping out of retirement to make his return to NASCAR competitors, asserting this week that he’ll drive the No. 25 Ram 1500 for Kaulig Racing within the Craftsman Truck Series at Richmond Raceway on August 14, marking his first national sequence begin since 2019.
Sadler, 51, will compete in his home state of Virginia, roughly 75 miles from his hometown of Emporia.
The race represents Sadler’s return to a program that has turn out to be one of the game’s most talked-about storylines this season, as producer Ram makes its return to NASCAR by way of Kaulig Racing’s Free Agent Program, which has featured a rotating lineup of veteran drivers and rising stars within the No. 25 truck all through 2026. Meanwhile, NASCAR has made an fast change to the controversial apply schedule.
“I’m really looking forward to getting back behind the wheel at Richmond Raceway in front of the great Virginia fans,” Sadler mentioned. “It’ll be fun getting back into a truck — I just hope I still remember how to drive it.
“Richmond has all the time been particular to me, and I’m grateful to Ram and Kaulig Racing for giving me this chance to compete again. I actually cherished my profession in NASCAR and how particular the followers have been to me.”
Sadler has a longtime relationship with Kaulig Racing CEO Chris Rice, who served as Sadler’s crew chief decades ago at South Boston Speedway in Virginia, where the pair won a track championship together in 1995.
“We are so excited to have Elliott drive for us at Kaulig Racing,” Rice said. “Elliott and I grew up racing collectively at South Boston Speedway, so to have him race for us in Richmond, in entrance of our home state followers is particular.
“We won tons of races together and thanks to Ram, Matt Kaulig and everyone at Kaulig Racing we have the opportunity to go out and try to win one more.”
Sadler’s NASCAR profession spans 855 begins throughout the Cup, Xfinity and Truck Series, with 17 whole wins. At the Cup degree, he earned three victories, the primary at Bristol Motor Speedway in 2001 and the final at (*51*) Speedway in 2004, and posted a career-best ninth-place factors end in 2004.
In the Xfinity Series, Sadler gained 13 races and claimed 4 Most Popular Driver awards, together with the 2017 regular-season championship, although he completed as championship runner-up on 4 separate events during his profession. His lone Truck Series victory got here at Pocono Raceway in 2010.
Sadler retired from full-time competitors following the 2018 Xfinity Series season, later making two extra part-time begins for Kaulig Racing at Richmond and Las Vegas in 2019, his most up-to-date NASCAR national sequence appearances previous to this comeback announcement.
The NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series race at Richmond Raceway is scheduled to air on FS1 and the NASCAR Network at 7:30 p.m. ET on Friday, August 14.
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