Is Elliott Sadler's goose cooked?


On the surface, the future doesn't look bright for Elliott Sadler, at least as far as his NASCAR Sprint Cup Series racing career is concerned. Awhile back, Sadler announced that he would not return to Richard Petty Motorsports in 2011. This season is the last on Sadler's contract with RPM and whether it was Sadler's decision, the team's or a mutual one, it doesn't look like the driver will be with RPM next year.

Of course, if the decision was mostly Sadler's, it was at least somewhat an understandable one. After all, there seems to be a lot of instability within the RPM camp -- so much so that all but one of the current four drivers with the team are leaving the organization at the end of the season. Kasey Kahne will be driving a car for Red Bull Racing next year on his way to his 2012 ride with Hendrick Motorsports, and Richard Childress Racing announced on Wednesday morning that Paul Menard would be coming to the team to drive a fourth car for RCR next season. Sadler's destination looks to be up in the air at this point, but he's made it clear that he won't be with RPM. That just leaves AJ Allmendinger, who signed a contract extension with RPM last week.

While the future doesn't exactly look bright at RPM, did Sadler pull the trigger too quickly? After all, in the real world, it's often suggested to not quit a job until you have a new one lined up. And with the U.S. economy in the state it's in now -- which has affected many NASCAR teams' searches for sponsor dollars -- that sort of advice would probably be even more beneficial for people seeking a change in career scenery at this point in time.

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Photo of Elliott Sadler courtesy of NASCAR Media.
Is Elliott Sadler's goose cooked? Is Elliott Sadler's goose cooked? Reviewed by Amanda Vincent on Wednesday, August 11, 2010 Rating: 5