Elliott Sadler comes out of retirement for special run at Richmond Raceway

Carol D'Agostino for Skirts and Scuffs

It’s been 147 days since we’ve seen Elliott Sadler behind the wheel of a racecar. These days he’s not “diamonding” a racecar around a track, but coaching his son Wyatt’s youth team on a baseball diamond.

Although he retired from full-time racing when he stepped out of the No. 1 car after the final race of the 2018 NASCAR Xfinity Series at Homestead-Miami Speedway, Sadler left the door open for special opportunities that may come up. So when Kaulig Racing presented a chance to pick up two races this season, and he could select one, Richmond Raceway was a no-brainer.

For Sadler it was great to be back at the track especially since there was no pressure. “It is good to be back at my office again. It is definitely a lot different feeling being in the car today, than back in fall. There’s a lot less pressure. I don’t have to worry about qualifying or stage points or anything, ” he said.

Tonight Sadler will be driving the No. 10 Kaulig Racing Chevrolet Camaro for the ToyotaCare 250 with a new sponsor to NASCAR, Nutrien Ag Solutions. For the third time this season Kaulig Racing has fielded a second car. Both Ross Chastain (Daytona) and Austin Dillon (Las Vegas) have driven the No. 10 Kaulig Racing Chevrolet this season.

The 43-year old Emporia, Virginia, driver has 31 series starts here at Richmond Raceway, posting six top fives, 16 top 10s and an average finish of 12.9. Tonight he hopes to finish in the top five or six.

After tonight’s race Sadler will be on track in the No. 10 car at Las Vegas Motor Speedway on September 14. Never say never, but he says these two races will be his last. “I want these to be the final two races, but you had to bring the Trucks back here,” Sadler joked while speaking in the Media Center this afternoon. “I am jealous that Trucks are coming back to Richmond next year,” he added.

Regardless of if we’ll see Sadler in a race truck or racecar in 2020, retirement suits him just fine. “I am as happy as I have ever been in my life. I definitely made the right decision for me. This (racing tonight) cures a little bit of the itch for me though,” he said.

NASCAR Xfinity Series ToyotaCare 250 is set for 7 p.m. ET tonight on FS1, MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio.

Carol D'Agostino for Skirts and Scuffs