AVONDALE, Ariz. - On Monday, April 16, Elliott Sadler was on the west coast doing an appearance for one of his sponsors. But his ear and his mind were tuned to Blacksburg, Va., where 32 students and teachers were killed by alleged gunman and student Cho Seung Hui at Virginia Tech University.
Sadler, from nearby Emporia, Va., has numerous family members and friends who attend Virginia Tech. His girlfriend recently graduated from there and Sadler is a member of the school's Hokie Club.
"It's been a very tough week for us, from where I'm from," said Sadler, who was wearing a Virginia Tech sweatshirt Friday at Phoenix International Raceway. "I have a few cousins who go to Virginia Tech, my sister's stepson is a student at Virginia Tech. I've been a part of the Hokie Club for eight years and definitely part of the Hokie nation, and I have a lot of family and friends who have kids there.
"It makes it hard to come race on a weekend like this when you've got that many close family and friends and kinfolk involved. It's just been hard."
Sadler said he tried to keep up with news reports about the shootings as much as he could on Monday and was frequently in contact with his parents.
"As people were checking in and we were finding out that people we knew were OK, I was getting that through my family," Sadler said. "It was a very emotional day for us, and I just can't imagine what those families are going through right now.
"Monday was a very, very tough day for everybody who was part of the Hokie nation."
Sadler said he and fellow Virginia drivers Jeff Burton and Denny Hamlin had talked about trying to do something to help the university.
"I've been in touch with the athletic and academic associations there this week, and we're going to try to figure out what we can do and what the best thing to do is. We're going to work on that," he said.
Sadler said he was thankful and proud of NASCAR for honoring the university and the shooting victims by putting VT decals on all the cars racing at Phoenix this weekend.
"The first thing we did, I was calling home to get my brother to bring some Virginia Tech stickers out here to me, and then we got word that NASCAR was going to support Virginia Tech by letting everybody run stickers on there cars, and that has been great," he said. "Man, I'm so proud to be a part of a sport that thinks outside of its roots. We have a lot of great fans in that area. Bristol is always sold out, Martinsville has always had a lot of great fans there. We have a lot of great fans in that area that come from around the western part of Virginia, so for NASCAR to put VT stickers on all the Cup and Busch cars made me proud to be a Virginian."
Sadler, from nearby Emporia, Va., has numerous family members and friends who attend Virginia Tech. His girlfriend recently graduated from there and Sadler is a member of the school's Hokie Club.
"It's been a very tough week for us, from where I'm from," said Sadler, who was wearing a Virginia Tech sweatshirt Friday at Phoenix International Raceway. "I have a few cousins who go to Virginia Tech, my sister's stepson is a student at Virginia Tech. I've been a part of the Hokie Club for eight years and definitely part of the Hokie nation, and I have a lot of family and friends who have kids there.
"It makes it hard to come race on a weekend like this when you've got that many close family and friends and kinfolk involved. It's just been hard."
Sadler said he tried to keep up with news reports about the shootings as much as he could on Monday and was frequently in contact with his parents.
"As people were checking in and we were finding out that people we knew were OK, I was getting that through my family," Sadler said. "It was a very emotional day for us, and I just can't imagine what those families are going through right now.
"Monday was a very, very tough day for everybody who was part of the Hokie nation."
Sadler said he and fellow Virginia drivers Jeff Burton and Denny Hamlin had talked about trying to do something to help the university.
"I've been in touch with the athletic and academic associations there this week, and we're going to try to figure out what we can do and what the best thing to do is. We're going to work on that," he said.
Sadler said he was thankful and proud of NASCAR for honoring the university and the shooting victims by putting VT decals on all the cars racing at Phoenix this weekend.
"The first thing we did, I was calling home to get my brother to bring some Virginia Tech stickers out here to me, and then we got word that NASCAR was going to support Virginia Tech by letting everybody run stickers on there cars, and that has been great," he said. "Man, I'm so proud to be a part of a sport that thinks outside of its roots. We have a lot of great fans in that area. Bristol is always sold out, Martinsville has always had a lot of great fans there. We have a lot of great fans in that area that come from around the western part of Virginia, so for NASCAR to put VT stickers on all the Cup and Busch cars made me proud to be a Virginian."
