Sadler to back up car, Unhappy with Rookie

H

HardScrabble

Guest
Elliott Sadler and the Wood Bors had to go to a backup car for qualifying after damaging the primary during practice. After qualfying 32nd Sadler spoke about a first timer name of Justin Bell.

ELLIOTT SADLER --21-- Motorcraft Taurus -- "I don't know where that's gonna end up, it's just disappointing on how we got taken out today. We spent so much time on that other car at VIR two weeks ago and finished sixth with it at Sears Point, and not to be able to run it here this weekend is tough. We've had a tough couple of weekends and we've just got to stick together and try to get through it. This is the rough part of our season. We've got a lot or races left, so we've just got to stick together."

WHAT HAPPENED IN PRACTICE? "Well, a new rookie (the 46 car) coming in I guess and not knowing what's going on. He was swerving his car back and forth in the esses of all places. I don't know what he was doing. He said it was his first time ever in a Cup car and he was swerving going up through the esses running about 20 miles an hour and I was running 160, and instead of T-boning him, I had to swerve and spin my own car out. It's just frustrating. For some guy who had never been in a Winston Cup car, it seems like he would have had to pass some kind of test or something before he got here, but we're the ones that paid for it."
 
Thanks for the quotes HS! Sadler's not high on my list of favorites right now with the silly season stuff and all, but I don't know much about this new guy. What's his background and why is he attempting his first Cup race at the Glen?
 
Elliott, come on if you see a car going 20 you dont try to swerve around him...you hit the brakes and then pass him. I dont think it was all the 46's fault but maybe he shouldnt have been doing what he was.
 
I think you have to appreciate the closing rate of a car at 160 approaching a car at 20(though I hope the 20 is an exaggeration). You don't have time or space to just hit the brakes and go around.

Hav no clue who Justin Bell is. I see his hometown listed as being in England so he very well may be some relation to Derek Bell. Last in practice and next to last in qualifying.
 
In that case...I will now say that It was nearly all Justins fault. What I dont understand is Why Nascar didnt jump on his radio and tell him to speed up!....O wait its Nascar lol.
 
i missed all of the early Glen action because of work tonight, but it sounds INTERESTING!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
 
I'm surprised that they didn't have Jason Bell hadn't practiced a Cup car before putting him on the track. He was an accident waiting to happen, it sounds like, and luckily Elliott Sadler was able to swerve and avoid him but unfortunately took out his own car.
 
Justin Bell ...owner/op of Justin Bell GT Motorsports Experience Racing Schools in Florida (SCCA regeional licensing available)

Winner of the 1998 Le Mans GT2 race and the 1997 FIA GT2 World Championship.

In 2000 Justin signed with General Motors as a driver for the factory Corvette racing team, finishing 2nd at the Daytona 24 Hours, Le Mans 24 Hours and the Petit Le Mans race.

In 2001, Justin raced in a Corvette in the popular Trans Am Series, capturing the Rookie of the Year title, winning the last two races of the season and finishing 5th in overall points.
..........................

So it's not like this guy doesn't know what to do once he puts a helmet on and straps in. And one of the first things ya do is warm and scuff yer tires. Sadler might WANT to place the blame on Bell, but where was his spotter, having lunch?

At The Glen ya leave the pits right at the start of the esses. Where else ya gonna warm yer tires?
 
71fan,

First of all, nobody is saying that he Jason Bell just came out of no where. I'm very familiar with his success in the SCCA series. That doesn't mean he belonged in a Cup car w/o any practice in one beforehand. A cup car is very, very different from an SCCA car.

As far as warming up your tires in the esses, driver warm up their tires on pit road or on the straight away after the esses, b/c the esses themselves are very tight and a dangerous spot to be doing them in. Jason Bell made a mistake, and almost got himself creamed by a car trying to pass him at full throttle.
 
I'll have to agree with rpmallen. Watching happy hour this morning I saw roughly 10-12 cars coming out of the pits to start practice and none of them warmed up their tires period. They just went 75 percent throttle until they got to the inner loop. Wally pointed out on the broadcast that when you enter the esses you can not see very much because of the elevation change.
 
ahh c'mon.....the esses at the glen are hardly "tight"....ya don't do tight esses at 160 in a world car, let alone a Cupper. Turn 3 has a 518 foot radius, and that's a sweeper in anybody's book............unless you mean "thin" which I wholeheartedly agree with.

Still wonder where Sadler's spotter's were.
 
You don't warm up your tires on the esses. Jason Bell didn't know that, made a mistake. Period.

Sadler's spotter? Probably told him car was coming out onto track, watch for the car on esses. That's probably the only reason why he didn't hit Bell head on when Bell swerved in front of him, b/c his spotter did warn him he was there.
 
Well if the dude didn't know that how can he be blamed?:rolleyes:

If this joint had a whistling smiley I woulda used it. It's not the first time and won't be the last I'm sure. Bummer for Sadler that's for sure.

Todd and Boris is going to be the early show to watch. If nothing else it's going to be a very entertaining race.:D
 
How can he be blamed? That's why rookies are dangers at tracks like this, they don't know. Not much you can do about it though, something they should probably go over in the driver's meetings.
 
Rather be happy than right any day of the week.

Kinda nice to be able to get spirited without getting stupid.;)
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom