A tale of glory, age, and the relentless march of time. NASCAR legend Elliott Sadler opens up about the harsh realities of the sport he once dominated.
"I was nearing the end of my glory days," recalled Sadler, reflecting on his unexpected loss in the 2017 Xfinity Series championship. A fateful encounter with young Ryan Preece still haunts him, marking the beginning of an unsettling trend.
The Changing Face of NASCAR
Sadler recounted how despite his popularity, NASCAR began to sideline him as he aged. "The last year I won [the Most Popular Driver Award], they're like, 'Nah we’re not even going to bring it up this year at the award ceremony,'" he shared, expressing his disappointment at the sport's shift towards promoting younger drivers.
The Struggle of the Old Guard
"They pushed me out pretty good," Sadler admitted, lamenting the lack of personality in the new generation of drivers. He and fellow driver Kenny Wallace reminisced about their era, a time when the sport had blue-collar success stories, a stark contrast to the current state of affairs.