#61 Team Past News and Rumors
NOTE: many of the links in the past news will be old and may not work
decided it was not worth the time to go thru each one on all the Team Past News pages
2005 News
#66 changes to #61: hearing the Peak Performance Motorsports #66 Nextel Cup Team will run the #61 in 2006. The #66 has been released and the new #61 has been assigned by NASCAR. Kevin Lepage will drive the #61 Ford in 2006 nd finished up the 2005 season with the team [when it was #66] after Hermie Sadler and Mike Garvey drove the car. No word on a 2006 sponsor.(12-22-2005)
Lepage to new #64 team? hearing Kevin Lepage, who ened up the 2005 season driving for the #66 Peak Performance Motorsports team [now #61] could be headed to the new #64 Premier Motorsports team as their driver.(12-22-2005)
UPDATE: been told that while the team is down to three choices for their driver, Lepage is not one of those drivers and he will run full time in the #61 Peak Performance Motorsports team [was #66] in 2006.(12-22-2005)
Baldwin to Yates? hearing that Tommy Baldwin, former #9 Crew Chief for Kasey Kahne, will go to Robert Yates Racing in some fashion, crew chief/part owner. Also has been rumored that a current one car operation, such as #50 Arnold Motorsports or #66 Peak Performance could partner up with RYR, which could include ownership by Baldwin, something that was mentioned in the Evernham Motorsports release on Tuesday [see below or the #9 Team News and Links page for more on that]. Cabela's is the sponsor on the #66 car this week and have heard it could become a full-time sponsor in 2006. Expect some sort of announcement this weekend at Homestead.(11-17-2005)
Cabela's to sponsor #66 at Homestead: Peak Performance Motorsports announced that its #66 entry will be sponsored by Cabela's (Cabelas.com) in the season-ending race at Homestead this weekend. Kevin Lepage will be backed by the nation's largest direct marketer and leading specialty retailer of hunting, fishing, camping and related outdoor merchandise for the Ford 400. "We are wrapping up the season on a high note with this announcement from Cabela's," said team owner Jeff Stec. "It's been an exciting year and we are pleased to welcome such a fine company on board for our final race of the season. We are hopeful of having a strong weekend and that we can carry our year-end momentum into 2006."(PSE-3 PR)(11-16-2005)
See images of the schemes on my #66 Team Schemes page.(11-17-2005)
Dickies to sponsor #66 at Texas IMAGES: Williamson-Dickie Mfg. Co. and Peak Performance Motorsports announced a one-race primary sponsorship package for the Dickies 500 at the Texas Motor Speedway. The Fort Worth-based maker of the DICKIES brand of work wear is in its first season as the title sponsor for the fall Nextel Cup event, and has signed with the #66 Ford and driver Kevin Lepage to be the primary sponsor of the car for the weekend at Texas Motor Speedway.(PSE-3 PR)(11-1-2005)
IMAGES see images of the car on my #66 Team Schemes page.(11-2-2005)
Lepage back in the #66...rest of the season UPDATE: Kevin Lepage will return to the driver's seat of the #66 Peak Performace Ford this weekend for Atlanta, and will finish the season with the team.(PSE-3 PR)(10-25-2005)
UPDATE: Vassarette will join Peak Performance Motorsports as a co-primary sponsor on the #66 Ford at Atlanta for the Bass Pro Shops 500 this weekend. Vassarette will appear on the rear quarter panels, as well as the TV panel of the car. "We are excited to have Vassarette on board," said team owner and Peak Fitness Clubs CEO Jeff Stec. "Peak Performance Motorsports continues to
actively seek and add sponsors to its roster."
"I am looking forward to the weekend at Atlanta to showcase our brand on the #66 Peak Fitness/Vassarette Ford. The team has continued to improve its performance over the past five weeks and it was a good opportunity for Vassarette to partner with Peak Fitness on a Nextel Cup car. As an Atlanta-based corporation, we felt our partnership with Peak Fitness would greatly benefit the company by being a part of one of the season's biggest racing events," said Art DeCesaro, general manager of Vassarette.(PSE-3 PR)(10-28-2005)
Virginians for Jerry Kilgore Car to Run at Martinsville: Former Attorney General and Republican gubernatorial nominee Jerry Kilgore will sponsor the "Virginians for Jerry Kilgore" car at Martinsville Speedway's Nextel Cup Subway 500 Sunday as Virginia native Hermie Sadler will drive the #66 Ford Taurus powered by Roush-Yates racing. The Kilgore campaign logo has been featured on two
other Nextel Cup cars this season, but this will mark the first time Kilgore's campaign has been the primary sponsor of a car. This is
believed to be the first time ever a statewide candidate anywhere in the country has been the primary sponsor of a Nextel Cup car. More info on Virginians for Jerry Kilgore at jerrykilgore.com, see images of the car in my #66 Team Schemes page.(10-20-2005)
Hermie Sadler back in the #66 at Martinsville: Hermie Sadler, who started the season in the #66 Peak Performance Motorsports Ford, will return to the team for the Subway 500 at Martinsville Speedway. The team will be sponsored by Virginians for Jerry Kilgore. Kilgore is the Republican Gubernatorial Candidate for Virginia. The election is November 8. "I am excited about getting back in the 66 car at Martinsville," said Sadler. "The team has showed a great deal of improvement throughout the season. Martinsville is one of my favorite tracks, so I look forward to a solid run. It is important that we run well because we want to get the message out that Jerry Kilgore is the right man to govern Virginia." Sadler qualified and raced the #66 in the spring event at Martinsville. "Peak Performance is happy to help Hermie at Martinsville," said team owner Jeff Stec. "We had a good relationship, and we know how important it is for him to race at what he considers his home track. I'm hopeful it will be a great weekend for Hermie and the rest of the team."(PSE-3 / Peak Performance PR)(10-10-2005)
Lepage back in the #66 at Talladega: Peak Performance Motorsports owner Jeff Stec announced that NASCAR veteran Kevin Lepage will be back behind the wheel of the #66 EAS Ford for the UAW-Ford 500 at Talladega Superspeedway. "The team enjoyed working with Kevin last weekend at Dover," said Stec. "Given Kevin's experience and success on restrictor plate tracks, we think he will help us out a lot this weekend at Talladega." In the season opener at Daytona, Lepage qualified eighth and finished ninth. Two radio stations will have associate sponsorship positions on the #66 this weekend. Charlotte, N.C.'s Ace & TJ Morning Show, and The Q, a Birmingham, Ala. station heard on 103.7 FM, will ride along in the draft with Lepage. Ace & TJ Morning Show can be heard weekday mornings in Charlotte Monday through Friday. The Q, a sister station to It is a sister station of Birmingham's KISS 95.1, is an entity of
Infinity Broadcasting Systems, and is owned by Clear Channel Radio.(PSE-3 PR)(9-28-2005)
Lepage to drive the #66 at Dover: Peak Performance Motorsports owner Jeff Stec announced today that NASCAR veteran Kevin Lepage will take over the driving duties for the #66 EAS Ford at Dover this weekend. Lepage opened the season with a stellar run in the Daytona 500 [in the #37 Dodge]. After qualifying ninth, Lepage battled all day and picked up an impressive eight-place finish. He has made 14 starts in the Nextel Cup Series this season. "This is a great opportunity for me, and as a racer, it's my goal to be on the track racing every opportunity I get," said Lepage. "I want to thank Jeff and his crew for working with me. I'm hopeful we can put together a solid race this weekend. I've had some success at Dover and I believe my experiences in the past will be helpful to the team."(PSE-3 / Peak Performance Motorsports), no word if Mike Garvey will be back in the #66 at Talladega the following week.(9-21-2005)
"InTune TV" Teams with UPN to Create Educational Series; Episode Will Feature #66: Peak Performance Motorsports announced a one-race associate sponsorship package with "InTune TV." In conjunction with the partnership, "InTune TV" will be on-hand at the California Speedway this weekend for the Sony HD 500 to film the #66 Jani-King team and driver Mike Garvey for a segment in its show B In Tune. The show will debut on the UPN Network Saturday, September 10. The InTune Foundation Group, which is dedicated to improving the quality of life for children, youth and young adults through music and the arts, will produce an all-new half-hour syndicated music television series in conjunction with the "InTune" monthly music education magazine. "InTune" magazine is currently distributed to
media centers and music departments in over 20,000 middle and high schools in all 50 states. InTune TV Racing would not be possible without the efforts of Vanessa Tyler-Thompson. She has assisted in creating other partnerships in racing, which include associations with USAR Hooters Pro Cup driver Scott Seither, champion female racer Sunny Hobbs, and NASCAR driver Dan Pardus. For additional information about the foundation and its productions, logon to www.intuneracing.com or www.vanessalynnracing.com.(PSE-3 PR)(9-2-2005)
Spencer in the #66 at Michigan IMAGE: Peak Performance Motorsports announced that Jimmy Spencer will drive the #66 Arbor Mortgage Ford next weekend in Michigan for the GFS Marketplace 400. Arbor Mortgage will launch a promotion in conjunction with its sponsorship, offering to the pay one randomly drawn entrant's mortgage for one year, contingent on Spencer's finish. Mike Garvey will return as the driver of the #66 at Bristol and is scheduled to complete the season with the team. Entrants can register for the promotion at www.arbormortgage.com, beginning August 12, for an opportunity to win their mortgage paid for one year by Arbor Mortgage. If Spencer finishes in the Top-10, a randomly drawn entrant will win. For more information, visit the Arbor Mortgage website. Spencer, one of only 13 drivers to win in the Cup, Busch and Truck Series, will attempt to make his fourth start of the season, and first with PPM. This season Spencer is driving the #2 ASE Certified Dodge Ram full-time in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series and is a contender to win his first championship in one of NASCAR's premier series.(PSE-3)(8-12-2005)
IMAGE: see an image of the scheme on my #66 Team Schemes page.(8-17-2005)
EAS to Sponsor #66 at Indy IMAGE: Peak Performance Motorsports announced a one-race primary sponsorship package by EAS, the world's leading manufacturer of cutting-edge sports nutrition products and widely known for fueling top athletes in all sports. The company will join PPM for the Allstate 400 at the Brickyard next weekend. EAS will also be on board as an associate sponsor for the remainder of the 2005 season. EAS was acquired by Abbott Laboratories in October of 2004 and has since
continued its success as being "the brand that the pros use." Currently, EAS is the only brand with products certified for use by NFL players under the NFL/NFLPA certification program. EAS products are used by all 32 National Football League teams and more than 1,200 players.(PSE-3/Peak Performace Motorsports)(7-29-2005)
IMAGE: see an image of the car on my #66 Team Schemes page.(8-4-2005)
Borneman in for Garvey: John Borneman III is listed as the driver for the #66 Peak Fitness Ford for the Dodge/Save Mart 350 at the Infineon Raceway, Mike Garvey is the current regular driver.(Sonoma Entry List)(6-21-2005)
OFFICAL - Garvey in the #66....six races: Peak Performance Motorsports owner Jeff Stec announced Mike Garvey as the driver of the #66 Ford. Garvey, a winner in the ASA and USAR Hooters Pro Cup Series, will take over the driving responsibilities this weekend at Pocono. Jani-King, a long-time sponsor of Garvey, will follow him to the Nextel Cup Series for a six-race sponsorship package. “I don’t think words can explain how I felt when I got the news,” Garvey explained. “I was more shocked than anything. I want to thank Jeff Stec for giving me the opportunity, as well as all of the people I have worked with in the past who have helped me get this far.” Garvey has made three starts in the Nextel Cup Series in 2005. After qualifying for his first race of the season in Atlanta, he took the momentum to the Hooters Pro Cup Series where he notched his first win of the season the following week. Garvey left the ASA in 2004 tied for fifth all-time with Mark Martin with 22 series victories. Last season he posted wins in five of the 14 races in which he competed. Jani-King is the world’s largest commercial cleaning franchisor with over 10,500 franchise owners worldwide.(Mikegarveyfans.com), more info on Jani-King at janiking.com.(6-9-2005)
Hermie in the #92: Hermie Sadler, who yesterday, left the #66 Peak Fitness Racing team, is listed on nascar.com's Pocono 500 entry list as the driver of the #92 Front Row Motorsports Chevy. Stanton Barrett usually drives the #92, but will be in Nashville for the Busch race and is Tony Raines, who also has seen time in that car.(6-7-2005)
Hermie out? UPDATE 4 Sadler leaves team, Garvey in?: hearing that driver Hermie Sadler and the #66 Peak Fitness Racing team have parted ways effective immediately. No word on who will drive the car at Dover next week. Salder and the #66 team failed to make the Coca-Cola 600 at Lowe's Motor Speedway and four other races in 2005 and are out of the top-35 in owners points.
UPDATE: been told by the team that this is untrue and that Hermie Sadler will be driving the #66 Peak Fitness Ford next weekend at Dover and for the balance of the 2005 season. The Peak Fitness Team is dedicated to improving their equipment and performance and feel good about the progress we have made since establishing the team on January 7, 2005.(Peak Fitness Team)(5-27-2005)
UPDATE 2: Hermie Sadler denied an Internet report last night that he was exiting the #66 Ford. Car owner Jeff Stec called the Emporia native last night when he learned of the rumor. "There's no truth to that at all," said Sadler, who didn't make tomorrow's Coca-Cola 600 and is ranked 40th in points. "We'll be going to Dover next week."(Richmond Times Dispatch)(5-28-2005)
UPDATE 3: Hermie Sadler, driver of the #66 Peak Fitness Ford in the NASCAR Nextel Cup Series, and team owner Jeff Stec are committed to making Peak Performance Motorsports a solid venture in NASCAR's premiere series. Following an erroneous online report regarding his status with the team, Sadler offers the following statement to the public, the media and his fans.
"After the rumor of my departure from Peak Performance Motorsports was erroneously reported on several websites last week, I wanted to personally respond to all the media and fans. First of all, I am committed to staying with the Peak Performance Motorsports team for the entire 2005 season and am hopeful that relationship lasts beyond that. While we are disappointed with our performances so far this season, we are working together as a team to improve. Although we have a way to go, we are steadily making progress. It concerns me that a website [Jayski.com] would post a rumor that could be fatal to an up-start team such as ours without consulting with the team owner, public relations representative, or the driver. Not only do we have employees that may be affected, but this can also be detrimental to our hunt for additional sponsorship, which is vital to the growth of our team. Our team has done a great job of working to get better as a team and not pointing fingers at one another. We will continue to do that. Thanks to all the fans that have sent messages of support to the team and me. We look forward to a great run this weekend in Dover."(PSE-3 PR)(5-31-2005)
UPDATE 4: Hermie Sadler has officially resigned as driver of the #66 Peak Performance Motorsports Ford effective immediately. Sadler has attempted to qualify for all 14 NASCAR Nextel Cup Series events this season, successfully making eight races. The #66 currently stands 40th in the owners' points. Sadler, a veteran racer of 13 years in NASCAR's top three series, agrees that the split is amicable and is the right decision for all involved parties. "I appreciate the opportunity given to me at Peak Performance Motorsports, but I feel at this time it is best that I step aside and allow the team to search for the combination that will help it improve," stated Sadler. Team owner Jeff Stec will make announcement of the team's intentions for the race at Pocono later this week. "We know that Hermie gave us his best effort each week and we appreciate what he has done for the team," Stec said. "Peak Performance Motorsports has been proud to associate itself with Hermie and we wish him all the best."(PSE-3 PR)
AND hearing that Mike Garvey, who has made three races in the #75 car, will run in the #66 for a few races.(6-6-2005)
AND II from the Mikegarveyfans.com site: Mike [Garvey] went to the #66 shop to sign the deal for the remainder of the year and get fitted for his seat and uniform after former driver Hermie Sadler resigns. The official announcement coming soon.(6-7-2005)
Statement from Hernie Sadler: Hermie Sadler, driver of the #66 Peak Fitness Ford in the NASCAR Nextel Cup Series, and team owner Jeff Stec are committed to making Peak Performance Motorsports a solid venture in NASCAR's premiere series. Following an erroneous online report regarding his status with the team, Sadler offers the following statement to the public, the media and his fans.
"After the rumor of my departure from Peak Performance Motorsports was erroneously reported on several websites last week, I wanted to personally respond to all the media and fans. First of all, I am committed to staying with the Peak Performance Motorsports team for the entire 2005 season and am hopeful that relationship lasts beyond that. While we are disappointed with our performances so far this season, we are working together as a team to improve. Although we have a way to go, we are steadily making progress. It concerns me that a website [Jayski.com] would post a rumor that could be fatal to an up-start team such as ours without consulting with the team owner, public relations representative, or the driver. Not only do we have employees that may be affected, but this can also be detrimental to our hunt for additional sponsorship, which is vital to the growth of our team. Our team has done a great job of working to get better as a team and not pointing fingers at one another. We will continue to do that. Thanks to all the fans that have sent messages of support to the team and me. We look forward to a great run this weekend in Dover."(PSE-3 PR)(5-31-2005)
Hermie adds a sponsor for the 600: The Ace & TJ Show has teamed up with Peak Fitness to run the #66 Ace & TJ Show/Peak Fitness Ford with driver Hermie Sadler in the Coca-Cola 600 NASCAR race on Sunday, May 29th at Lowe's Motor Speedway.(Ace & TJ Show site)(5-17-2005)
#66 to run Aaron's decals: Michael Waltrip, who owns the #00 Aaron's Rent Chevy that Kenny Wallace attempted to get into the Aaron's 499 at Talladega Superspeedway but failed to qualify for, said that #66 Hermie Sadler would run the Aaron's decals on Sunday in the race.(Speed Channel's Trackside)(4-29-2005)
#66 Crew Chief Fined: NASCAR announced Wednesday that Greg Conner, crew chief for the #66 Peak Fitness Ford driven by Hermie Sadler, has been fined for rule violations during opening day inspection at Texas Motor Speedway on April 15. A fine of $5,000 resulted from violations of Sections 12-4-A (actions detrimental to stock car racing) and 12-4-Q (car, car parts, components and/or equipment used that do not conform to NASCAR rules) of the NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series rule book, due to an unapproved deck lid.(NASCAR PR)(4-20-2005)
East Tennessee Trailers to sponsor Hermie in four races: East Tennessee Trailers will be the primary sponsor of the #66 Peak Performance Motorsports Ford driven by Hermie Sadler in four NASCAR Nextel Cup Series races in 2005, beginning with the Food City 500 on April 3, at Bristol Motor Speedway. ETT, a season-long associate of the Peak Performance #66, will also be primary sponsor for Darlington in May as well as the fall races at Talladega and Martinsville. In addition to carrying the East Tennessee Trailers colors at Bristol, the car will also carry the Autism Awareness ribbon to signify April as Autism Awareness Month. Jeff Stec, owner of Peak Performance Motorsports, agrees that the ETT association is a good fit. "As we continue to grow our team, it is important that we have quality marketing partners to help us get where we want to go. ETT understands the loyalty of NASCAR fans and we look forward to a good run for them." Hermie Sadler will visit ETT's new manufacturing plant in Oneida, Tennessee on Thursday, March 31 to meet with ETT employees and dealers. For more information on East Tennessee Trailer products and dealers, visit www.ettrailers.com.(PSE-3)(3-22-2005)
Ince leaves the #66? UPDATE: hearing that crew chief James Ince has left the #66 Peak Fitness Racing team that Hermie Sadler drives for. The team has failed to qualify for the first two races of the season.(3-1-2005)
UPDATE: What Have You [#66-Hermie Sadler] Done as Far as Crew Chief Duties Go? "Greg Conner, who worked a couple of years ago with Ricky Craven at Hendrick and has been in the Truck Series a little bit - he's a Virginia guy - and he's helping us for the foreseeable future. We definitely needed a leader so he came in and has been at a little bit of a disadvantage. By the time he decided to come help us, the car was already out here so the first time he got to see the car was yesterday morning. So Greg has stepped in to help us a little bit and we've replaced, for the most part, everybody who left but it was a devastating time for us. It really put a hurtin' on us being a small team. When a third of your team decides to leave at one time it makes it tough, but everybody responded. Jeff Stek and everybody at Peak Fitness has been very supportive. We've got a long-term vision for this team and we're not gonna let three people dictate what that future is."(Ford Racing)(3-13-2005)
Hermie gets an assoc. sponor: Midas Spring Water, based in Huntersville, N.C., has become an associate sponsor of the # 66 Peak Fitness Ford Taurus that Hermie Sadler drives in NASCAR's Nextel Cup Series. Midas Spring Water is one of the healthiest waters in the world because of its natural purity and low mineral content. It rivals some of the finest European waters. Midas Spring Water is pure with no artificial purifications; it also contains a perfect 4 to 1 calcium/magnesium ratio and has a balance of 7.2 alkalinity.(Peak Fitness Racing/PE3 PR)(2-10-2005)
#66 Peak Fitness Racing Team Launches Website: Peak Performance Motorsports owner Jeff Stec announced today that his NASCAR Nextel Cup Series team has hired PSE-3, a sports and entertainment communications, marketing and sales
firm headquartered in Raleigh, NC, to handle media and sponsor relations for the team. The January announcement of the newly formed team introduced NASCAR veterans Hermie Sadler as the driver and James Ince as the crew chief. For more information regarding PSE-3 and sponsorship opportunities with Peak Performance Motorsports, please visit (PPM website) or www.pse-3.com. The online destination for all things associated with the #66 Peak Fitness Ford Taurus in the NASCAR Nextel Cup Series is peakfitnessracing.com.(2-9-2005)
Peak Performance has new home: The #66 Peak Performance Motorsports Team has moved into its new race shop at 2668 Peachtree Road, Statesville, NC 28625. The #66 Peak Fitness Ford Taurus powered by Roush-Yates engines is now housed in the 35,000 sq ft race shop facility located at Travis Carter Enterprises. Crew Chief James Ince says the move to the new facility will expedite preparations for the 2005 season. "I feel like we're in pretty good shape all things considering," Ince said. "For a two-and-a-half week old race team, you hear that and most people are horrified by that. "But the reality of it is we went from having no racecars and no people to having 10 people working in the shop and five racecars in stages of being completed. "We're definitely growing. All of these things, coupled with the Roush-Yates engine package and the things Ford Motor Company is providing us, we're able to skip over a lot of hurdles that would have taken me at least six months to go out and gather up.” "All of the parts and pieces are laying there. Some of it isn't necessarily a perfect world, but at the same time, it's a whole lot more than I had a week ago (and) that gets me going.” "My focus is to assemble the people and worry about race cars right now. Our focus is on the team and on the cars and being as good as we can be right off the get-go." For the latest news and information visit the new and updated Peak Fitness website at www.peakfitnessclubs.com.(PR)(1-18-2005)
Hermie will run #66 UPDATE: Hermie Sadler's new ride will be the #66 Peak Fitness Clubs Ford, it is yellow and lavander, see images of the car on my new #66 Team Paint Schemes page. (1-6-2005)
UPDATE: Driver/owner Hermie Sadler and crew chief James Ince will try to rebuild their NASCAR Nextel Cup careers in 2005 using Roush/Yates horsepower. Sadler, who ran nearly all of both the Nextel Cup and Busch Series in 2004 as either an owner or a driver, announced a plan to run #66 Peak Fitness Fords this season, using factory-backed Roush/Yates engines. Sadler made the announcement in conjunction with Peak Performance Motorsports primary owner Jeff Stec, the CEO of Peak Fitness, who purchased a controlling stake in Sadler's SCORE Motorsports' Cup team last month and immediately began an aggressive plan.(NASCAR.com)(1-7-2005)
2004 News
Hermie gets a partner and sponsor for Cup team, Ince the crew chief: Peak Fitness has announced that the corporation has acquired the assets of the SCORE Motorsports NEXTEL Cup Team and will be the primary sponsor of a NEXTEL Cup car for the full 2005 and 2006 NEXTEL Cup seasons, with the car to be driven by Hermie Sadler. James Ince has been hired as the crew chief. Jeff Stec, CEO of Peak Fitness is excited at the prospect of building a competitive NEXTEL Cup team to form the nucleus of a national marketing strategy to offer franchise opportunities worldwide.
“We have been searching for the right vehicle in order to move our corporation into a multi-national franchise and I believe that the
powerful branding associated with NASCAR marketing affords us that opportunity. It makes a lot of sense to partner with a talented,
professional driver, top engine builder, championship car manufacturer and NEXTEL Cup crew chief James Ince. We find ourselves in rather a unique position as both NEXTEL Cup team owner and primary sponsor and we are actively seeking strong partners that want to reap the benefits of a national marketing program,” Stec said.
For Hermie Sadler, the 1993 NASCAR Busch Series Rookie of the Year, this will mark his first full-time NEXTEL Cup ride, a welcome change for Sadler who has struggled to run limited schedules the past few seasons. "This is very exciting for me and my family. To partner with a strong corporation like Peak Fitness, CEO Jeff Stec, and a proven winner like James Ince as crew chief is my best opportunity to make it in NEXTEL Cup racing. I will retain an interest in the new corporation, Peak Performance Motorsports, and will continue to be involved in the daily operations. I feel confident this team will surprise many people. Nobody knows what to expect from us, but Jeff Stec has a great vision for the future of the team and the upcoming announcement about our choice of car manufacturer and engine program will be a clear indication of the level of commitment Jeff has made to the NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series,” said Sadler.
Peak Fitness is the number one health club in the Charlotte area and will launch its National Franchise Campaign in January 2005.
There will be a news conference on Thursday, January 6, 2005 at a 12:00 noon luncheon at Peak Fitness, 10404 Independence Blvd, Matthews (Matthews Festival) to unveil the paint scheme, announce the car manufacturer and engine program.(PR), more info on Peak Fitness at peakfitnessclubs.com
NOTE: hearing it will be a Ford with Roush-Yates engines....car # 02???(12-21-2004)
Sadlers win Spirit Award: Elliott and Hermie Sadler, named fourth-quarter winners of the NMPA/Pocono Spirit Award, working in conjunction with the Henrico County (Va.) Economic Development Authority, will host a fundraising benefit on Sunday to aid The Faison School for Autism and the Henrico County Christmas Mother Program. Both Richmond-area charities will receive all the proceeds from the day-long event that will allow fans to race go-karts, bowl and interact with the Sadlers. The Henrico County Christmas Mother Program is a volunteer group that provides help to those in need during the holiday season. Approximately 4,000 children, elderly and disabled residents are assisted each year in Henrico County through this program. All money donated to The Faison School for Autism will help reduce tuition costs for families in need who have children at the school. The NMPA/Pocono Spirit Award recognizes character and achievement in the face of adversity as well as sportsmanship and contributions to Motorsports. Each quarter during the year the National Motorsports Press Association names a winner of the Spirit Award. Each January, the NMPA and Pocono International Raceway honor one of the four quarter winners at its national convention. Earlier this year, Elliott hosted a charity event, the Race For Hope that raised more than $80,000. The Sadlers join Ken Patterson, Kyle and Pattie Petty and Tommy Baldwin Jr. as the quarterly winners of this year's award.(Ford Racing)(12-9-2004)
Score Motorsports Selling Busch team: SCORE Motorsports, owned by Hermie Sadler and retired NBA player Bryant Stith, announced that they have decided to sell their NASCAR Busch Series team. Sadler and Stith will continue to field a NEXTEL Cup Series team and a Late Model Stock Car team as part of the Drive For Diversity program in 2005. "We have been unable to find the type of funding we need to grow the Busch team," Sadler said. "We have looked at many options, including joining forces with another team and also participating in a driver development program. At the end of the day, our best option is to sell the Busch Series team to someone who can continue to grow it and for us to focus our attention on the NEXTEL Cup team. We will have an announcement on our NEXTEL Cup Series team in the next three weeks." The Busch Series team consists of several complete race cars, engines
and many parts and pieces. Serious parties can contact SCORE Motorsports at 804-586-8215 and receive additional information. The
SCORE Motorsports Busch Series team is 25th in owners points headed into the 2005 season.(Score Motorsports PR)(12-6-2004)
Drive for Diversity on the #02: The Drive for Diversity program will celebrate the successful completion of its first season this weekend in Miami, as NASCAR veteran Hermie Sadler will drive the SCORE Motorsports #02 Chevrolet Monte Carlo with a distinctive Drive for Diversity paint scheme in Sunday’s NASCAR Nextel Cup Series Ford 400 at Homestead-Miami Speedway. Renowned NASCAR artist Sam Bass provided the design of the car, while Simpson Racing Products will provide Sadler’s uniform for this weekend’s NASCAR Nextel Cup Series finale.(PRNews)(11-17-2004)
Tom Hammonds Chevrolet Joins SCORE Motorsports at Darlington: Tom Hammonds Chevrolet in Darlington, S.C. has joined SCORE Motorsports and driver Hermie Sadler as an associate sponsor for the BI-LO 200 NASCAR Busch Series race and
the Mountain Dew Southern 500 NEXTEL Cup Series race this weekend in Darlington, S.C. Tom Hammonds, a three-time All-ACC selection for the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets, played 12 years in the NBA before retiring in 2001. He has been owner/operator of Tom Hammonds Chevrolet since March 2004 and has a love for racing, being an accomplished drag racer himself. Hammonds has two connections to SCORE Motorsports. In addition to being friends with Sadler, Hammonds played five seasons with SCORE Motorsports co-owner Bryant Stith while they were with the Denver Nuggets. The pair were both honored last March at the ACC Tournament in Greensboro, N.C. for their accomplishments in the ACC. For more information on Tom Hammonds Chevrolet, visit www.tomhammondschevrolet.com.(Score Motorsports PR)(11-12-2004)
Hermie Sadler to Pilot Treasure Island-Las Vegas Chevy at Phoenix: For the second time this season Hermie Sadler and SCORE Motorsports are teaming up with Treasure Island-Las Vegas; this time for the Checker Auto Parts 500 this Sunday at Phoenix International Raceway. Sadler previously carried the TI colors in the Sam's Town 300 Busch Series race in Las Vegas this past March. Treasure Island is located on the Las Vegas Strip and has 2,885 guest rooms, including over 200 suites. The hotel is known for entertaining guests with its Cirque du Soleil's Myste're show as well as The Sirens of TI. For more information on TI, please visit
www.treasureisland.com.(Sadler Motorsports PR)(11-4-2004)
Sadler Auto Center to Launch Information Website at Martinsville: Hermie Sadler has always believed in the power of marketing in NASCAR, and his automobile dealerships are now putting their money where their mouth is. NASCAR fans know the Sadler name because of the success of Hermie and Elliott Sadler on the track, but many fans may not know that Hermie Sadler also owns and operates three automobile dealerships in Southside Virginia. Between his three dealerships, Sadler carries all domestic makes and models as well as Honda, and also handles pre-owned and program cars of all makes.
This weekend at Martinsville, Sadler is launching a simple, free "help" center for people and businesses that are interested in buying,
selling, or trading new or used cars. The website is www.sadlersearch.com. Instead of the normal automated car search websites, sadlersearch.com is simple and easy to use. All customers have to do is send their request for information, and they will get a personal response from a Sadler Auto Center representative within 24 hours. Sadler says the goal is obviously to sell cars, but also to help give good information and advice to people in other areas when they are in the market to buy a car.
"We certainly want to sell and service more customers," Sadler said, "but this is also a way for people to get quick, honest information on automobiles, warranties, financing, and trade values. We want people to have helpful information, regardless of where they live or who they buy from. This site is not fancy, you simply fill out an information box and we personally respond to you and answer your questions." For more information, visit www.sadlersearch.com or call 1-800-899-8855.(PR)(10-22-2004)
Hermie leases a car from Yates for Talladega: #02-Hermie Sadler and East Tennessee Trailers have partnered together for several NEXTEL Cup races this season, but both are eagerly awaiting next weekends EA SPORTS 500 at Talladega Superspeedway. At Talladega, Sadler's SCORE Motorsports team will be leasing a Ford from Robert Yates Racing, whose record on restrictor plate races rivals anyone in the business. Sadler knows this is a great opportunity for himself and his team. "Our season has not been what we had hoped for to this point," Sadler said. "But this race is a chance for our team to show what we can do and turn our season around. Just the thought of driving a Yates car at Talladega is a dream come true." Jack Bailey, President of East Tennessee Trailers, who has sponsored Sadler in several NEXTEL Cup and Busch Series races this season, said this was too good to pass up. "We have always been confident in the ability of Hermie and his team," Bailey said. "We are excited to join them for this race. We are as excited to have East Tennessee Trailers on the side of a Robert Yates prepared car as Hermie is to drive it."
East Tennessee Trailers is the nations value leader in enclosed cargo trailers. Its manufacturing facility is located in Oneida, Tennessee. They specialize in not only trailers for racing, but lawn care, construction, motorcycles and many other uses. For more information, please visit www.ettrailers.com.(SCORE Motorsports PR)(9-28-2004)
Testing at Talladega, Hermie Sadler to run a Yates car: NASCAR NEXTEL Cup and Busch Series drivers Jimmie Johnson, Martin Truex, Jr., Hermie Sadler and ARCA RE/MAX Series driver Blake Feese took turns zipping along the high banks of Talladega Superspeedway Monday after early morning rain finally gave way to clear skies. Johnson, who slipped to second in the points standings after a wreck at Richmond Saturday, said clinching a position to contend for the championship brought “a small amount of relief,” but knows the real pressure has only begun. In his five starts at Talladega, he’s qualified higher than ninth every time. However, this spring was the first time he was able to break into the top 5 here, finishing fourth. Johnson said he hasn’t had the best of luck at Talladega, but is more confident with a solid run here earlier this year. Sadler said he is excited to be returning to Talladega in October, particularly because he will be running in the EA SPORTS 500 in a Robert Yates machine. He decided to run the Talladega event primarily because of being able to reach an agreement to lease a car with Yates. “It’s a good opportunity for my team, not running all the races and not having some of the stuff a lot of the other teams have, to come here and drive one of their cars. We’re excited about that,” Sadler said. “They’ve got a great program. The timing worked out so we could do it, and it will give us a chance to come here and be a lot more competitive than we would be had we tried to do a superspeedway car of our own. We don’t have access to the wind tunnel and all those types of things and they have got a good reputation for a good superspeedway program. So hopefully it will be a good opportunity for us.”(Talladega Superspeedway PR)(9-14-2004)
Sadler gets cool sponsor: Richmonder Floyd Booth has joined the ranks of high-rolling NASCAR sponsors for a week, paying $2,500 to buy a pair of decals on the rear quarterpanels of the car Hermie Sadler will attempt to qualify for tomorrow's Chevy Rock & Roll 400. The decals carry the name of Booth's son, John A. Booth, and support a scholarship Booth endowed in his son's name at J. Sergeant Reynolds Community College. "It's part of the PAVE program, which assists students with what would be called slight mental handicaps," Booth said. "My son was like that, but he also had a heart condition. He died in 1989, just before we got PAVE started in 1990." In addition to the decals, Booth's contribution netted him tickets to the race and a chance to take a place in Sadler's merchandise trailer, where he'll pass out literature and solicit contributions to the scholarship fund. "I think it's worth it," Booth said. "The program at Reynolds is the only one in the state. Once they find out about it, people like to support it."(Richmond Times Dispatch)(9-10-2004)
Sadler/Score split with FanZCar, have new sponsors for RIR races FanZCar response: #02 SCORE Motorsports, co-owned by NASCAR driver Hermie Sadler and former NBA Star Bryant Stith, has terminated its sponsorship agreement with SSRacing, Inc. and The FanZCar program for lack of payment. "We worked very hard to make this program work, including re-structuring the contract three different times, but it became evident that they are unable to fulfill their contractual obligations," stated [driver] Hermie Sadler. "It is in our best interest to move forward and find new sponsors and partners for our team." Even though SCORE Motorsports will have no relationship with SSRacing, Inc., they will allow current members of the program to request pit and garage passes on a first come, first serve basis. Members can make their requests through the Sadler Fan Club [www.sadlerfanclub.com]. "We want to try and take care of the Hermie Sadler fans that joined this program," Sadler concluded.
AND SCORE Motorsports and driver Hermie Sadler announced today their sponsors for this weekends races at Richmond International Raceway. Jenkins, Jenkins, & Jenkins, P.A. Attorneys at Law, located in LaPlata, Maryland, will be sponsoring their NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series car and Slip-in Food Marts will be sponsoring their NASCAR Busch Series car. Jenkins, Jenkins, & Jenkins has been involved in sponsorship in all three of NASCAR's top divisions this year, including the SCORE Motorsports Chevrolet that Sadler drove in the spring NEXTEL Cup race at RIR. They are the first law firm to use major NASCAR sponsorship to create awareness for their firm, something that Frank Jenkins says has worked for them. "We know that NASCAR fans are very loyal," Jenkins said. "They pay attention to who sponsors and supports the teams and drivers. We have found NASCAR racing to be a great way to get exposure and entertain guests."
The Busch Series car will be exciting for Sadler, as well as the team, as it puts Sadler back in the familiar yellow paint scheme that both he and brother Elliott Sadler ran successfully on Virginia's Late Model Stock Car tracks in the early to mid 1990s. Both brothers
carried sponsorship for Slip-in Food Marts on their late model cars and the Busch Series paint scheme will be a direct replica of those
cars. Slip-in Food Marts operates 24 convenience stores in Southside Virginia, as well as two truckstops, one in Emporia, Va. and the other in Dunn, N.C. For more information on Jenkins, Jenkins, & Jenkins, visit www.racinglaw.com.(SCORE Motorsports PR)
AND II The FanZCar will release a statement either Tuesday night or Wednesday regarding the announcement in which Hermie Sadler has terminated his contact with SS Racing, Inc. and The FanZCar.(FanZCar PR)(9-7-2004)
UPDATE: SS Racing Inc., founding company of The FanZCar has parted ways with SCORE Motorsports. "I regret the separation between SCORE and The FanZCar. NASCAR is a performance sport and very competitive. The FanZCar believed the level of performance committed to us, while luring our sponsorship, would have provided us with the exposure necessary to continue the strong growth of our members," said Scott Stricker, President and Co-CEO of The FanZCar. "The FanZCar and all of our members have provided SCORE with a great deal of support this year. We will continue to honor any and all agreements with SCORE and wish the team success. Our primary focus will be to ensure the highest level of satisfaction for our current and future members while we continue to execute the goals and strategies of The FanZCar. The FanZCar and our members are bigger than a single driver or team. We are very excited about our future plans that will continue the growth of our organization," added Stricker. Media inquiries should be
directed to Scott Stricker and/or Eric Say. Contact information is available at
www.TheFanZCar.com.(FanZCar PR)(9-8-2004)
Hermie to skip Calif. Busch race but will run rest of the Cup sched: #02 SCORE Motorsports and driver Hermie Sadler will not enter the NASCAR Busch Series race this Saturday at California Speedway, but will return to the Busch Series next weekend at Richmond International Raceway. Sponsorship and performance are the two main reasons for the decision, according to co-owner and driver Hermie Sadler. "When we started the season, we were only planning about 15 races," Sadler said. "Then we wanted to try and run all of the races, which has really stretched our people and equipment very thin. It has gotten to the point where our schedule to make all of the races was affecting our preparation and performance, so we made the decision to cut back on the number of races we will run in the Busch Series for the remainder of 2004 and put more emphasis on trying to be more competitive in the races we enter." Sadler says he has fielded some offers from some driver/sponsor combinations, and that the team may look at putting another driver in the car for selected races. "We are interested in putting a competitive product on the track, regardless of who drives the car," Sadler said. "If involving some other drivers and sponsors helps us be more competitive, then we will do that." The team will announce its remaining Busch Series schedule in the next few weeks. The team also plans to compete in all remaining NASCAR
NEXTEL Cup races in 2004, beginning with the Pop Secret 500 this weekend in California.(Score Motorsports PR)(9-1-2004)
Hermie Sadler gets a sponsor for Bristol Cup race: East Tennessee Trailers, the value leader for enclosed trailers located in Oneida, Tennessee, announced they will sponsor Score Motorsports and #02-Hermie Sadler in the Sharpie 500 this Saturday night at Bristol Motor Speedway. Regarded as one of the most exciting races on the schedule, Sadler is optimistic about this weekend. "This is one of my favorite places to race and the atmosphere for the night race is incredible," stated Sadler. "I appreciate East Tennessee Trailers stepping up for us this weekend and hope to have some good results for them." East Tennessee Trailers builds trailers for many purposes, including auto racing, horses, lawn care, construction, and basic cargo trailers. For more information on East Tennesee Trailers, visit www.ettrailers.com.(PR)(8-25-2004)
Corporate responsibility in NASCAR racing shines through
once again. The Fanz Car has offered the opportunity to First
Response K9 Recovery to gain exposure for their organization and fund
raising efforts via the TheFanzCar website
“The FanZCar organization has been created to elevate our member’s
involvement within the sport of NASCAR from being merely a spectator
to now a participant. Our mission will always remain the same, however
it behooves us to be good corporate citizens and realize while we are
enriching our racing experience there are families, each day that
mourn the loss of their child or loved ones.” Stated Scott Stricker,
“If we assist in saving the lives of a single missing child prior to
seeing The FanZCar reach victory lane we will have won the biggest
race of our lives, the race to save a child.” First Response K9
Recovery has the goals to create a network that will assist all forms
of Law Enforcement and Emergency Agencies that are faced with the
recovery of a missing or abducted child. In addition they are working
on a curriculum that they will use to visit elementary and middle
schools to talk with the children on how to stay safe and what to do
if they find themselves in a frightening situation. This is not the
first involvement of a NASCAR family member to aide First Response K9
Recovery, they have received support from the likes of Larry
McReynolds, Fox Sports, Totally NASCAR, NASCAR This Morning, and Billy
Parker, just to name a few.
“It is all about exposure.”, stated Scott Davis of First Response, “We
want the NASCAR fans, Law Enforcement and Emergency Agencies out their
to know we are here if they need us and that we will be more prevalent
throughout the United States as adequate funding is received as we
grow, right now we can respond in North Carolina within a given time
frame, but we look to have a response team with a one hour or less
response time to any call that we may be asked to attend.” Continued
Davis. To achieve this First Response is in need of funding, their
funding is spent on personnel, canines, equipment, and first responder
transportation. They are currently looking into state and federal
funding as well as grant opportunities, but they have been showered
with offers to assist them such as the offer from The Fanz Car. To
learn more please visit www.thefanzcar.com and support their efforts
in assisting in such a worthwhile cause.
3 Wrecks in Friday Practice: Three drivers were involved in wrecks, #09-Pruett, #16-Biffle and #02-Sadler. Pruett was sent to a local hospital to be checked out. No word on who has to go to a backup.(FSN's Totally NASCAR)
AND After evaluation at the infield care center, Pruett was taken to Methodist Hospital for further evaluation and X-rays, IMS officials said. It is unknown what the X-rays were for. Hermie Sadler and Greg Biffle also crashed in practice. Biffle walked away from his wreck, while Sadler was checked and released from the infield care center and was cleared to drive by IMS director of medical services Dr. Henry Bock. Biffle was also checked, released and cleared to drive.(NASCAR.com)
UPDATE: Two accidents took place in short succession in the first hour of practice, and a third occurred 10 minutes before the session ended. At approximately 2:30 p.m. (local time), Scott Pruett did a 180-degree spin midway through Turn 1 and hit the SAFER Barrier with the driver’s side of the #09 Miccosukee Resorts Dodge. The car then slid to the inside of the track and came to rest next to the inside retaining wall in the short chute between Turns 1 and 2.
Pruett was transported by ground to Methodist Hospital in Indianapolis for further evaluation and X-rays following the accident. He was
released later in the afternoon.
Minutes after the track reopened following Pruett’s accident, the #02 SCORE Motorsports Chevrolet driven by Hermie Sadler suffered heavy right-side damage after Sadler hit the SAFER Barrier in Turn 2. Sadler was unhurt.
At 3:50 p.m., Greg Biffle, driver of the #16 National Guard Ford, spun in Turn 4 and hit the SAFER Barrier with the left-rear corner of
the car, causing heavy damage. Biffle also was unhurt.
Fans were treated to two special events on Friday morning: the Brickyard 400 Golf Challenge presented by Brickyard Crossing Golf
Resort and the Champion’s Chat in the Pagoda Plaza.(IMS PR)
AND #91-Bill Elliott brushed the wall in his Dodge.(ThatsRacin.com)(8-6-2004)
Hermie gets an assoc sponsor for Indy and full-time for IRP: East Tennessee Trailers, the value leader in enclosed trailers located in Oneida, Tennessee, announced that it has expanded its NASCAR sponsorship program with SCORE Motorsports and Hermie Sadler to include the Kroger 200 NASCAR Busch Series race in Indianapolis on August 7. ETT will also serve as an associate sponsor on the NEXTEL Cup entry of SCORE Motorsports in the Brickyard 400. In addition to carrying ETT sponsorship in a growing number of races on the track, Sadler recently became a dealer for East Tennessee Trailers in Southern Virginia, a statement for his faith in the product he represents on the track. East Tennessee Trailers plans to announce its future sponsorship plans with SCORE Motorsports in the next couple of weeks. For more information on East Tennessee Trailers, visit www.ettrailers.com.(PR)(8-4-2004)
Cope in the #02: Look for Derrike Cope this weekend at Michigan where he will be attempting to qualify Hermie Sadler’s #02 Nextel Cup car and run in the DHL 400. Cope indicated that someone would fill in for him this weekend in the Busch Race at Kentucky [Mark Green](Derrike Cope site)(6-17-2004)
Crew Chief's penalized: NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series crew chiefs Todd Parrott and Jeff Buckner were each fined $500 for driver restraint equipment infractions that occurred during this past weekend’s NASCAR NEXTEL Cup event at Dover (Del.) International Speedway, NASCAR officials announced today. Parrott was in violation of Section 12-4-A of the NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series Rule Book (Actions detrimental to stock car racing) for having the #38 M&M's Ford of driver Elliott Sadler with shoulder harness belts that had an expired manufacturer date. Buckner also was in violation of Section 12-4-A (Actions detrimental to stock car racing) for having the #02 Chevrolet of driver Hermie Sadler with an anti-submarine belt that had an expired manufacturer date. The infractions were discovered by NASCAR officials during Friday’s opening-day inspection.(NASCAR PR)(6-9-2004)
Lepage to run at Lowe's UPDATE not in #79, helping Hermie: confirmed the Kevin Lepage will run in the Nextel Open for Conley Motorsports #79 Chevy, depending on how Lepage runs at the Open, will determine if the team and Lepage attempts the Coca-Cola 600.(5-17-2004)
UPDATE: Change of plans - Kevin Lepage will NOT be running in the NASCAR Nextel All-Star Challenge, driving for #79 Conely Motorsports. Time limitations prevented the team from "being properly prepared" and they have decided not to come to Charlotte for the race. Instead, Lepage will be helping #02-Hermie Sadler in an unknown capacity.(5-19-2004)
UPDATE 2: Hermie Sadler announced today that Kevin Lepage will assist #02- Score Motorsports with its preparations for the Nextel Open this weekend at Lowes Motor Speedway. Sadler will practice and qualify the car, but will travel to Nazareth for practice and qualifying for the Busch Series race on Saturday, handing the driving duties to Lepage in the event Sadler does not make it back from Nazareth in time. "The Busch Series car is my main focus this weekend, "stated Sadler, " so we wanted someone to help out the Cup team to help us in the Open and to help us prepare for the 600 next week. Kevin's record at Lowes speaks for itself, and we feel he will be a big asset for us."
AND Hermie Sadler will be signing autographs at Toys R Us, 8050 Concord Mills Blvd., Concord, NC on Friday May 28 from 7-8 pm. In addition to signing autographs and pictures, there will be a drawing at 8 pm for 2 people to join Hermie in the pits for the Carquest 300 at Lowes Motor Speedway.(5-20-2004)
Hermie to dedicate RIR races to uncle: After picking up sponsorship from the Bank of Southside Virginia and the law firm of Jenkins and Jenkins, Hermie Sadler will attempt to qualify for the Busch and Nextel Cup events at Richmond International Raceway this weekend. Sadler is dedicating both races to his uncle, Bud Elliott, who died Saturday after a battle with cancer. Elliott, a former NASCAR Sporstman driver, was instrumental in jump-starting the racing careers of Hermie and Elliott Sadler.(Richmond Times Dispatch)(5-10-2004)
Hermie Sadler looking for sponsor: #02-Hermie Sadler and SCORE Motorsports are looking for a sponsor for this weekends Nextel Cup Series Auto Club 500 at California Speedway, as well as upcoming races in Richmond, Charlotte, and Dover. Anyone interested in primary and associate sponsorship opportunities should contact SCORE Motorsports at (434) 348-0267.(4-28-2004)
It's back... the FieldFillers.com web site [Andy Belmont...and others] is now back on the web, with some slight changes, check it out at www.FieldFillers.com.(4-23-2004)
Hermie OK UPDATE: Yesterday's hourlong red flag arrived just in time for #02-Hermie Sadler. Sadler took a trip to the care center to treat burns on his shins. "It also lost power steering on Lap 80, but other than that everything's great," Sadler said during the break. "It's a real shame because this is the best car we've had at Martinsville, but we'll stick it out to get a good finish. It's unrealistic to think we can win, but we're showing we can be a top-25 team." Sadler finished 26th in his second Nextel Cup start of the season.(Richmond Times Dispatch)(4-19-2004)
UPDATE: Sadler burnt the side of his leg, below the kneecap. It was burnt by the transmission tunnel and has mostly 2nd degree burns and one place with 3rd degree burns. On top of that, his power steering gave out, so it was a long, hot day.(4-20-2004)
FanZCar To Sponsor Hermie Sadler at Martinsville: The FanZCar, an interactive program that allows race fans to sponsor Hermie Sadler and SCORE Motorsports, along with participating during race weekends, announced that they have agreed to sponsor Hermie Sadler in the Advance Auto Parts 500 in Martinsville, Virginia on April 18. This will be The FanZCar first appearance within NASCAR's NEXTEL Cup series and the first time ever a fan-based sponsorship elevated itself within NASCAR's highest series [NOTE: this is not true, Billy Standridge and Fans Can Race in 1997-1998 was one team, there have been a few others also]. Hermie Sadler, who also drives the #02 Busch Series car that is sponsored by The FanZCar, says it is a testament to the fans that this sponsorship came together. "Since we joined forces with The FanZCar this year, the membership has increased tremendously." Sadler will be making several appearances the week of the Martinsville race to promote not only The FanZCar, but also Autism Awareness month, which is April. He will be on Fast Talk with Benny Parsons on April 12, Totally NASCAR on April 15, and Trackside Live on April 16. Sadler's #02 Chevy will also carry in-car cameras for the race as well as the now familiar Autism Awareness Ribbon. For more information on the FanZCar and to become a member, visit their website theFanZCar.com.(SCORE Motorsports PR)(4-10-2004)
Site down HOWEVER: noticed - the site started by driver Andy Belmont www.fieldfillers.com is now show as "The page cannot be found", so ? See the past news on the #02 Team News and Links page.(3-27-2004)
UPDATE - and a nice gesture...thanks: They are making some updates and changes to the web site this weekend (since Belmont is not at the track) and it is hoped the site will be back up on Monday. So check out their sponsor: AcademicComputers.com. They are offering $25 to the Jayski Victory Junction Computer Lab for each computer sold until July 1. They have also laid out some numbers for possible car sponsorship later in the year if they can sell enough computers. The first plan starts at 500 computers.(3-28-2004)
Belmont Comments on USA Today article: Andy Belmont [field-filler.com] comments to XM Satellite - NASCAR Radio's Clarie B. Lang [CBL] on Tuesday concering a USA Today article: 'Field filler' Belmont's online openness an eye-opener by Chris Jenkins.
What's about the stuff in your words on your web site about Ephedra:
"Pretty simple. I want people to read my stuff...it's that simple"
are you using ephedra:
"Heck no..no I can't take that with my blood pressure medicine, my doctor would shoot me. I just...I'm a seat of the pants kind of guy and I don't take anything in life seriously and you know ephedra is illegal after April 12th in this country so....to be candid with you I didn't know it' was illegal under the NASCAR substance abuse policy but I wouldn't use it anyway because of my blood pressure medicine so it's not an issue."
And NASCAR hasn't contact you or anything (after the media regarding your statements on your web site)
"No, nobody's said a word."
What about the statements regarding the minimum speed(s)
"Well, that was taken out of context. The minimum speed was 32.50 and we were going 32.40's so how that was...In other words when I'm saying I was under the speed I was under the 34.50, we were running 32.40's."
Other statements from Belmont to CBL:
"I'm just a hard working guy like everybody else out there trying to make it. And if showing your checking account balance is going to be a requirement to qualify, you know we got real problems. If you cut out what it is that the average Saturday night guy, which is what I am,I
am just Joe average, trying to chase a dream and if you take that away so that the only way a guy can actually ever make it is to be one of the chosen few that a major car owner calls...that's a disastrous situation about to unfold. I mean that's what happened to CART."
"......As we sit here speaking we all met the criteria and we're playing by the rules that are given to us. If they want to change the rules
that's NASCAR's object. I don't see Rick Hendrick answering my calls when I'm trying to get an engine. I don't see...you know I got a call
into Jimmie Johnson to see if I can work something out on..you know I can't afford to buy a $70,000 motor being an independent. But if they could help me out and take a cut of my winnings or do something along those lines or give me engines that are experimental stuff that maybe they don't want to try in cars that they have on the race track. It don't matter who you go to - me Hillenburg whatever we would all do that to try to be faster to try to be respectable. When I was racing Cup in '92 Larry McReynolds gave me some weird stuff to put up under the car chassis wise because they didn't want Davey running it till they figured out what it was going to do. But those opportunities don't seem to be there any more because all those teams have their very own test teams and all that. So what are you going to do?"
Do you feel that now because of your off-handed comments on your web site that NASCAR will have reasonable suspicion to test you?
"They have the right..those are the rules we play by. If they want to check me have at it. I got nothing to hide and the reality of it is,
I'll probably test positive because of my blood pressure medicine. You know what I mean? I had to fill it out on the physical form. You know. Le'Let's call a spade a spade. It's their ball and jacks. If they don't want us there bad enough they will figure out how to get rid of us and it won't be anything we've done. It's what they've created to get rid of us. I'm trying to make it Claire just like anybody else out there
that has a dream."(XM Satellite - NASCAR Radio 144)(3-24-2004)
"Field Filler"...getting back at the media, new site coming UPDATE site has opened: Andy Belmont's #02 Pontiac is one of a handful of cars often referred to as field-filler. That's because it's in the race in large part because there aren't enough fast cars to take up all 43 starting spots. Belmont, a lifetime racer from Langhorne, Pa., who finished 39th Sunday, is offended by the "field-filler" designation that has been hung on him, but at least he has a sense of humor about it. So Belmont has purchased the rights to www.fieldfillers.com and plans to have fun with his new Web site, which is under construction. "We're going to think out of the box a little and not take ourselves too seriously," Belmont said. Some of the content will be aimed at media members, who criticize the drivers at the back of the pack. "We're going to try to entertain the writers who throw rocks at us and give them more fodder," he said. Belmont said he plans to take photos of other cars referred to as field-fillers -- with permission from the drivers -- and post them on his site. Just for fun, he plans to include Dale Earnhardt Jr.'s No. 8 Chevrolet among the field-fillers for last week's race at Las Vegas. Earnhardt's car was so slow at Vegas that he was sent to the garage for repairs. Belmont says he's proud to be a part of the nation's premier racing series. "Even though some people refer to me as a back-marker, I've got a seat at the head table," he said.(Atlanta Journal-Constitution)(3-15-2004)
UPDATE the site is active and open at www.fieldfillers.com, still under some construction.(3-19-2004)
East Tennessee Trailers to Sponsor Hermie Sadler at Bristol: #02-Hermie Sadler, who will make his first start of the season in the NEXTEL Cup Series in the Food City 500 in Bristol, will do so with sponsorship from East Tennessee Trailers [ettrailers.com], LLC, a trailer manufacturing company located in Oneida, TN. Sadler, who made ten Cup starts in 2003, is excited about his first race of 2004, especially at Bristol. "Bristol is a great place to race, and we hope that our Nextel Cup program will help gather more information to help our Busch Series team as well," stated Sadler. Sadler also says he is looking forward to representing East Tennessee Trailers, a company that SCORE Motorsports is a customer of. "We have two East Tennessee Trailers that we use for our show car program and our Late Model "Drive for Diversity" program. The trailers are beautiful and affordable and value driven. It is great to be able to represent sponsors whose products you use and believe in. We are looking forward to giving them a good run," he added. For more information on East Tennessee Trailers, visit www.ettrailers.com or call them at 423-286-9700. Hermie Sadler also plans to visit the employees of East Tennessee Trailers on March 25 in Oneida prior to the race.(SCORE Motorsports)(3-16-2004)
#02 and #50 sponsors, silmilar, not the same: the #02-Carl Long, Score Motorsports/Hermie Sadler owned Pontiac has a few sponsors at Vegas: RacingJunk.com also a water company, Liquid Salvation [Pure Water for an impure world] is supposedly an associate sponsor on the car, but it's logo, a devil woman, was not allowed to be put on the car, supposedly NASACR squashed that decal. The #50 Arnold Motorsports Dodge and driver Derrike Cope have Redneckjunk.com [which is nothing to do with RacingJunk.com].(3-7-2004)
Fans help out Long UPDATE Hermie surprised and Charlotte Interview: It has been one of this week's most amazing sports stories, and a quite emotional one - dozens of NASCAR fans have nearly inundated Carl Long with checks for $25 or $50 to help him rebuild his race car from the remains of Sunday's crash [at Rockingham] as he tries to continue one of stock-car racing's most improbable quests. Long, a driver from Roxboro [NC] now living in Troutman, is trying again to put his racing life back together after the off-season sponsorship collapse of the Travis Carter operation. "It's something I never thought would happen," Long said in amazement. "The fans have been going to my web site and sending in money, close to $4,000 now. That means more to me.... I'm going to try to send 'em all something, a postcard or something, maybe with a before-and-after shot of the car. The crash appeared to doom Long's comeback bid. But then Hermie Sadler jumped into the deal and is loaning Long his car for next week's Las Vegas race and the Atlanta race the week after.(see full story at the Winston Salem Journal)(2-28-2004)
UPDATE: Hermie Sadler had no idea that there would be so much fanfare surrounding the hiring of Carl Long to pilot his team's NEXTEL Cup entry this weekend at Las Vegas. Since the announcement, the Sadler Fan Club has been deluged with offers of support and many questions. Sadler finally decided to address some of the questions. "When I talked to Carl last Friday at Rockingham, we were simply looking for someone to drive the car that I thought could do the job, and Carl can do that," stated Sadler. "Neither of us thought that anyone would even care that he was driving our car, much less write about it, but since his accident at Rockingham, it seems to have turned into one of the biggest stories heading into the event." Sadler says many questions are being asked about the car Carl will be driving as well as sponsorship. "The car we are taking is a brand new car. It is a Pontiac we built last season and never got the chance to race it. We updated the body to meet NASCAR's new template rules and it looks great. I am looking forward to watching it run as much as Carl is looking forward to driving it. As far as sponsorship, we do not have one at this time for the Cup car, but I told Carl to feel free to make any contacts that he can. We are committed to going and doing everything we can regardless of sponsorship, but if someone wants to help us out, we were certainly appreciate the help." When asked about future races, Hermie said that he and Carl had agreed on Las Vegas only for now, but felt sure they would team up again in the near future. "Right now, it is Vegas only, but we will evaluate where we are after that and go from there. Maybe we can go to LVMS and have a respectable finish, and we can put together more races." For more information on sponsorship opportunities for SCORE Motorsports and Carl Long for this event, please call SCORE Motorsports at 434-348-0267 or contact Carl Long at www.carl-long.com.(SCORE Motorsports PR)(3-2-2004)
INTERVIEW: A guy that made headlines at Rockingham but for all the wrong reasons was in studio Monday night with News 14’s Mike Solarte. Nextel Cup driver Carl Long, who drove the #46 car at the Subway 400, will drive the #02 car in the circuit’s next two races. Long came out unscathed from a spectacular crash at the North Carolina Speedway, where his car flipped over several times. Many fans admire Long’s perseverance. Despite little funding, he has managed to qualify for races and put up a good showing. Long talked to News 14 about how the season is going so far, his “field-filler” status, and how some generous fans have donated money to his cause. See the interview via video at www.news14charlotte.com.(3-3-2004)
Long and the #02 Get a Sponsor for LVMS: Raceway Media, LLC has signed with SCORE Motorsports to be the primary sponsor for its #02 NEXTEL Cup Series entry that will be driven by Carl Long this weekend at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. The company is using the race to promote its on line classified division, www.racingjunk.com. RacingJunk.com is a free online classified service where racers, racing fans, and enthusiasts can find everything race related, from racing parts to engines to complete race cars and anything in between. Approximately $80 million dollars worth of products are currently posted on the site, with up to 600 new ads posted daily. About Raceway Media, LLC: Raceway Media is a multimedia publishing
company servicing the racing industry, based in North Adams, MA. They publish a quarterly all glossy, full color racing magazine serving the Northeast and a monthly racing shopper that is distributed nationwide. RacingJunk.com is the online classified Website for the racing industry with over 30,000 registered members and over 500,000 visitors monthly. Raceway Media also owns and operates RVJunk.com and BoatingJunk.com.(PR)(3-3-2004)
Diversity - Driver and crewman are selected to join Score Motorsports: A Modified veteran from New Jersey and a NASCAR novice from Richmond will join a Virginia-based team this season as part of the inaugural "Drive for Diversity." With sponsorship secured through the new program that is designed to increase minority involvement in NASCAR, Bruce Driver will compete for Score Motorsports in the Late Model division at South Boston Speedway in 2004. After an evaluation at Hickory (N.C.) Motor Speedway last month, Driver, 39, was selected by Score co-owners Hermie Sadler, a NASCAR driver from Emporia, and Bryant Stith, the former U.Va. basketball star. The "Drive for Diversity" will place at least four other minority drivers with Late Model teams at short tracks around the Southeast in the Dodge Weekly Racing Series. The initiative, which was commissioned by NASCAR and created by Access Communications, also will put another half-dozen minority crew members in the Craftsman Truck Series. Driver hasn't raced full time since 2000. His career stalled after struggling through the Modifed Series with an underfunded team and a crew of volunteers.
James Green also hopes to use his "Drive for Diversity" opportunity as a springboard in stock car racing. The lifelong resident of Richmond will work as a crew member on Sadler's Busch and Cup teams this season. The 30-year-old grew up around drag racing and had little experience on ovals until he was hooked on racing at Virginia short tracks about five years ago. Green moved with his fiancee yesterday from Chesterfield County to the racing hub of Charlotte, N.C., trying to improve his chances of latching on in NASCAR. His break with Score should help accelerate those plans. The program's other drivers and crew members are expected to be announced next month when the Nextel Cup circuit visits Atlanta Motor Speedway.(Richmond Times Dispatch)(2-29-2004)
Carl Long to run the #02 at Vegas: SCORE Motorsports, a joint venture between NASCAR driver Hermie Sadler and retired NBA star Bryant Stith, announced today that veteran racer Carl Long will drive the team's NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series (NNCS) entry for next week's UAW-Daimler-Chrysler 400 at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. Long will attempt to make his second NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series start of the season behind the wheel of the unsponsored #02 Pontiac Grand Prix. "Carl and I talked last Friday at Rockingham, and it seemed like a win-win situation for both of us," stated Hermie Sadler, co-owner of SCORE Motorsports. "We are looking to have a presence in the NEXTEL Cup Series, and this opportunity allows us to do that while allowing me to focus my attention to the performance of our Busch Series team." (#02 Chevy) Sadler, the 1993 NASCAR Busch Series Rookie-of-the-Year also mentioned, "it also gives Carl the opportunity to race while he continues to pursue some other opportunities. We look forward to having him as a part of our team for the event." Sadler, who ran 10 NNCS races in 2003, expressed the team is also hoping to enter the event Atlanta Motor Speedway. "We're seriously considering the AMS (Atlanta Motor Speedway) NASCAR NEXTEL Cup event. We'll know more after Las Vegas, but it's our hope and intent to be competing in the Golden Corral 500 with Carl Long as the driver." Long, a former NASCAR AutoZone Elite Division and ARCA RE/MAX Series driver, made his 2004 NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series debut at North Carolina Speedway driving his own No. 46 Al Smith Dodge Intrepid. After starting the event 42nd and running comfortably in the top-35, he was taken out in a vicious accident on lap 265. Long was tagged by Joe Nemechek and tumbled down the backstretch several times, landing on his wheels at the entrance to turn three. He was uninjured in the crash, and credited with a 38th-place finish. Long hopes to make his tenth NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series start next week and is ecstatic about the chance to join SCORE Motorsports for Vegas.
"I am very honored about having another shot to race in the NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series, especially with SCORE Motorsports," he said. "I am very confident that I will be able to give 150% behind the wheel for the team, and I feel there should be no reason why a top-20 finish should be out of the question. This opportunity with Hermie Sadler and SCORE Motorsports came before our accident on Sunday," Long said emphatically. "I've been friends with Hermie for many years, and this was a deal that was beneficial to both of us. I'm hoping that out all the details can be worked out with Spears Motorsports, which will allow me to compete in the 500-mile event in Atlanta," Long continued. He is a member of the Spears Motorsports team that David Starr drives for in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series. "My duties for Spears Motorsports are my main concern, so we'll have to play it by ear." One obstacle the Virginia-based operation faces is finding the backing for two of the most exciting NNCS races of the season. "At this point we do not have a primary sponsor, but we are looking and asking any interested parties to please contact us," Sadler mentioned. Anyone interested in sponsorship opportunities at SCORE Motorsports can find contact info at their website at: www.sadlerfanclub.com.(2-25-2004)
The FanZCar Join Forces with SCORE Motorsports and Hermie Sadler: SS Racing Inc. founders of The FanZCar and SCORE Motorsports, a joint venture between NASCAR Busch Series veteran Hermie Sadler and retired NBA star Bryant Stith today announced that they have joined forces for the 2004 NASCAR Season. The FanZCar will serve as primary sponsor in selected Busch Series races with SCORE Motorsports as well as major associate sponsor for the remaining Busch Series races and Nextel Cup races run by SCORE and Hermie Sadler.
FanZCar is a unique program that gives the fans a chance actually be involved with the team rather than simply watch from the stands. The FanZCar members will have the chance to join the team in the pits for races, and attend various events throughout the year with driver Hermie Sadler.
"We are very excited about being involved with The FanZCar", stated Hermie Sadler, "It is a great interactive program that allows our team to work directly with who makes our sport go, the fans. We look forward to offering our members and sponsors a once in a lifetime opportunity. I encourage all NASCAR fans to join me in making this program a success."
In addition to giving its members the opportunity to attend races with Sadler and the team, they will also have the chance to join him at other events, such as concerts, professional wrestling events, college sporting events and other team functions. For more information on memberships and event schedules, visit www.thefanzcar.com. This partnership is another sign of the growth of SCORE Motorsports, who was recently chosen to house one of NASCAR's "Drive for Diversity" teams. SCORE Motorsports will field a Late Model at South Boston Speedway.(PR)(1-31-2004)
Hermie gets a new crew chief: SCORE Motorsports, a joint venture between NASCAR Busch Series veteran Hermie Sadler and retired NBA Star Bryant Stith, announced the hiring of Ernie Cope as Crew Chief and General Manager. Cope previously served as crew chief for Derrike Cope and car chief for Evernham Motorsports. “Ernie is very talented and his experience will make a tremendous impact on our team,” stated Hermie Sadler. “We are proud to have him and are looking forward to a very successful season. We’re gearing up to run the first eight NASCAR Busch Series races and select NEXTEL Cup races. I’ve been very impressed with Ernie’s knowledge and work ethic and know his hard work will pay off with solid results.” Sadler also announced a partnership with Jenkins, Jenkins and Jenkins. The LaPlata, Maryland based law firm will join SCORE Motorsports as a major associate sponsor for 2004. SCORE Motorsports is seeking additional sponsorship in order to run the entire 2004 schedule and compete for the NASCAR Busch Series Championship. Sadler will run the #02 Chevy's in both series.(Elliott Sadler Enterprises/Score Motorsports PR)(1-13-2004)
Maryland legal firm to be associate sponsor for three Cup, three Busch and four Truck Series teams: Starting a unique sports marketing initiative in 2004, one of the country’s fastest-growing legal firms will become the most active car associate sponsor in NASCAR racing. Jenkins, Jenkins & Jenkins, P.A., a top personal injury firm based in La Plata, will sponsor three NASCAR Nextel Cup teams, three NASCAR Busch Grand National teams, and four NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series teams this season. These associate sponsorships make the firm the first legal firm to be involved in motorsports sponsorship on a full-time basis, and make it one of the very few companies of any type to sponsor teams in all three divisions. Their involvement with 10 teams will be greater than any car sponsor in the sport.
Jenkins, Jenkins & Jenkins not only handles personal injury claims but also is well known for its contract and business representation, as well as a vast criminal and real estate practice.
BAM Racing, which fields the #49 Dodge of driver Ken Schrader, will be sponsored by Jenkins, Jenkins & Jenkins the entire 2004 season. The logo will also appear on the #02 Score Motorsports NASCAR Nextel Cup entry of driver Hermie Sadler in selected events, while also appearing on Sadler’s NASCAR Busch Series entry. In addition, the #0 NetZero car of driver Ward Burton will carry the firm’s logo in the four NASCAR Nextel Cup races at Dover, Del., and Richmond, Va., while the #00 Haas/CNC Busch entry of driver Jason Leffler will carry the Jenkins colors throughout the season. The #77 Moy Racing-owned Busch Grand National entry of driver Donnie Neuenberger will be sponsored the entire year, as will the Bobby Hamilton-owned #4 and #18 NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series entries; the #38 Cure Autism Now Ford Truck of driver Brandon Whitt; and the #21 Innovative Motorsports Toyota Truck of driver Hank Parker, Jr.(Williams Company PR). NOTE: these are associate sponsorships, teams such as the #49 BAM Racing and #02 Hermie Sadler are still looking for primary sponsors.(1-7-2004)
2003 News
Hermie Sadler and the 'Drive for Diversity': Score Motorsports, a partnership formed in October by the former Cavaliers star and Emporia native Hermie Sadler, has committed to becoming a charter member of NASCAR's "Drive for Diversity" in 2004. The new initiative will place minority drivers in Late Model cars in the Dodge Weekly Series. Sadler and Stith will field a car at South Boston Speedway. Sadler said he and Stith agreed to the program after being sought out by NASCAR Chief Operating Officer George Pyne at the season finale at Homestead. "We were talking about trying to search out minority candidates to put in the cars and train as mechanics," Sadler said. "Shortly after that, I started getting calls from George Pyne about our willingness to participate in this program. It all fell into place." Sadler still is planning to drive at least a dozen Busch Series races and a few Nextel Cup events for Score Motorsports but also is adding help at his South Hill-based shop to crew the new Late Model car.
"We'll treat it just as serious as our Winston Cup and Busch programs," said Sadler, whose team has run limited Busch and Cup schedules since 2001 while struggling to find sponsorship. "We want to be successful with that because it could lead to bigger and better things. This program we're doing will go a long way toward giving us credibility as a team supporting the diversity initiative. It's another feather in our cap." Sadler and Stith will select their Late Model driver from a "combine" at Hickory Motor Speedway on Jan. 5. About 12 to 15 prospective minority drivers will showcase their on-track skills during the event, which will be attended by other teams interested in the diversity initiative, such as Bobby Hamilton Racing.
"Our driver is going to work in the shop during the week and race on weekends," Sadler said. "By midseason, he'll be a vital part of preparing his own car by our training." The team has been assured by NASCAR and Access Communications, the company spearheading the "Drive for Diversity," that the car will have a full primary sponsor. The price tag for a full short-track season ranges from $100,000-$300,000 annually - far less than the $3 million-$15 million needed to run in NASCAR's top three series. "It gives you a good feeling that NASCAR is really behind the program," Sadler said. "They're working to secure enough money to compete in top-notch equipment and not cut any corners. Everything will be new, and we'll treat it like we're competing for the Late Model championship at South Boston." Access Communications General Manager Darryl Stewart said there are enough sponsors for about four Late Model teams. The first officially to sign is the National Guard, which also is the primary advertiser of the #16 Ford driven by Greg Biffle in the Nextel Cup Series. The Hickory combine also will provide minority crew members with the chance to join a Craftsman Truck Series team. Several Truck teams, including HT Motorsports, Morgan-Dollar Motorsports and Innovative Motorsports, will be present. Access has extended its deadline for applications [see more info on my Racing Schools/Jobs page.(Richmond Times Dispatch)(12-16-2003)
Fundraiser Results: Richmond International Raceway and Henrico County [VA] joined forces with the Hermie and Elliott Sadler Foundation on Saturday, November 22 for a fundraising event to benefit The Faison School for Autism and the Henrico County Christmas Mother program. More than $35,000 was raised from the all-day event that featured go-kart racing, bowling, a silent auction and a raffle. Richmond International Raceway President Doug Fritz and Fred Agostino, Executive Director of the Economic Development Authority of Henrico County presented Renea Johnston, the 2003 Henrico County Christmas Mother with a portion of the proceeds at the December 9 Henrico County Board of Supervisors meeting. The Henrico County Christmas Mother program was initiated in 1942 by a
local schoolteacher who encouraged her students to bring in a canned good for needy families in the County. Currently, the program
provides food, clothing, toys, books and household goods to deserving families, the elderly and disabled during the holiday season. Each year, hundreds of volunteers share their time, money and materials to bring the warmth and wonder of Christmas to more than 4,000 Henrico County residents.
The Faison School for Autism is located in Richmond and is committed to the individual progress of the children it serves. Autism is a
developmental, neurological disability that affects one out of every 250 children. The Faison School relies solely on donations and grants
and its goal is to be able to accommodate up to 40 children from the age of 18 months to five years.
The event was also sponsored by local Clear Channel stations WRVQ 94.5 FM, WBTJ 106.5 FM, WRXL 102.1 FM The X, WRNL Sports Radio 910, WRVA 1140 AM Newsradio and WTVR Lite 98. Each station provided live mentions, conducted on air interviews with Hermie and Angie Sadler to help promote the event and was on-site for the bowling portion of the fundraiser.(RIR PR)(12-16-2003)
Hermie to honor Dad: #02-Hermie Sadler plans on competing in both races this weekend at Rockingham. In the Winston Cup race, Sadler will be sporting a "retro" paint scheme, as the car will be painted gold and black to honor his Dad, Herman Sadler, Jr. for all of his efforts to further mine and Elliott's racing careers. The Gold and Black "Weekend Warrior" was owned by Sadler's Dad in the 70's and won over 100 feature races on dirt tracks across the Southeast. The car was driven by such drivers as his Uncle Bud Elliott, J.E. Beard (now an engine builder at #4 Morgan-McClure) and James Hylton. "That car just sitting in the shop brings back a lot of memories of when I was 4-5 years old going to the races. It has instigated many stories being told about the good old days. We are looking forward to carrying those colors this weekend." said Sadler.(11-4-2003)
Hermie Sadler to run full Busch Series in 2004: Gaining a new co-owner in former U.Va. star Bryant Stith, Hermie Sadler will run a full Busch season in 2004 with the newly-formed Score Motorsports. The Emporia native has dabbled in Busch and Cup the past three years with his own team. He also is moving his shop from South Hill to the Charlotte, N.C., area. Zapf Creation, a doll company, has signed on as primary sponsor for four races and an associate sponsor for the remainder of the season. Sadler will announce more specifics, such his car model, crew chief, engine supplier and other sponsors, at Homestead, Fla., next month. Stith was drafted by the Denver Nuggets and also played for the Boston Celtics before retiring from the NBA. The Lawrenceville resident was approached by Sadler, a childhood friend, about team ownership this summer. "I've always been a big Hermie and Elliott Sadler fan, but I've gotten more caught up in NASCAR mania the last couple of years," Stith said.(Richmond Times Dispatch)(10-11-2003)
Hermie Sadler adds to schedule: #02-Hermie Sadler announced today that he will add several NASCAR Winston Cup Series and Busch Series races to his teams schedule for the remainder of 2003. The team is still.searching for sponsorship for 2004. According to Sadler, he.feels his team needs to be visible at the track. "It gets a little frustrating that we are not talked about when people start discussing teams needing sponsors. We would like to run the Busch Series full time in 2004, so we need to show potential sponsors what we can do and that we are available." Sadler will enter NASCAR Winston Cup Series events in Loudon, Dover, Kansas City, Charlotte, Martinsville, Atlanta, Rockingham, and Homestead. The NASCAR Busch Series races planned are Charlotte, Rockingham, and Homestead.(PR)(9-9-2003)
Sadler Sponsor for RIR: Hermie Sadler is running the #02 "Dollar Tree" Chevrolet in the Chevy Rock and Roll 400 at Richmond International Raceway [he was to run it in the Busch race but the rain cancelled qualifying and his hopes to run that race]. The race will also be the first major sponsorship in NASCAR for Dollar Tree Stores, Inc., whose.corporate offices are located in nearby Chesapeake, VA. Not sure if this is still in effect as it was for the Busch race but.....In addition to sponsorship, Dollar Tree is also providing Sadler with added incentive to perform.well. Dollar Tree stores have pledged donations for each lap completed. The donation will be made to The Faison School for Autism in Richmond. If he can complete all 250 [was the Busch race length - 400?] laps, that will mean over $30,000.00 for the.Faison School, which is attended by Sadler's daughter, Halie Dru. "This is going to be a very special weekend for me", stated Sadler. "I am honored to carry the Dollar Tree colors at Richmond. They are a great company, and what they are doing for the Faison School means a lot to my family." (in part from the Dollar Tree Stores Busch SeriesPR), see an image of the car on my 2003 Winston Cup Paint Schemes - Cars #'s 0-23 page.(9-4/6-2003)
#02 Crew Chief Fined: NASCAR Winston Cup Series crew chief Jeff Buckner has been fined $1,000 for a rule infraction that occurred during the Brickyard 400 race weekend at Indianapolis Motor Speedway, NASCAR officials announced today. Buckner was penalized for having unapproved rear axles on the #02 Pontiac of driver Hermie Sadler. NASCAR officials discovered the infraction during last Saturday's (Aug. 2) post-qualifying inspection. Buckner was in violation of Sections 12-4-A (Actions detrimental to stock car racing) and 12-4-Q (Any determination by NASCAR Officials that parts and/or equipment used in the Event do not conform to NASCAR rules) of the NASCAR Winston Cup Series rule book.(NASCAR PR)(8-5-2003)
Schrader and Sadler at South Boston UPDATE postponed: on Wednesday, July 2nd, Hermie Sadler and Ken Schrader will join the ARCA regulars to run a 150-lap ARCA Race at South Boston Speedway in VA. Plus Matthew Carter, son of longtime Winston Cup team owner Travis Carter [#26 and #66], is also entered.(7-1-2003)
UPDATE: The July 2 ARCA RE/MAX Liberty 200 presented by Bank of America at Big Daddy's South Boston Speedway has been postponed due to rain. The event has been rescheduled for Saturday September 20, 2003.(SBS PR), Why called so early? the racewas postponed due to the weather system associated with Tropical Storm Bill.(7-2-2003)
Hermie Sadler to skip Daytona for his own team, looking: Despite participating in a test session last week at Daytona, #02-Hermie Sadler will not enter his Pontiac in the Pepsi 400. "We went and tried some things we thought would improve our speedway program, but we.are not where we need to be at this point. We did not want to risk going not prepared," stated Sadler "Hopefully another opportunity will become available for Daytona". Sadler will return to his short track roots July 2nd as he has entered the Liberty 200 ARCA race at South Boston Speedway.(6-23-2003)
Sadler and Team CLR team up UPDATE: Team CLR [usually the #57 Ford] is going to Michigan. They have been hired as a team by #02-Hermie Sadler to take one of his cars to the ARCA race this weekend in Michigan. The car was prepared in the Sadler shop in Virginia and Team CLR will put it in their hauler with equipment, tools, and employees and head for Michigan on Wednesday. Their roll will be to get the car through inspection, get the car Qualified, and pit the car during Saturdays ARCA race, plus Team CLR will pit the #02 Cup car on Sunday if Sadler makes the race.(Team CLR site)(6-11-2003)
UPDATE: Hermie Sadler will make his ARCA RE/MAX Series debut this weekend in the Flagstar 200 at Michigan International Speedway. Sadler, a former Busch Series Rookie of the Year and a frequent competitor in the Nascar Winston Cup Series, looks at this race as a great opportunity for him and his team. "We're looking forward to running the ARCA RE/MAX series race at Michigan. I have won a pole there in the Busch Car and it is a track where you can race three and four wide. We are running a brand new car and this is a great way for us to test it. We have power from DEI under the hood, so we should be very competitive." The car will be sponsored by NWA-TNA: Total Nonstop Action Wrestling, who is celebrating their One Year Anniversary with a special pay-per-view on June 18. TNA broadcasts every Wednesday night, but this one will be special, with three World Title matches slated, along with many surprises. Total Nonstop Action has made its reputation for providing surprises, and this special anniversary show will be no different. After the show will be a party sponsored by Sony Pictures' Charlie's Angles: Full Throttle in which attendees will receive merchandise and have a chance to meet TNA talent. You can catch TNA on Wednesday nights at 8:00 pm EST for only $9.95. Call your local cable or satellite provider for information on log on to www.nwatna.com for more details. Sadler, who has been on the TNA pay-per-view and is a loyal watcher, says fans will not want to miss the June 18 show. "They have a great show lined up. I am even thinking about asking for World title shot if I win the race on Saturday. I know Jeff Jarrett (NWA Heavyweight Champion) will be watching close on Saturday." The Flagstar 200 will be broadcast on same day coverage Saturday night at 8:00 pm eastern on Speed Channel. In addition to the ARCA RE/MAX series, TNA is also sponsoring Sadler's car at the Sirius Satellite Radio 400 Winston Cup race.(Sadler PR)(6-12-2003)
M&M's Hoops for Hope Stuff: In order to complete the final stage of the M&M’s Hoops for Hope donation to the Autism Society of America, Elliott Sadler and M&M’S are ready to auction off some memorabilia from the game. In a final step to raise funding for a good cause, four game basketballs and a player jersey will go up for bid at midnight on May 28, 2003 and will run for seven days. To bid and for more info on the Auctions and the Golf Tournament, see my Racing Charities Page.(5-28-2003)
Drivers beat Media UPDATE: A team of drivers and athletes from other sports defeated a media team 59-38 in the Hoops for Hope charity basketball game hosted by Elliott Sadler at UNCC's Halton Arena Thursday night. The event raised money for the Autism Society of America.(ThatsRacin.com), see photos of the event at The Sadler Bother Fanclub site.(5-17-2003)
UPDATE: Pit 10 professional athletes against 15 unfit media types in athletic competition and what do you get? A blowout. So went the inaugural M&Ms Hoops for Hope charity basketball game Thursday evening at the University of North Carolina Charlotte, in which host Elliott Sadler stole the show by scoring a game-high 15 points.(NASCAR.com)(5-20-2003)
Sadler leaving #54? UPDATE 2 Sadler leaves Busch ride, will focus on Cup team: hearing that Hermie Sadler asked for and was given his release from his contract to drive for #54 Team Bristol Motorsports. No word on his future plans or those of Team Bristol Motorsports.(5-6-2003)
UPDATE: also hearing Team Bristol will not go to the race at Gateway and that sponsor Toy-R-Us may be leaving the team.(5-7-2003)
UPDATE 2 - Sadler leaves Busch ride, will focus on Cup team: Hermie Sadler has left the #54 Busch Series team, which is on hiatus for at least four races after apparently losing its primary sponsor. "The money hadn't been there all year to do what we needed," said Sadler, ranked 25th in the points standings through 10 starts with a best finish of 11th at Richmond. "They said they needed to take four to five weeks off, so I asked them to release me." Sadler is focusing on his #02 Winston Cup team and will drive a Virginia Tech-emblazoned car in The Winston Open on May 17 at Lowe's Motor Speedway. He is hunting for another Busch ride but didn't rule out a return to the #54 if the team's funding problems are resolved.(Richmond Times Dispatch)(5-9-2003)
Racing and Wrestling Event and Hermie to Announce Sponsorship plans UPDATE: Racing and wrestling pair up once again for an evening of incredible sports entertainment this Wednesday night on NWA-TNA: Total Nonstop Action wrestling on iNDEMAND and DirecTV pay-per-view at 8:00pm/et. Fox Sport's Jeff Hammond will serve as a guest color analyst for an innovative X-Division 6 Man Match. The X Division is an extreme class of wrestling with high-flying, acrobatic maneuvers and is available only on TNA. Hammond will join "The Professor" Mike Tenay and Don West ringside to call the action on what will surely be a "match of the year" candidate. In addition to his analyst duties, Hammond will be broadcasting his segment for Totally NASCAR on Fox Sports Net from the TNA Asylum Wednesday night. Hermie Sadler will be back at the TNA Asylum to talk about TNA's sponsorship of his car this past weekend at the Aaron's 499 in Talladega, and will be announcing TNA's sponsorship plans for the #02 car for several additional Winston Cup races. No stranger to wrestling, Sadler defeated Ron "The Truth" Killings in his only in-ring appearance last September. NWA-TNA: Total Nonstop Action Wrestling is the first-ever weekly pay-per-view wrestling series that airs every Wednesday at 8:00pm/et on iNDEMAND and DirecTV. With its unique blend of traditional wrestling and the high-flying cutting edge moves of the X-Division, it is the definitive alternative for the wrestling enthusiast.(Trifecta Entertainment PR)(4-8-2003)
UPDATE: "We're announcing a five-race sponsorship program in the NASCAR Winston Cup Series with Total Nonstop Action Wrestling," Hermie Sadler said on Totally NASCAR. "The first race is going to be the Coca-Cola 600 in Charlotte. We're tying John Boy & Billy and all those on in. It's a great promotion, and we're looking forward to getting it started."(Fox Sports Net's Totally NASCAR)(4-10-2003
M&M's Announcment UPDATE: M&M's" Racing will make an announcement in the Talladega infield media center at 2:00pm on Friday April 4th.(4-3-2003)
UPDATE: Hundreds of thousands of families live each day with Autism, including some in the NASCAR Winston Cup garage area. Elliott Sadler, driver of the #38 M&M’s Ford, knows full well the affects Autism has on a family. Sadler’s niece and brother Hermie’s daughter, Halie Dru, was diagnosed with the disability in 2001. Halie has inspired her Uncle Elliott to support Autism research, and this year he’s come up with a creative and fun way to raise some much needed funds.
M&M’s Hoops For Hope with Elliott Sadler is a charitable basketball game set for May 15, 2003 at Halton Arena on the campus of the University of North Carolina at Charlotte. The game will pair NASCAR drivers and other local celebrities with members of the motorsports media pool in a one-hour shootout. Sadler, the all-time leading scorer for his high school basketball team in hometown Emporia, VA, will certainly practice his jump shot in preparation.
"M&M's knew my interests when we signed up together. When the idea of a charity basketball game to benefit the Autism Society of America came up I immediately jumped on board,” explained Elliott Sadler. “Autism is something that hits really close to home for me because my niece, Halie is autistic. I've seen her progress from a social and developmental standpoint in the time she's been attending the Faison School for Autism in Richmond. That encourages me and my family to help her and others with this complex developmental disability. This basketball game will give NASCAR stars a chance to help others and April is National Autism Awareness Month so this is a great time to announce our intentions."
All proceeds from M&M’s Hoops for Hope with Elliott Sadler will go the Autism Society of America to fund research and the search for a cure. Artie Kempner, Coordinating Director of NASCAR on FOX, is on the ASA board and will take part in the event.
"This is a tremendous event for the autism community in that it will not only raise money, but more importantly, raise awareness and better educate people about autism,” said Kempner. “As the parent of a son with autism, I see the challenges that this disorder presents on a daily basis. I am so impressed with “M&Ms”, Elliott and the NASCAR family in their commitment to help fund research efforts to find a cause, and eventually a cure for autism." “M&M’s” was happy to support their driver’s charitable initiative and has signed on to underwrite the cost of the event.
”We are happy to take part in such an exciting event for a great cause,” said Scott Hudler of Masterfoods USA. “We knew of Elliott’s charitable interests and wanted to take help him raise money for his cause. The game is going to be very exciting and I think we should get a tremendous response.”
Drivers scheduled to appear in addition to Elliott Sadler include Hermie Sadler, Brian Vickers, Jeff Burton, Tony Raines, Jamie McMurray and Dale Jarrett. Tickets will go on sale April 7th, 2003 at UNCC Halton Arena box office by calling 1-866-MYTICKET to charge over the phone. Doors will open at 5:30pm with an autograph session with Elliott and Hermie Sadler. The session will be limited to the first 250 people in line who receive wrist bands. The basketball game will start at 7:00pm along with a halftime “Shoot for Loot” show. For more details please go to www.mmsmotorsports.com or www.SadlerFanClub.com, or call 704.595.0118.(4-6-2003)
Sadler to Pull Double Duty: The #02 GoTeamVa.com Winston Cup car normally driven by Hermie Sadler will be practiced and qualified at Martinsville by Dennis Setzer while Sadler competes in the Busch Series race in Nashville, TN on April 12 the team announced today. Sadler, who qualified in the top 10 for last fall's Martinsville Winston Cup race, knows his car is in good hands. "Dennis Setzer is one of the best race car drivers around. I am honored that he can step in and help us out. His record speaks for itself." GoTeamVa.com is the Motorsports Club website for Go Team Virginia, a program that includes The University of Virginia, Virginia Tech, James Madison University, and Virginia Commonwealth University. The site hosts a fantasy racing league for its members and also gives them chances to win pit passes, race tickets and other special promotions. For more information, visit www.goteamva.com.(The Patterson Group)(4-2-2002)
Hermie back at Talladega UPDATE 2: Hermie Sadler will make his return to the Cup Series on April 6, 2003 when he pilots the #02 Autism Awareness Pontiac sponsored by NWA-TNA: Total Nonstop Action Wrestling in the AARON' S 499 at Talladega Superspeedway. In honor of Autism Awareness Month and the thousands of people affected daily by this disease, the car will feature the Autism "puzzle ribbon" on the hood along with 1-800-3-AUTISM, the phone number for the Autism Society of America. Sadler, whose daughter Halie Dru was diagnosed with Autism in February 2001, carried the ribbon in the Spring Bristol race last year and was amazed at the response. "The number of people we reached through this exposure was unbelievable. It was just the tool we needed-the Autism Society of America received literally thousands of phone calls following the race. This is the perfect way for us to kick off Autism Awareness month for 2003," stated Sadler. NWA-TNA Heavyweight Champion Jeff Jarrett is pleased to participate in this event. "Hermie has been such a huge supporter of NWA-TNA, and it is a pleasure to return the favor. I'm looking forward to the race and helping increase the awareness of Autism." Also participating in the promotion are FOX Sports, FX, www.goteamva.com, and Dale Earnhardt, Incorporated. Fox Sports is providing an in-car camera to help promote awareness for autism and Dale Earnhardt, Incorporated is providing engines and technical support to Sadler's team for this event. "I am honored and grateful to everyone who is involved with this program," Sadler said. "We not only have the chance to run a great race; we have the chance to make a difference for kids and families all over the world affected by autism." NWA-TNA Total Nonstop Action Wrestling is the first-ever weekly Pay-Per-View wrestling series that airs every Wednesday at 8:00pm/et on iN DEMAND and DIRECT-TV. With its unique blend of traditional wrestling and the high-flying cutting edge moves of the X-Division, it is the definitive alternative for the wrestling enthusiast. For more information on NWA-TNA: Total Nonstop Action Wrestling, go to www.nwatna.com.(PR)(3-26-2003)
UPDATE: Look for Hermie Sadler to drive a Dale Earnhardt Inc. car at Talladega. DEI is donating the car to promote autism awareness. Sadler's daughter, Halie Dru, was diagnosed with autism in February 2001.(Sporting News)(3-31-2003)
UPDATE 2: Hermie Sadler suffered a fractured bone in his right foot and bruised ligaments in his ankle from the crash. Sadler still plans to enter both the Busch Series and Winston Cup races this weekend.(Sadler Fanclub Site)(4-1-2003)
Hermie Sadler gets a sponsor: At a press conference held on the State Capitol Grounds, NASCAR team owner and driver Hermie Sadler, in concert with the Honorable Mark R. Warner, Governor of the Commonwealth of Virginia, announced today the formation of a racing partnership between Sadler Motorsports and four of Virginia’s universities. The two-year program, known as “GO Team VA”, has Virginia Tech, The University of Virginia, Virginia Commonwealth University, and James Madison University teaming up to compete in a minimum of six NASCAR Winston Cup Series events in both 2003 and 2004. Each race will feature a different paint scheme, allowing all four schools their very own Winston Cup Car design. Certain races will simply feature a Go Team VA design. The first race for the GO Team VA program is March 23, 2003 at Bristol Motor Speedway, and will feature the colors of the Virginia Tech Hokies. Sadler commented on the program’s unique structure.. “Go Team VA is excitement! It brings together two of the most exciting categories of sport: Winston Cup Stock Car Racing and College Athletics in a state that is crazy about both.” Virginia plays host to six NASCAR Winston Cup Events, the largest number of Winston Cup events held in any one state. Governor Warner and the schools are equally excited about the program for various reasons; the exposure for the schools, the experience it will bring to the students, and of course the additional exposure for the state. Said Gov. Warner, “This great program has no monetary cost to the schools, which is all the more attractive during lean fiscal times. Also, students from the schools marketing and public relations colleges programs get a chance to learn more about the business of sports marketing at the NASCAR level.” Go Team VA also operates a website (www.GoteamVA.com). The site offers supporters the chance to join the Go Team VA Motorsports Club. Members can participate in a fantasy racing game and will be automatically entered into all of the special promotions that will be run at each university, as well as other special events. Prizes offered will include pit passes at races, a day of golf in Emporia with Hermie and Elliott Sadler, tickets to collegiate sporting events, standing on the sidelines at football games, WWE Wrestling tickets. and more.(Go Team VA PR), the #02 To Team VA plans to race at (per their site):
March 23rd, Bristol, Virginia Tech;
April 13th Martinsville, GoTeam VA
May 3rd, Richmond, Go Team VA;
August 23rd Bristol, Univ. Of Virgnia;
September 6th Richmond, Virginia Tech;
October 11th, Lowe’s Motor Speedway, James Madison;
October 19th, Martinsville, Va. Commonwealth;.(3-19-2003)
Hermie Sadler announcement on March 19th: Hermie Sadler, driver of the #02 car is enthused about his 2003 agenda which will include a busier schedule for his South Hill, VA based Winston Cup team. "I'm excited, man," Sadler said. "This is my first full-time (Busch) ride in four or five years, and I'm anxious to see where we are at once we get all our fleet of cars built up." Sadler also counting down the days until March 19. "That's the day we are going to make our announcement at the Governor's Mansion in Richmond about my Winston Cup program," Sadler said. "We are planning to do about 12 races. And some of those races will be with help from Toys R Us. The first race for that program will be at Bristol. So obviously Bristol is going to be a big weekend for us. Right now, we just want to focus on Rockingham."(Bristol Herald Courier)(2-23-2003)
Hermie Sadler Cup news: #02-Hermie Sadler will make a sponsorship announcement in a few weeks about his Winston Cup team. Sadler was recently hired to drive a full BGN season for Rick Goodwin [#54 Toys-R-Us Chevy] but also plans to take his Cup team to 12 races.(Richmond Times Dispatch), Hermie Sadler will participate in some wrestling shows, see my Driver Appearances page for info.(1-19-2003)
2002 News
A New Sadler: Angie and Hermie Sadler are the proud parents of new daughter Naomi Rose Sadler, born November 19th.. Parents and baby are doing fine. Congrats.(Sadler Fanclub)(11-20-2002)
VA Lottery not coming back for Sadler: #02-Hermie Sadler has been told by Virginia Lottery officials they will not remain with Sadler's Winston Cup car next season. The state agency sliced the sponsorship because of statewide budget cuts after backing Sadler for four races - two each at Richmond and Martinsville - the past two seasons. Sadler, who qualified a career-best eighth at Martinsville last month, is seeking funding to run a part-time schedule again next year. "I certainly wish I would have known this in June because I would have had more time to work on other sponsors, but I understand the position of the Virginia Lottery," said Sadler, who will race the season finale at Homestead-Miami Speedway Sunday. "Things are tight right now."(Richmond Times Dispatch). Also: Hermie Sadler will again drive the #43 Curb-Agajanian Motorsports Chevy in the Ford 300 this weekend at Homestead. The team has had solid qualifying runs but a mechanical failure at Charlotte and an accident at Rockingham, both with less than 10 laps to go, have kept them from the finishes they deserve. The team is looking for sponsorship for Homestead and for 2003. Interested parties should call 804-586-8215.(11-11-2002)
Hermie on Pay Per View: Hermie Sadler, driver of the #02 Cup car, will be making another appearance at the NWA-TNA Pay-Per-View this Wednesday night and will be involved in a tag-team match involving Jeff Jarrett and BG James. The PPV airs live Wednesday night at 8:00pm/et and a camera crew from NASCAR Images will be at the event to shoot footage for a segment on "NASCAR This Morning" which will air Sunday morning on Fox Sports Net prior to the Winston Cup race at Martinsville. NWA makes donations to the Faison School for Austism for Sadler's appearances.(10-15-2002)
Hermie Sadler gets a Cup sponsor for Lowe's and the Rock: MW Windows & Doors has announced that they will be the primary sponsor of Hermie Sadler’s #02 Winston Cup car for the UAW-GM Quality 500 at Lowe’s Motor Speedway on October 13th and the Pop Secret 400 at Rockingham on November 3rd. MW also sponsors Pole Day at Martinsville Speedway.(PR)(10-8-2002)
Hermie Sadler teams up with Curb-Agajanian Motorsports: Hermie Sadler will drive the #43 Curb-Agajanian Motorsports Chevy in the BGN races at Charlotte, Atlanta, Rockingham, and Homestead. The Little Trees 300 at Lowe's Motor Speedway will be the first race of the 2002 season for Curb-Agajanian Motorsports and they are excited to get back into action. According to co-owner Cary Agajanian, "We are continuing our sponsor search and feel the next step to make a full time return in 2003 is to run some races now.. We are pleased to have Hermie Sadler driving our car and look forward to a successful return." Hermie Sadler, the 1993 BGN Rookie of the Year, has made three BGN starts in 2002 and feels this is a great opportunity to return to the BGN on a regular basis. "Mike Curb and Cary Agajanian are good people that have given a great deal to NASCAR and in particular the Busch Series," stated Sadler.. "They have enjoyed a great deal of success over the years and.I am proud to be driving for them.. Hopefully some good performances will help us land a sponsor for these races and 2003." The #43 will carry the colors of NWA-Total Non-Stop Action at Charlotte. NWA-Total Non-Stop Action is a weekly Pay-Per-View wrestling series that airs on Wednesday nights at 8:00pm/et. Hermie Sadler has made several appearances on the show and will appear on October 9 and October 16. The NWA is a supporter of the Faison School for Autism, the school attended by Sadler's youngest daughter, Halie Dru. For more information on the NWA, visit www.nwatna.com.. For more information on sponsorship opportunities at Curb-Agajanian Motorsports, please call 704-933-4009.(Sadler Enterprises PR)(10-1-2002)
Hermie Sadler announcment? UPDATE 2: NASCAR's Hermie Sadler (#02) will be at this Wednesday's NWA (National Wrestling Alliance) TNA. He is expected to make a big announcement concerning NASCAR and TNA.(NWATNA.com)(9-14-2002)
UPDATE: I'm a fan of Hermie Sadler because: (1)He demonstrated surprising wrestling talent in his last match. (2) He will be driving the NWA-TNA car in a big race. (3) He is a great person who loves our business. I'm looking forward to his appearance on the show."(Wrestlingdotcom)(9-16-2002)
UPDATE 2: it was announced on Wednesday's NWA TNA that they will be the primary sponsor of Hermie Sadler's #02 car on October 12 at Lowes Motor Speedway [that would be for the BGN race the Cup race is the 13th]. Hermie said that he enjoyed his time in the ring in TNA and talked about the TNA sponsorship on October 12.(NWATNA.com)(9-19-2002)
Hermie Sadler gets sponsor for NHIS: #02 Winston Cup Driver and Team Owner Hermie Sadler announced today that Magic Circle Inc., makers of "Dixie Chopper Lawnmowers" will sponsor his team for the up coming Cup New Hampshire 300. This marks the first time that Magic Circle has sponsored a Winston Cup team, but racing has been a part of their marketing strategy for many years says company Chairman and founder Art Evans "Motorsports has always been a good arena for the promotion of our product. Being based just out side of Indianapolis our company believes that the race fans have a real appreciation for the speed and performance of race cars, and that is what our mowers are all about. No matter if your cutting your own grass or one of the thousands of professional mowers, our customers love racing.. The Sadler's are a very special family and as we have just recently structured a new relationship with Elliott Sadler, this opportunity was just to good to pass up with brother Hermie". Hermie Sadler finished 23rd last week at Richmond's night event and was running as high as 3rd at one time. "We are proud to have Dixie Chopper on board for the weekend at Loudon. The guys are really pumped up after the great run we were having at Richmond and want to carry some of that momentum to New Hampshire" said Sadler. "We are just running a limited schedule of both Busch and Winston Cup events this years and our family of sponsors Virginia Lottery and Little Trees has meant a lot to us and it just great to add Dixie Chopper Lawn Mowers to that group." Read more about Dixie Chopper Lawn Mowers at their web site www.dixiechopper.com.(PR)(9-11-2002)
Sadlers top 20's mean donation: Emporia, VA natives Hermie and Elliott Sadler have another reason to perform well for a hometown crowd in the Monte Carlo 400. Richmond resident Fain Peebles, who owns Peebles Golf Car Sales, has promised a substantial donation to the Faison School for Autism in Richmond if the Sadler brothers both finish in the top 20 on Saturday night. Hermie Sadler's daughter, Halie Dru, attends the Faison School.(Richmond Times Dispatch)(9-4-2002)
Hermie Sadler adds Bristol to Schedule: Add #02-Hermie Sadler’s name to the mix this weekend at Bristol Motor Speedway.. Sadler announced today that he will run the Sharpie 500 this weekend. In addition, Sadler will attempt a double duty effort with entries in the BGN and CUP races at Richmond (sept 6-7th). Sadler has extended his original schedule and also plans to race at New Hampshire next month. "We had been planning to race at Bristol all year,” stated Sadler. “We had a few sponsorship opportunities that we worked on for the race at Bristol but they didn’t pan out. We are running three of the next four races Winston Cup races and the track time at Bristol will help us a great deal. The crew has the car ready and in our last Winston Cup race we finished 18th. We feel confident we’ll have a good weekend." At Richmond, The Virginia Lottery will sponsor Sadler’s Winston Cup car and The Bank of Southside Virginia will sponsor the BGN car. Sadler initially did not want to run more than seven Winston Cup races this season to maintain his Rookie eligibility. However, he now feels it is in his best interest to run as many races as possible. According to Sadler, "I want to show people that I can be competitive. When seats start opening up I want teams to think about me.. The best way to make that happen is to be at the track. I am excited about the next few months." For more information on sponsorship opportunities available for the Bristol and New Hampshire Winston Cup races, please contact Brett Griffin @ (704) 992-1021.(Sadler Enterprises PR)(8-20-2002)
Sadler wins match: Hermie Sadler is exploring a new career in pro wrestling. The "Hermienator" was pitted against the notorious K Krush last week in a National Wrestling Association Total Nonstop Action pay-per-view event. Krush got the ring win but after the match he gave Sadler a cheap shot. Referee Slick Johnson disqualified Krush and awarded the victory to Sadler. An NWATNA release summed it up best: "Sadler earned everyone's respect with his showing in this match."
(Daytona Beach News Journal). For every show Sadler participates in, the NWA is making a cash donation to the Faison School for Autism, a school for autistic children located in Richmond, Va.. Sadler's youngest daughter, Halie, was diagnosed with autism in February 2000 and started at the school earlier this year.(7-14-2002)
Hermie Sadler to test at South Boston: Hermie Sadler will be testing his #02 Winston Cup car at Big Daddy's South Boston Speedway on Monday, July 15th.(Big Daddy's South Boston Speedway PR)(7-11-2002)
Hermie Sadler to Wrestle: Hermie Sadler's appearances on the upstart NWA-TNA professional wrestling promotion will get in high gear this Wednesday night when Sadler faces NWA Superstar "K-Krush" live at the Municipal Auditorium in Nashville, Tennessee. Sadler, who has no wrestling experience, is looking forward to the event.. "I have really enjoyed being on the show.. It is all about entertainment.. Our match Wednesday night will be fun to watch.. All I can say is for everyone to expect the unexpected!" Sadler will be hosting a NASCAR fan Pep-Rally Wednesday afternoon from 5:30-6:00 at the auditorium where he will sign autographs and give away a limited number of tickets to the event. Sadler is also excited because for every show he participates in, the NWA is making a cash donation to the Faison School for Autism, a school for autistic children located in Richmond, Va.. Sadler's youngest daughter, Halie