Weekend preview: Sadler seeks more playoff points in Nascar Xfinity
series
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[August 25, 2017]
Staff Report, NASCAR Wire Service
Distributed by the Sports Xchange
Elliott Sadler leads the NASCAR Xfinity
Series by a whopping 110 points with four races left in the regular
season, but needs to accumulate some playoff points to put him in
prime position for the series championship.The 42-year-old Virginian
ranks tied with Ryan Reed for third in playoff points with five. He
trails his JR Motorsports teammates William Byron and Justin
Allgaier, who have 17 and eight playoff points, respectively.
Sadler will attempt to rack up more playoff points by winning his
first race of the season in Sunday's Johnsonville 180 at Road
America in Elkhart Lake, Wisconsin (3 p.m. ET on NBC).
The contest marks the Xfinity Series' third and final road course
race of the season. Kyle Busch won at Watkins Glen, while Sam
Hornish Jr. visited Victory Lane at Mid-Ohio.
Neither driver is scheduled to start Sunday'srace, so a new winner
is guaranteed.
"Road America is a challenging course with a lot of turns and a few
elevation changes," Sadler said. "It's the longest track we race
on,"
In six starts at the 4.048-mile track, Sadler has four top-10
finishes, including a high showing of fourth. He enters Sunday's
race coming off a third-place result at Bristol and a finish of
sixth at Mid-Ohio.
"We've had some good runs at the last two road courses and have room
to gamble with the points lead and clinched playoff spot," Sadler
said. "The fans in Wisconsin are great, it's a fun atmosphere all
weekend long.
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Race Weekend Guide
NASCAR Xfinity Series
Race: Johnsonville 180
Place: Road America (Elkhart Lake, Wisconsin)
Date and Time: Sunday, Aug. 27 at 3 p.m. ET
Tune-in: NBC, MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio
Distance: 182.16 miles (45 laps); Stage 1 (Ends on lap 10), Stage 2
(Ends on lap 20), Final Stage (Ends on lap 45)
What To Watch For: Road America has had a different winner in all
seven of the NASCAR Xfinity Series races it has hosted. The only
previous victor in Sunday's field is Brendan Gaughan (2014). ...
NASCAR Camping World Truck Series points leader Christopher Bell
will make his third NASCAR Xfinity Series start of the season. He
placed fourth at Charlotte and finished 16th at Iowa from the Coors
Light Pole. ... Team Penske driver Austin Cindric makes his NASCAR
Xfinity Series debut in the owner points-leading No. 22 Ford. ...
Richard Childress Racing goes for its fourth consecutive Road
America win. Michael McDowell (2016), Paul Menard (2015) and Brendan
Gaughan (2014) have visited Road America Victory Lane the last three
seasons for RCR.
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