Elliott Sadler will seek to qualify for the Daytona 500 for Tommy Baldwin Racing, the team announced Thursday. Golden Corral will sponsor the car.
Sadler, who competes full-time in the Xfinity Series for JR Motorsports, joins TBR for the Daytona 500. Tommy Baldwin Racing sold its charter after last season and is not guaranteed a starting spot in the Feb. 26 season-opening race.
“This is a great opportunity for me and everyone affiliated with Tommy Baldwin Racing,” Sadler said in a release from the team. “I love the Daytona 500 and to have Tommy and Golden Corral offer me this opportunity is awesome. Tommy and I have known each other a long time. We actually won a qualifying race for the Daytona 500 together back in 2006. We’re gonna rekindle some of that magic and work our tails off to get our car in the race. I know Tommy is putting a lot of effort into this and we’re gonna go out and get the best result we possibly can for him and TBR’s partners.”
Said Baldwin, who was Sadler’s crew chief when they were at Robert Yates Racing: “We look forward to having Elliott join TBR and Golden Corral for the upcoming Daytona 500. Elliott has always been a strong restrictor-plate racer which makes this a great opportunity for everyone involved.”
Sadler last competed in the Daytona 500 in 2012. He’s made 13 starts in that event with a best finish of second in 2002. Sadler’s last competed in the Cup series in 2013. He ran five races that season. He competed full-time in the Cup series from 1999-2010. He’s run the full Xfinity schedule since 2011.