NASCAR: Sadler finished at RPM after 2010

Sporting News NASCAR Wire Service
JOLIET, Ill.—Elliott Sadler said Friday he has no plans to return to Richard Petty Motorsports after the 2010 season and is open to other options.

Sadler indicated he was not a part of RPM's plans going forward, saying he has "no future plans with this race team."

Sadler joins Kasey Kahne in his decision to leave RPM at the end of the season. Kahne will drive the No. 5 Chevrolet for Hendrick Motorsports in 2012 after a year in a ride to be determined.

Sadler joined Evernham Motorsports for 14 races in 2006 after the firing of Jeremy Mayfield. Sadler has remained with the organization through a series of mergers and acquisitions that have installed George Gillett as majority owner and seven-time Cup champion Richard Petty as a partner in the operation.

Sadler signed a two-year contract extension in the spring of 2008. He has three Sprint Cup victories, the last coming in Fontana, Calif., in 2004. Sadler's best finish so far this season was 17th at Sonoma, though he was running consistently in the top 10 last Saturday at Daytona before a late-race wreck involving Sam Hornish Jr. and Kurt Busch took him out.

Sadler acknowledged the importance of running well for the remainder of the season, both from a personal and a team standpoint.

"We need to run good," said Sadler before qualifying for Saturday night's Sprint Cup Series race at Chicagoland Speedway. "I need to run good to further my career next year. They need to run good because they have great sponsors that they're trying to land and drivers that need to come back. Richard Petty needs to be a part of this sport, I think. So it benefits both of us for this car to run good the rest of this season."

Sadler is trying to win $1 million for the Racing for a Miracle program created by Stanley Tools, Ace Hardware and the Children's Miracle Network. If he wins Saturday's LifeLock.com 400 , his sponsor, Stanley Tools, will donate $1 million to the charity, on top of the $100,000 Stanley donated during a check presentation on Friday.

Saturday's race will be Sadler's first since being reunited with crew chief Todd Parrott, who made the pit calls for his last two wins, at Yates Racing, in 2004.