NASCAR WCUP: For Sadler, the tunnel turn is the key to Pocono

Posted By Terry Callahan
Motorsports Editor, The Auto Channel

July 26, 2001

POCONO IS A VERY TOUGH TRACK FOR MANY OF THE COMPETITORS ON THE WINSTON CUP CIRCUIT. WHILE IT CERTAINLY ISN’T THE EASIEST PLACE TO GET AROUND, ELLIOTT SADLER DOES HAVE SOME COMMENTS ON HOW TO GET HOLD OF THE TRACK. IT IS ALL IN HOW YOU DRIVE THE TUNNEL TURN. ELLIOTT AND EDDIE WOOD ALSO EXPRESS THEIR OPINIONS ON ONE-LAP QUALIFYING.

WHAT IS THE TRICK TO THAT TUNNEL TURN? "It's a very fast turn with a few bumps in it and a lot of speed can be made or lost in that turn. Pocono is a very unique race track. I don't think there's a place like it on Earth. It's just three totally different turns with three totally different bankings and you have to give up a little here and there to be good in one turn, and you have to give up some in another one. The tunnel turn is a place that they warned me about a lot before I ever went. I went there and really worked hard on it and it reminded me of the tunnel turn that they have at Nazareth a little bit, but you just run so much faster through it at Pocono and it's a tough turn. It's a place that we always try to make sure our car is gonna be good at when we get there, especially in race trim."

WHAT'S THE KEY TO GETTING INTO THE TUNNEL TURN? "That's the biggest mistake a lot of people make is that they're worried about getting into the tunnel turn more than getting off. It's easy to drive it in so hard hitting that tunnel turn and then you slide up off and you lose all of your momentum going through turn three, which takes you all the way down the front straightaway which is a mile long. All of that starts back at the tunnel turn. The momentum that you carry off that turn through turn three makes a lot of difference, so it's not really how hard you get in. You really have to set yourself up to be back on the gas wide-open in the middle of that corner and, if you can do that, you're gonna have a pretty good day."

SECOND HALF OF THE SEASON. DO YOU LOOK AT EVERY TRACK AS A POTENTIAL TOP-10? "Well at some tracks I’m not that great as a driver and we know that we’ve got to get what we can at those. And at some tracks we go to, I think we can run very well. I really like Atlanta. I really like Charlotte, Bristol and Darlington and places like that. We really think we can run in the top-10 every time we go. And I think that we can do that. We have to work on our qualifying program. We pass a lot of cars every Sunday, but we start too far back to get where we need to get. We’ll keep working on our qualifying and hopefully be better by the time the end of the year comes."

IF QUALIFYING IS A PROBLEM THEN HOW WILL ONE-LAP QUALIFYING AFFECT YOU? "I think that will help us. That way we will be able to run taped up solid at a lot of these places where we couldn’t before. I’d rather run one lap, get it over with and go back to the garage. I usually run better on the first lap anyway. I think it will be good to go back to one lap. I think that will help the 21 team. Actually, I like it. Do one lap and get it over with, you know, hold your breath for one lap, get it in, get it out and let’s go on. Two laps is good too, if you mess up, if you’re back in the points, but we’re up in the points so it’s probably not going to affect us as much as it would if we were struggling somewhere. I like the one lap, I think the tire pressures and the set-ups we’ve been using this year, we’re better, usually, on our first lap anyway. I don’t think that one lap is going to affect us that much."

EDDIE WOOD, OWNER #21 MOTORCRAFT RACING FORD TAURUS TEAM ON ONE LAP QUALIFYING: "That’s probably a good thing. Most tracks we go to, your first lap is the quickest and you’ll melt your motor trying to run the second lap, and that’s not a good thing, melting your motor. It’s the same for everybody. It’ll be a little harder for the teams that are further back in the points because they’ve got one lap, one shot, period, but it’s the same for everybody. Usually, if you’re off, both laps aren’t going to be too different, unless the driver just makes a mistake and gets in too deep and then the second lap he can come back. With the thinking on saving time, I’d rather have one-lap qualifying and more practice time, because it’s a pretty tight weekend, but that’s okay. We can come in on Saturday and do the whole deal and run on Sunday. That’s happened, but I’m sure NASCAR thought it through and it’s probably a good thing."

Text provided by Marti Rompf

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