NASCAR-WCUP: Citgo Racing - Weekly Update Following the California 500
5 May 1999
Driver: Elliott Sadler, 1st season, 1 top 10Car: #21 CITGO Ford Taurus
Last Week: CALIFORNIA 500 PRESENTED BY NAPA
Elliott Sadler and the Mike Beam led Wood Brothers Racing team left Southern California with heads held high. The reason for the pride was simple - The team worked together and the result was a solid 21st place finish for the #21 CITGO Ford in the California 500.
The weekend was a long one for not only the Wood Brothers Racing team, but for every team visiting the 2.0-mile track. Weather played a role in how the field was set after qualifying was canceled due to rain. This forced NASCAR to set the field via points and post marks and had the CITGO Ford starting 39th when the field was set.
The problems for the Winston Cup teams were further hampered by a lack of practice sessions due to all of Friday's activities being canceled and a busy Saturday schedule with companion events. The result was a total of 2.5 hours of practice for the Winston Cup teams leading up to the event.
Substituting for the injured Andy Santerre, Elliott was able to hone his skills during Saturday's Busch race where he had quite a run. Sadler ran his race hard and was able to finish fifth in the 300-mile event. The task wasn't a walk in the park, as he had to fight his way to the front from deep in the field on two separate occasions.
Sunday brought "normal" weather for Southern California --- and a guessing game for crew chief Mike Beam. Calling on his years of experience, Beam was able to pull a setup quite to Sadler's liking and made the car comfortable for the event.
The good ride Sadler was having became a marginal ride when a hunk of debris punched a hole in the front fascia of the CITGO Ford. Sadler drove the injured CITGO Ford to a 21st place finish. The run bumped the CITGO Ford up four spots to 34th in the series points standings.
Racing This Week: Winston Cup teams will celebrate Mother's Day with the weekend off.
The next race will be the PONTIAC EXCITEMENT 400 at Richmond, VA on May 15, 1999.
Nuts and Bolts: The Wood Brothers Racing team used the off weekend to remain in California to test Monday and Tuesday at Sears Point Raceway in preparation for the Save Mart Kragen 350 on June 27. They will also be testing at Lowes Motor Speedway in Charlotte on May 10 and 11.
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