Elliott Sadler to make debut at Iowa Speedway

Elliott Sadler will make his very first appearance at the Iowa Speedway this weekend. Sadler will be in the field for NASCAR Nationwide Series John Deere Dealers 250 at Iowa Speedway on Sunday. The race is scheduled for 1 p.m. and will be televised on KCRG-TV9.

Sadler is currently the Nationwide Series points leader through 11 races. he has six top-five finishes and has placed in the top-10 seven times, earning the pole once. According to a news release, the track resembles his home track, which is the .75-mile track at Richmond (Va.) International Raceway. Iowa Speedway began hosting NASCAR Nationwide and Trucks Series events in 2009 and has hosted an Indy Racing League event since 2007.

"I'm excited about going to Iowa; it's one of the few racetracks on the Nationwide Series schedule that I've never been to," Sadler said in a press release. "It's a cool looking racetrack on TV, and it's shaped a lot like Richmond, which we did well at earlier this season. Kevin [Harvick] and these guys ran really well in Iowa last year. We also get a lot of extra practice time, and I get an extra set of tires because I've never been there before, so I'm looking forward to going to Iowa."

 Below is the press release from Sadler's team:

ROOKIE STRIPES: Although he is a 16-year veteran in the sport, Elliott Sadler's No. 2 OneMain Financial Chevrolet will carry rookie stripes when the NASCAR Nationwide Series rolls into Iowa Speedway. Sadler has never made a start at the 0.875-mile tri-oval, which began hosting Nationwide and Truck Series events in 2009. This is the second track this season where Sadler has had rookie status. Sadler first donned the yellow stripes last month at Nashville Superspeedway where he finished 13th in his first Nationwide event at the track. He will be making his career debuts at Road America in Elkhart Lake, Wis. and Circuit Gilles Villeneuve in Montreal later this year.

 LOOKS LIKE HOME: Although Sadler has never made a lap at Iowa Speedway, the track has very similar characteristics to Sadler's home track, Richmond (Va.) International Raceway. Iowa Speedway, which was patterned after the 0.75-mile Virginia track, bears a similar configuration and has similar driving characteristics. This bodes well for Sadler, who finished fourth when he visited Richmond earlier this season.

 ARE YOU A CODE SPOTTER?: Last month kicked off the Kevin Harvick Inc. (KHI) segment of the Nationwide Insurance Code Spotter Sweepstakes. Fans can play the Nationwide Insurance Code Spotter Sweepstakes for a chance to win a one-of-a-kind Race Weekend Road Trip VIP Experience with Elliott Sadler and the No. 2 team. To play, enter the code TEAM now at CodeSpotter.com.

 FAN CENTRAL:Although he'll be far from home when he arrives at Iowa Speedway, there is no doubt that Sadler will receive a warm welcome. State capital Des Moines, Iowa, which is only 30 miles from the Newton, Iowa track, was recently ranked by The Daily Beast web site as the city with the most dedicated NASCAR fans in the United States. According to the website, 40.3-percent of the population likes the sport.

 CHASSIS HISTORY: The No. 2 OneMain Financial team will utilize chassis No. 068 this weekend at Iowa Speedway. Sadler most recently raced this chassis to a fourth-place finish at Richmond International Raceway last month. No. 068 made its debut at Phoenix International Raceway in February where Sadler earned a top-15 finish.

 PREVIOUS RACE RECAP: A sixth-place finish in a rain-delayed, caution-extended contest at Dover (Del.) International Speedway moved Sadler into the NASCAR Nationwide Series championship lead. After a pit road penalty and an untimely red flag for rain, Sadler and the No. 2 OneMain Financial team fought back to a top-10 finish in a wild overtime finish at the Monster Mile.

 THOUGHTS FROM THE DRIVER:Elliott Sadler

How do you feel about going to Iowa Speedway?

"I'm excited about going to Iowa; it's one of the few racetracks on the Nationwide Series schedule that I've never been to. It's a cool looking racetrack on TV, and it's shaped a lot like Richmond, which we did well at earlier this season. Kevin [Harvick] and these guys ran really well in Iowa last year. We also get a lot of extra practice time, and I get an extra set of tires because I've never been there before, so I'm looking forward to going to Iowa."