Elliott Sadler looking forward to Homestead

CORNELIUS, N.C. — The No. 55 Aaron’s Dream Machine team finishes what turned out to be an unusual but successful 2013 NASCAR Sprint Cup season Sunday afternoon at Homestead-Miami Speedway.

The No. 55 posted a win, a pole, five top-fives, 10 top 10s and 123 laps led. But that only tells part of the story. The Michael Waltrip Racing team raced with four different drivers including Waltrip, Mark Martin, Brian Vickers and Elliott Sadler. It lost primary driver Mark Martin and crew chief Rodney Childers in August then lost Vickers for medical reasons in October. Waltrip said the Scott Miller-led team overcame every obstacle. The team will run a full season in 2014 with Vickers behind the wheel and Aaron’s sponsorship in every race.

MWR FOUNDER & CO-OWNER MICHAEL WALTRIP: “The Aaron’s Dream Machine came out of the gates rolling with Mark Martin earning a third place in the Daytona 500, a pole at Phoenix, two top fives in a row with me at Talladega and Daytona and then Brian Vickers getting the win at New Hampshire. We want to get Elliott a top-five this weekend in Homestead then we can say all the drivers who have raced the No. 55 have a top-five finish.

“No matter what, it has been a remarkable season for what could have been a challenging, trying time for a team. They’ve rallied around every bump in the road. In any adversity they’ve stepped up and beat that back. I’m really proud of the tenacity of the team. They have the fire, determination, focus and all those things that make you a champion. That No. 55 team is going to be champion one day because of their spirit. It’s awesome to hop into a car that is capable of winning and have a team around us that is capable of making the decisions and calls to get us to victory lane.”

NOTES:

· SADLER APPEARANCE: Elliott Sadler will be at the Aaron’s Display outside the track Sunday at 12:20 p.m.

· CHASSIS: 792 has not raced. Team tested this car at Homestead on Oct. 29-30.

· SADLER STATS: In 12 races at Homestead-Miami Speedway, Sadler owns a top-10 finish and has led 18 laps. In 433 Sprint Cup starts he’s won three races, eight poles and led 1,244 laps. In 229 Nationwide starts he’s won nine races, 15 poles and led 1,422 laps. Sunday marks his fourth race in the No. 55 this season.

· ALL IN THE FAMILY: Sadler’s older brother Hermie drove the Aaron’s Dream Machine at Talladega in 2003 and five times in the 2006 season.

· NO. 55 IN 2014: Aaron’s, Inc. announced Aug. 13 it had reached a multi-year agreement to sponsor Vickers in the No. 55. Vickers has raced the No. 55 on a part-time basis the last two seasons for MWR posting his third career victory at New Hampshire on July 14. Beginning in 2014, he'll pilot the No. 55 Aaron’s Dream Machine with a fresh new paint scheme. Aaron’s will sponsor each race during the length of the agreement.

MWR