(By Reid Spencer NASCAR Wire Service)
Posted: Thursday,March 31st, 2011
Hermie Sadler is back in the No. 71 TRG Chevrolet, trying to get the car back into the top 35 in Sprint Cup owner points this weekend at Martinsville.
The Emporia, Va., native must qualify on speed for Sunday’s Goody’s Fast Relief 500, given that the No. 71, driven by Andy Lally for the first five races, fell out of the top 35 last weekend at Fontana and therefore is not locked into the 43-car field.
“It’s always fun to get back behind the wheel and it’s an added bonus to do it at Martinsville Speedway, a track that’s close to home,” said Sadler, who will make his 11th Cup start at the .526-mile short track and his second in owner Kevin Buckler’s car. “It means so much to me to be able to race at one of my favorite tracks in front of my hometown fans. I am truly appreciative of the opportunity.” 
The No. 71, which lists Richard Petty as its owner of record through a convoluted swap of owner points during the offseason, is 36th in the owners’ standings, six points behind the No. 13 Germain Racing Toyota driven by Casey Mears.
Sadler finished 26th when he drove the TRG car at Martinsville in October in his only Cup race of 2010. Missing the race won’t adversely affect Lally’s run for Cup rookie of the year, given that only a driver’s 17 best races count toward the rookie standings.
Lally and Brian Keselowski, who hasn’t raced since the Daytona 500, are the only declared rookie-of-the-year candidates in the Cup series this year. Keselowski recently underwent emergency surgery to remove his gall bladder.
TRG has announced plans to switch from Chevrolets to Fords after the Martinsville race.
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