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NASCAR Sprint-Cup Series
SADLER: Independent Finally Finds First
Seeing an independent owner atop the finishing order at Talladega was a refreshing sight that sent a message to all potential owners...
Hermie Sadler  |  Posted May 05, 2009   Charlotte, NC
Hermie Sadler is a reporter for NASCAR RaceDay, NASCAR Victory Lane and NASCAR Live! on SPEED. (Photo: Rusty Jarrett/Getty Images for NASCAR)

As the old adage states, good things come to those who wait, a proverb that rang true at Talladega for independent car owner James Finch, who, after 19 years of competition in NASCAR's top division, finally got his first NASCAR Sprint Cup Series win.

Finch has been around a long time and had won races in the NASCAR Nationwide Series, the ARCA Series and virtually everything in which he had competed, with the lone exception of the Sprint Cup Series.

Seeing an independent owner atop the finishing order was a refreshing sight that sent a message to all potential owners who wonder if the Davids could beat the Goliaths. Apparently so. What makes NASCAR so great is that it can happen on any given day.

So how did Finch finally beat down the door after knocking on it for so many years?

He had a hungry driver with nothing to lose in Brad Keselowski and a car that could get the job done. For Talladega, Finch leased a car and engine from Rick Hendrick, the Goliath of the sport who fields four fulltime teams in the Cup Series and builds engines for several more. Finch realized that to compete with the big boys, he had to spend the big bucks and was willing to make that sacrifice. Surprisingly, Finch didn’t make a lot of money winning this particular race because of what he had already invested in the outing, but the trophy and associated pride were priceless to him.


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