Sadler signs for Evernham.

As expected Elliott Sadler has been confirmed as the driver of Evernham Motorsports' #19 Dodge with immediate effect.

Sadler joins Evernham from Robert Yates Racing, which is now looking for a driver for Sunday's race at Michigan for the #38 M&Ms' Ford. Busch Series sensation David Gilliland is expected to fill that void having already tested with the team.

Sadler's first task will be to successfully qualify the #19 Dodge Charger for Sunday's GFS Marketplace 400 after previous incumbent Jeremy Mayfield and Watkins Glen stand-in Bill Elliott failed to stop the team from dropping to 36th in the current owner standings.

"It's truly an honour to drive for Dodge and Ray Evernham and to be a part of this team," said Sadler, who has three career Nextel Cup wins. "I admired Ray as a crew chief and now as a team owner and business leader."

Sadler joins Kasey Kahne and Scott Riggs in Evernham's three-car outfit and while the terms of Sadler's contract were not disclosed, they appear to reach beyond the end of the current campaign.

"His operation is impressive," Sadler continued of his new team. "When you look at the engineering resources, the talented guys on the team, the marketing programmes, the facilities and the way he and his directors run things, you can tell that this is a powerhouse organisation that is focused on winning races and championships. I look forward to providing some of those wins and hopefully competing with Kasey and Scott for the championship next year."

The #19 team was Evernham's only representative in the first two Chase for the Championships with Mayfield scoring a single victory in each of the last two seasons. Sadler, who is currently 20th in the points table, will be hoping for at least one win before 2006 is out.

"So much of the success of a team depends on having the right blend of chemistry and communications," said team boss Evernham. "Elliott will be a great fit with our team right away and will bring the competitive drive and the ability to communicate with the team what the Dodge Charger needs to perform at its best. I think he's the key that will place this team firmly on the path to success."