JOLIET, Ill. -- Playing a waiting game -- particularly in Winston Cup -- can be one of patience, exasperation, anticipation and disappointment. You can reach the highest of highs and the lowest of lows, sometimes even in the same day.

You go through a freefall full of emotions while playing the waiting game, trying to remain hopeful each day that what you're pursuing will eventually come true, only to have nightmares that it ultimately won't.

	Elliott Sadler got the Wood Brothers back into Victory Lane in 2001.

Virginia native Elliott Sadler, 27 and full of vim and vigor, finds himself in the middle of that waiting game right now. It's a game he began, one he placed himself smack dab in the middle of, and one that he now has to play out to see where the conclusion winds up at.

The game has been a back-and-forth affair thus far. Sadler announced roughly a month ago that he was seeking an early exit out of his contract with the Wood Brothers Racing team. Even though he was locked in to a good measure of job security (through next season), Sadler asked to be released at the end of this current campaign so he could pursue the proverbial "other opportunities."

Or, in Sadler's case, one very special "other opportunity," that of potentially replacing a veritable Winston Cup legend, Ricky Rudd, on a similarly legendary team, that of Robert Yates Racing.

"I've kind of put a lot of eggs in that (one) basket and I'm willing to take that chance to wait to see what happens," Sadler says.

Sadler's gamble is risky, there's no question. He has focused his eyes only on the No. 28 Ford. That's all he wants to do and what he wants to drive.

Some may call Sadler foolish, a victim of youthful over exuberance or sky-high optimism. He already has a quality ride with a high-profile sponsor and a legendary team that has been in Winston Cup from day one. Sadler obviously doesn't subscribe to the philosophy of having a new job already lined up before leaving his current one.

Sadler's initiative, his desire to be a man who knows what he wants and is willing to risk a lot to achieve his dream, has had another result he may not have counted on when he first decided to ask for his release from the Wood Brothers team: he's become a man in demand by other teams, as well.

Rumors have floated that if Rudd does not retire or if Robert Yates doesn't want Sadler's services for the No. 28 car, Dale Earnhardt Inc. and Petty Enterprises, among others, are reportedly very interested in Sadler. He also has an open door to return to the Wood Brothers team -- provided his seat is still vacant if and when he decides to come back in the fold.

But there is a significant flipside as well, a worst-case scenario that has to have Sadler scared to death: Rudd decides not to retire and remains with the Yates team for yet another season, the Wood Brothers find someone else to replace Sadler, the DEI and Petty teams go in different directions or retain their current cast of drivers, and Sadler is left with nothing but regrets for jumping ship prematurely.

Then what? Sadler is likely trying not to think about that possibility, although you can sense that he has begun to squirm a bit more lately while Rudd drags his heels on whether to announce his retirement or not. Rudd has said he'll likely reveal his decision by next month; the most likely location will be at Indianapolis for the Brickyard 400.

When Rudd does lay his cards on the table, you'd better believe Sadler will be right at the front of the line, waiting with baited breath and hoping he won't get that same breath knocked out of him when Rudd begins to finally reveal his plans.

Ironically, other drivers are looking to Sadler as a potential prelude to what may happen to their own respective futures at the end of this season. Right now, some of them are wondering whether they'll have a job come next February when the season-opening Daytona 500 rolls around. Among names that have been bantered around as potentially being on the bubble: John Andretti, Steve Grissom, Steve Park, Mike Skinner, Johnny Benson and Stacy Compton.

Sadler's publicly announced coveting of Rudd's ride began Winston Cup's so-called "Silly Season" -- when speculation runs rampant about which driver, crew chief or sponsor is going where for the next year -- perhaps earlier than any season ever.

"Silly Season" normally doesn't begin until late September or early October, when the end of the grueling season starts coming into focus. But for Sadler, Silly Season is in high gear right now, with Rudd holding the keys to both where Silly Season goes from here as well as who will be the pilot of the No. 28 Ford in 2003.

And there's nothing silly about that. For Sadler, this is the most serious time of his racing life.

Jerry Bonkowski covers NASCAR for ESPN.com.