02.11
With the preliminary events of Speedweeks behind them, Bill Elliott and the crew of the Wood Brothers #21 Motorcraft/Quick Lane Ford Fusion have taken their place among NASCAR’s best for the running of the Great American Race, the 52nd annual Daytona 500.
After heading into Daytona without the benefit of the safety net provided to the top 35 teams in the car owner standings, Elliott and the Motorcraft/Quick Lane crew found the speed needed to safely secure a starting berth in NASCAR’s premier race, which gets the green flag on Sunday at 1 p.m. with coverage on FOX. Their starting spot was assured by Elliott’s fourth-place qualifying run last Saturday. He finished 22nd in the first of Thursday’s twin 150-mile Gatorade Duels and will line up 40th for the start of the Daytona 500.
The team didn’t grab headlines in the Duels as they did in qualifying, but there were bright spots, among them the performance of the Motorcraft/ Quick Lane over-the-wall gang. The pit crew, which struggled at times in 2009, came out of the gate with two flawless stops in their first real test of 2010. “We gained two spots on both stops,” team co-owner Eddie Wood said. “We were really pleased with that.” The crew also got a chance to make some chassis changes and evaluate the results under racing conditions, giving the team valuable data to use in final preparations for Sunday’s 500.
Fans of Elliott and the Woods – those at the track as well as those watching on TV – had some big moments too. They got to see the Motorcraft/Quick Lane car in the lead pack during the early portions of the race. The downside to an otherwise good day on Thursday was the drop off in performance toward the end of the race. “We just need to get the car driving better,” Elliott said. “I just couldn’t run with Jeff Gordon and them like I wanted to.”
The upside to the mid-pack 150 finish was that, like pole-sitter Mark Martin who finished one spot ahead of Elliott, the Motorcraft/Quick Lane Ford Fusion has not even a scratch heading into the most important race of the year. Martin is in a similar spot, car-wise, having backed off late in the race rather than risk losing the pole-winning car. In the second 150, Dale Earnhardt Jr., the outside polesitter for Sunday’s 500, finished 21st, also choosing to play it safe late rather than risk wrecking his primary car.
Wood said the team now will make changes to the car, using what was learned on Thursday in their quest to give Elliott a car to his liking for the big show on Sunday. “The most important thing is that we’re in the Daytona 500,” Wood said.
I believe in these guys more than anyone in the garage. The 21 car will shine come Sunday
Cindy: Do you know what happened to WBR Twitter? I went there yesterday during the race to see if I could get more information on what Bill and the crew where doing, but there were no posts. Last year they kept you up to date on position, the handling of the car, and changes to the car. I was just wondering if they are going to keep it going or not ???
Cindy, did you say they had motor problems?
Bill had mentioned in practice Wednesday that the motor was not as strong down the straight aways as it had been, and then it really showed in the race yesterday but the Wood Brother’s race team took advantage of the opportunity to try some different set ups in race trim with bump stops here and there and then of course the pit stops were much better than last year. They gained two positions on both pit stops so all in all like I said we are working towards a good run on Sunday. The only thing that would be a negative is if we don’t get on the track today to practive with the new motor becuase of the rain coming in, so cross your fingers that the rains stay away, at least until after practice.
No, but Jordan kept up with that last year so my guess would be that she will be keeping everyone up to date on sunday. she wasn’t here yesterday as she works during the week, but she will be here Sunday. I will ask her and if I hear anything different I will let you know.
Me too. I know they can do this.
Thanks for the insight. Hopefully you all do get to practice today.
Good luck Bill. I pray God gives you and your crew a good, safe race Sunday and the ability to do your very best. My dad and I will be pulling for you.
Cind, i love reading these threads below the stories/udates. You do a great job of letting us fans connect with Bill even more with your followup comments. Thanks!
Well so much for practice today. Hopefully, the can get “Ole Red” dialed in tomorrow for the race. “Ole Red” the best looking car in the garage.
I agree. The red 21 is the best looking car out there. I hope the chasis is updated to give us long time Bill fans something to get excited for on Sunday. Go Bill and the Woods.
Rain-same problem with finishing last years race there.. May the good Lord bless the #21 team. A little luck wouldn’t hurt either. Thanks for the updates Cindy !!
We will be rooting for you here in New York, Bill. Hopefully you will have a decent day! Good luck Bill and the #21 crew.
Thanks guys. It’s really a lot of fun listening to all of your chatter with each other too and it makes me think of things/angles to share that I might not necessarily think of when working on writing up information too.
Man, I sure wish we would have had this site back in the 90′s and early 2000s when we all use to chat on the “Awesome Bill From Dawsonville” Forum. I still remember the site, http://www.sportsonly.com/a/5519. You still out there Eric from Navy? or rick the athiest (the printer finally gave out!)? Man, I miss all those guys. Anyway, we were ALL huge Bill Elliott fans and loved talking Bill Elliott racing. If only we had had some insight into what was really going on behind the scenes like we do here. This is AWESOME (pun intended).
Cindy, what we fans always want to know is strategy questions. Usually, something like, “why did Bill pit under caution while running 12th out of 14 cars on the lead lap with 10 laps to go?” or “why DIDN’T Bill pit….?”, etc. Or how the car was running at different times during the race. Heck, I’ll just ask ALL my questions after the race Sunday.
I’m an Awesome Bill fan to the end!! But i really hate this start up front,and drop to the back of the feild and ride around stuff!!!, Come on now!! RUN IT!!!, u cant win or even get a top ten riding around in the back all day!!! Go #21!!
I can assure you that Bill is not just riding around, no matter how it looks. I go homwe with him and he still has the drive and determination and there is no one more upset about the overall performance at the end of the day than he and David Hyder. They are giving it their all and they haven’t stopped trying.
Do you guys know that you can listen in on the teams frequency through your computers at home? I know this won’t answer all of your questions becuase a lot of calls are made and I don’t even know why until I hear Hyder or the Woods say after the race but it would open some insite during the race for sure as the commentators do a really terrible job talking about Bill.
LOL about the commantators – when Jeffie and Jimmy are out front, that is all you see and here about, because they are the “leaders.” When Bill gets out front, suddenly we have to watch JR for 20 laps running 24th. I’m not just talking about the last couple years, I’m talking about all the way back to the 94 car.
Oh, I remember watching Bill at Daytona in about ’96 or ’97 start 43rd at Dega and bring the car straight to the front. If he has a car to do it, he will keep it at the front. My son races go karts and races the same way. He will get as much out of the kart as he possibly can – without tearing up his equipment or wrecking people. I really believe that if Bill had not been “forced” or “coerced” out of the the #9 Dodge, he would have won 8 or 10 races in 2004. But, Dodge was all caught up in getting them a good looking, young kid (not that Bill aint good looking Cindy!!) to drive the car. Looks like that decision worked out REAL good for them!! How many cars do they have left?!?
I hear you. It’s nice to know someone else feels the pain as well.
Cindy, Bill has said that he would like to run full time again with the 21, is that true?? us fans would Love it!!!
Thanks for the inside information Cindy.I listen and watch Bill when he races on the computer with trackpass.Nobody better behind the wheel of a race car than Bill,if the car is good he will take it to the front.Cant wait to see Chase in a cup car.Good luck to Bill and the Woodbrothers race team for the 2010 race season.
P.S How long before we see Chase in the 21?!!
Any comments about happy hour? Make any progress on the car? In other words, do we got half a chance tomorrow?!?!?
Another media bias on ESPN. Just saw a clip about what it does to your career to win the Daytona 500. They showed clips of EVERYONE that has ever ever won the 500 plus some clips of folks like Stewart and Martin just missing. Boy, there were SO many clips of Earnheardt and Waltrip (both). But, mysteriously, they didn’t bother to show the man who won it twice and set the track record along the way – not as much as even a mention. It amazes me. Is it because of licensing or something? Is it because Bill does not allow them to show him? Geeees, there has GOT to be an explanation. There has to be!!
We all know what Bill has done and is capable of still doing, as for the media….every week it is going to be Earnhardts week, year after year…bla,bla,bla. Nobody pays attention to the media talking heads!
I wish I could give you one but there in none. There is no licensing involved or approval from us, they just always leave him out. It’s okay, we know his talent is what helpsed to escalate NASCAR to the ranks of today. It just doesn’t matter anymore that Bill is not given the recognition he deserves. It is what it is. We just appreciate your support.
We had a great pratice session today. The new motor, Bill said was a ton better and he liked the changes that the Hyder and the crew made to the car. It was still a bit cool when they practiced so conditions will not be similar to tomorrow. I am sure they will take their time to make some adjustments throughout the day to be ready for the end. GO BILL! and the Wood Brothers and Team # 21!
Well he would have to be 18 so a minimum of four years, but you would have to take that up with the Wood’s.
Yes he said that but it would take a large sponsorship for the Wood Brother’s to be able to compete full time again.
Skinner hit the wall in the truck series! I hope it was the same spot that Bill hit when that idiot ran over him in the 2000 Pepsi 400. I’m still pissed about that!!
Thanks for the updates Cindy.
Thanks for the update on today’s practice session. It is great to hear that Bill said the “motor is a ton better”…..GOOD LUCK TOMORROW! Thanks Cindy….
Praying for the right moves on the 21 car in the race and on the track. Being at the right place at the right time to win !!! Amen. No Luck in it. Just our Awesome God!!!
Our God is an Awesome God!
Today is our day! Stay out of the garbage and shock them at the end!
Good luck Bill and the 21 team. I have been a fan for over 25 years. I will miss the first part of the race but know I have the team on my mind. Lets hope they have that FR9 stoked up and ready to go! Go Bill and stay safe.
Does anybody have the link the listen in on the frequencies during the race? Like others, the commentators never tell us a thing. Its Jr this, Jimmy that blah blah blah. I would like to be able to listen in if possible. Thank you.
What one of our fans does is this: I subscribe to the Trackpass Scanner on Nascar.com It’s like $4.95 a month. Well when Bill races I get my laptop up and running and launch the Trackpass Scanner. I select Bill’s radio channel. I generally have the t.v. on whatever channel the race is on and I mute the T.V. I basically watch the t.v. coverage and listen to Bill’s scanner. That is how I watch a Bill Elliott race.
Also, Bill’s scanner frequency is up on our website.
Hope this helps.
bill has been my hero since i first started watching raceing in 84 at the age of 5 he is the most awsome driver to watch when the car is wright. he dont get half the credit he deserves.i think him and the woods will find a big sponser soon and he will be awsome again. how about coors?
As I am from the Buffalo NY area and have ben a Bill Elliott fan for more than 25 years
it’s nice to see asite like this. I always felt that Bill was a class guy and only became a Nascar fan because of him , when he doesn’t race I don’t a\watch , enough od Earnhardt, Gordon , Johnson or the flavor of the month. Thanks Cindy for the posts.
Well – I certainly don’t know if anyone is still looking at this thread – but this is “Eric” from the Navy or “Eric9dodge” from the old 90′s and 200s ABFD forum (sportsonly.com/a/5519), glad to see some of the old posters here.
Still watch Bill and glad to see his website has some interaction – can’t believe I just rolled over here for the first time…