03.26
Bill Elliott and the No. 21 Wood Brothers Motorcraft/Quick Lane Ford Fusion shed their wings and spent Tuesday and Wednesday getting reacquainted with an old friend – the conventional rear spoiler. The Motorcraft/Quick Lane team was among 40 Sprint Cup outfits that participated in the two-day test at Charlotte Motor Speedway. The wing that was on the Car of Tomorrow for its first 93 races will be replaced by a flat blade rear spoiler beginning with this week’s race at Martinsville Speedway.
Elliott and the Woods, running a limited schedule this season, won’t race with it until the Samsung 500 at Texas Motor Speedway on April 16-18. Elliott posted the ninth fastest speed in Wednesday morning’s session, turning a lap at 185.134 miles per hour. But he said that although that speed got his car number on the upper side of the speed chart it wasn’t the true measure of what the team accomplished at the test. “The important thing is we learned a lot,” he said. “The test went well, and we collected a lot of data.”
The new spoiler, which will be used at all tracks except Daytona International Speedway and Talladega Superspeedway, is 64.5 inches wide and four inches tall in the center. It will be attached to the rear of the car at a 70- degree angle and is not adjustable. NASCAR officials say that beginning with the Texas race, a 3.5-inch-tall rear-deck fin will be added to the left side of the car. This fin can either be the full length of the deck lid or a maximum of eight inches short of the spoiler. With the deck lid fin and its length options, the teams will have some flexibility in adjusting rear side force.
Hopefully they can build on what they learned and come off the trailer fast in Texas.
Great Job testing,
DON’T FORGET TO VOTE FOR BILL!!! lets get him in the all-star race
I love it!
bill is making this team better and better each time out dont be suprised to see the 21 in the top 5 at texas i just wish they would run full time next year to show what theyve got and get bill in the chase for the first time.
Hey Bill nice testing. Keep on getting better and no one will stop you. Also David I will vote to get Bill in the All-Star Race he deserves it. Don’t let anyone tell you that you are to old. I remember a couple of years ago Jimmy Spencer was talking on NASCAR Raceday and he said you were to old so I stopped watching because the only one on that show that knows what they are talking about is Kenny Wallace. Prove them wrong at Texas Bill.
Any chance Bill will be the sub driver for Denny Hamiln? Reunite with Mike Ford???
No, Bill and Chase are in New Smyrna Beach today with the ASA Challenge series opening season event. It was a last minute decision based on that the series opened up the teams to allow last years body style for this first race only so they took last years car since the Mustang is not ready yet.
cindy, I had mentioned Raymond James to you. contact person would be Tom James.800-248-8863
been voting for Bill and am spreading the word for some other votes…
I think at this point, they would run full time if sponsorship was available. Reuniting with Mike Ford would be good, but I heard today Casey Mears is on standby. Maybe they approached Bill, but probably not. Be nice to know. Would Bill drive a Toyota? I would be ok with Bill driving any make. I just want to see him WIN!
With all of the Woods financial backing coming from Ford Motorcraft, he isn’t going to go drive a Toyota. It just wouldn’t happen. We can all look forward to Bill racing April 18th at Texas, in a FORD
been voting for bill early & often would iove to see bill run full time next year bill has been my faorite driver since 1979!!!
Yes, Bill will be in a FORD in Texas. Just making a comment because sometimes things happen that you would not expect. I never thought Bill would drive a Dodge, but he did. And he won several races in that Dodge crewchiefed by Mike Ford. Denny Hamlin was, and I assume still is, a Bill Elliott fan. And the last I heard Bill & The Woods had a handshake deal. And more importantly, they run part-time. I don’t believe The Woods or Bill would stand in the others way if they wanted to do something a little different. I think we agree on one thing for sure: We like Bill Elliott and want the best for him!
By the way, I don’t mean to suggest that Bill would bail on the Woods for something better. But, a race or two would be cool!
Sounds like a lot of people feel the same way I do. A NASCAR race is really not a NASCAR race without BILL ELLIOTT in it. Just kind of hard to get your heart into the race. If you do the math, and take Bill’s average finish, they would be somewhere around 23rd. in points if they were racing the entire season. Quite an improvement from 2-3 years ago. If you’ll excuse me I’ve got to go VOTE, VOTE, VOTE, for Bill!!!!!
That’s right Barry. We would all watch Bill, even if he was racing a lawn mower lol
When was the last time a part-time team won a Cup race? It was just last year at Talladega with Brad Keselowski & the James Finch owned 09. They were in 27 races with 6 different drivers. I am not sure if they attemped the other 9 points races. My point is the Woods & Bill can win. They have to believe it! If they don’t, they won’t. Usually they are about a half second off in practice and qualifying. A half second is not much until you do the math times a 52 lap run (26 seconds back). Confidence is HUGE in this sport. Unbelievably underrated is confidence. The whole team can do it. They just gotta go do it! Then watch a few sponsors trip all over themselves trying to help out. I want to see Team 21 administer a TEXAS size whipping to the rest of the field at TEXAS.
Oh, by the way, anyway possible they make it to Darlington? SEE ABOVE!
Hoping the Elliott family gets a breather this Holiday weekend… Bill, Chase and Cindy plus Ernie and Dan and the whole gang that is. Easter is a great time to get together and visit. We are lucky in the northeast for the AWESOME weather… Just got #21 decals for my car windows !: )
Awesome One, I know you got another victory in you. I never have lost any faith that you are building a winner with the Woodbrothers. I see the tremendous amount of improvement the quality of racecars that are coming to the track now as from where you started. I lose interest quickly unless you are in the field Bill. Always, pulling for you hard, and when you win this year (hopefully Brickyard or Michigan) Im gonna wear my Elliott racecar shirts for two straight months!! Go… 21 FORD!