07.12
For the first time this Sprint Cup season, Bill Elliott and the No. 21 Motorcraft/ Quick Lane Ford Fusion failed to finish a race. Their race ended on Lap 179 of the LifeLock.com 400 at Chicagoland Speedway Saturday night when the right rear tire of the No. 21 blew as Elliott entered Turn Four. As he bounced off the wall, he was struck by the oncoming car of Robby Gordon, an impact that likely means that particular chassis has seen its last racing action.
“I cut a tire and from there I was just along for the ride,” Elliott said after climbing from the car and being checked out at the track’s infield care center. He said the impact from the collision with Gordon, one that knocked the wheels of the Motorcraft/Quick Lane car off the ground, wasn’t as bad as it might have seen to those who saw it.
“It was no easy day, but it wasn’t that bad,” he said. “I am OK.” Elliott, who wound up 37th in the finishing order, said the real pain he felt was for his David Hyder-led crew, which worked hard to give him a competitive car. He was running just one lap behind the leaders when he was knocked out of the race. “I feel bad for the guys,” he said. “We have worked hard, but we have missed something, whether it is the spoiler or whatever, we just can’t get where we need to be. “We are just OK out there. Everybody is really working hard and trying to help us out, then something like this happens, and it is just really unfortunate.”
Team co-owner Eddie Wood, looking for a bright spot on an otherwise disappointing night, pointed out that while the team’s No. 21 suffered a rare DNF [Did Not Finish], it wasn’t related to the reliability of their Ford Fusion. “We really haven’t had any mechanical issues in a while,” Wood said. “The cars have been really good.”
Elliott, Hyder and the rest of the Wood Brothers crew now turn their attention to their next appearance, in two weeks in the Brickyard 400 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway, which historically has been one of Elliott’s better tracks. In 15 career starts there, he has a win, in 2002, and five top-five starts, including a fourth-place qualifying run last year in the No. 21 Motorcraft/Quick Lane Fusion.
im just glad bills ok
Ditto that Jimmy, race cars come and go but Bill is one of a kind! Glad your well Bill.
Man! I’t's Monday and I’m still bummed out. I was hoping Bill would get a top 20 to build some momentum for Indy. The car looked good . Hope to see Bill get a top 10 at The Indy Speedway in two weeks.
Glad Bill is ok…..Keeping working at it guys and hopefully you can build some momentum at Indy for the rest of the season!
Cindy: Has RPMS asked bill to run the #9. I think that would be great,I would love to see him in the 9 again.
MAYBE WE ALL SHOULD GO OVER TO RPMS WEBSITE AND CAMPAIGN FOR BILL.
Has ANYONE contacted Bill about ANY other ride? I can’t take much more of this. I wanted my 12 year old son to see how awesome Bill was (is) but instead, he is asking me how Bill ever won a race. This ain’t no way to end a career. I don’t know what race you guys were watching, but 33rd, last car 1 lap down aint “competitive” and it sure ain’t “The car looked good.” Unless you are referring to it’s cosmetic appeal. If Bill is even INTERESTED in driving full time now, that confirms my suspicion that Dodge forced or paid Bill out of the car in 2004. I really believe Dodge got caught up in the whole, as Jeff Burton called it, “wanting a 12 year old driver” deal that was spreading during that time. I think Bill would have won 10 races in the 9 car in ’04. But, maybe I am wrong on both accounts.
Awesomeb, My 9 year old is like your 12 year old. He doesn’t understand that there was success. He likes Kyle Busch and Bill a little for my sake. He doesn’t like Bruce Springsteen very much either, but that is another story for another day. I want Bill to be successful. I still believe he has a lot left in the tank. I hate that he doesn’t drive full time anymore. He lost a lot of years. Whether he was forced out or chose to walk away, and now misses it, I think he could have had at least 50 wins now. And I think it is still possible. Mark Martin won 5, I think, last year. Bill is better than Mark. Then and now! In this economy, a tried and true veteran and former champion should be in high demand. Who wants a young unproven driver? Or an older unproven driver (Sadler-no offense). How long is Roush gonna stick with Ragan? Just look at the field. Bill is better than at LEAST 10-15 of these guys. At LEAST I said. He can still win in the right equipment.
Hey Bill, glad to your ok! You have been in some horrendous crashes over the years. Bill, don’t know how it was driving but the lap times were good. But everybody was running almost the same speeds. Just couldn’t get no track position! Keep diggin guys, yall gona get it!
i think bill is running and what and when he wants to, its his carreer. sure we would all like billl to jump into a clone of jj’s #48 but the cards are what bill wants them to be. i’ve been a bill ellliott fan since the beginning of his career, and i no more than anyone wants to see him go out a winner, but the sport like everything else in the world has gone out of sight. not everybody can be a hendrick’s or roush’s!!! keep rooting for the underdog, thats the way bill started…
The only way we are going to move forward is by testing. When Bill first went to the Wood Brothers ,he tested .Going to similar tracks will help. Thanks
I BELIEVE IN BILL ELLIOTT AS A DRIVER. I BELIEVE HE CAN STILL WIN!
We all think he can still win David – but obviously not like this. Heck, he can’t even stay on the lead lap for 50 laps in that car. Where is Ray Evernham? Does he want to start another team? I’ve lost all hope for Bill in that 21 car.
Guys: Remeber what Bill said at qualifing. The guys in the booth have no idea how hard it is to qualify and race when you are doing a limited schedule. WBR has ran 6 ot of 19 races so far this year, and the change from the wing to the spoiler has been rough for them. They will get everything going again, just keep the faith. WBR and Bill will have a geat run at my home track in Indy. I’ve dug out my scanner, binoc’s., and my tickets, NW Vista Deck row B seats 1 & 2 and am ready to go.
Awesomeb, we can all speculate as to what Bill is doing and why he is still racing and not contending….but ultimately it is not us that decides where or what Bill does, it is Bill. Was he forced out at Dodge? Who knows. Maybe he is content helping out the Wood Brothers to try and get themselves turned around and still able to focus on BER. I remember his last full year with Ray…near the end it seemed he wanted it to be over…was tired of all the obligations that weren’t racing. I can still remember when he finished second at Kansas and Newman won on fuel mileage….Bill was not happy how the race turned out but that was how racing was, it was not about how good of a driver you are, it was about strategy. That wasn’t racing. I would love to see Bill go back to full time but only if he was totally committed to it. Do I wish he would run in the top 5 and contend for a win? Absolutley, But I still tune to the stations during practice, qualifying and the race to watch Bill with the hopes and optimism the same as I did when he was winning. Bill can still get it done and I am sure whatever lies ahead for Bill, it will be how he wants to do it. Go Bill!!
With Jack Roush running Ford’s Cup racing this year, and his teams ain’t running worth a damn, do yall think Len, Eddie, and Bill have a chance for a good finish? Bill is running Chase’s deal, a look how good Chase is running. It ain’t Bill’s fault on the Cup side, I can tell you that.
Cindy, you are doing a good job of holding your tounge on here!
Please hold your tongue Cindy; because I think we all deserve to good tongue lashing over all of this, once and a while. I know I get somewhat mouthy sometimes but it’s only because of my great admiration for Bill and my selfish desires wanting to see him run good again. Bill has been meant so much to so many people when it comes to racing that, we as admirers don’t understand, we just want what we were accustom to from Bill’s racing career. I know that we all here support Bill and hope Bill runs well again. The only million dollar BILL
Was glad to see Bill out of the car and walk to the ambulance. Go get ‘em at Indy!!!
This sport is so tuff for the small teams, however I have seen this team have signs of a potential good run. Lately we have had our struggles but I like the track we are coming up to. I am going to make a prediction for everyone:
WE WILL HAVE A TOP 10 RUN AT INDY!
TAKE CARE OF BUSINESS BILL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I was at the chicago race and was listening on the scanner prior to the accident.Bill’s spotter told the crew chief that Bill’s car had right side damage they didnt say how it happened and I didnt see it.But that could have led to the blown tire.Does anyone know how the damaged occured?And Bill had a new spotter this weekend.Who was Bill’s spotter at chicago?
I believe it was Keven Wood….not 100% sure….I agree the spotter should have been on top of that one. I know Bill was complain of a “vibration” just before Jimmie spun out…..they talked abut it under caution…I know they were going to pit but didn’t because the caution was too short….The spotter has to watch the car every minute, every lap….especially when something like that happens….get the binoculars and check it….if the tire is rubbing….come in and change….loosing 2 or 3 laps is better than throwing away a chassis…
Not to be negative, but throwing away that chassis could turn into a positive! I noticed on NASCAR.com the lap times were better than Kyle Busch’s about every other lap. Now Kyle was not running his best, but why every other lap. Just the way traffic got us?
I assume not many folks are still reading this article but I just found a link for a contest to design Bill’s car in Charlotte in Oct. http://www.jdrf.org/ (Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation). You can vote for the design of the car. 54 Type 1 diabetes patients crafted their own design. To vote you have to contribute to the JDRF. A great cause, I believe. I wonder why this contest is not linked via billelliott.com. It started 7-1-2010. It runs through August 31, 2010. Is it possible Bill won’t be in the Wood Brothers car in October? Could he be closing in on a full-time effort with a team other than WBR? Or is because Bill works with just 4 charities on the national level?
At http://www.jdrf.org/ you need to search NASCAR contest.
Article was posted here June 28, 2010. I missed it! My mistake. But why no link on the home page? I may have missed that, too. But, a great charity none the less. Go Bill!!!!!
I enjoy seeing websites that understand the value of providing a prime resource for free. I truly loved reading your post. Thanks!