09.07
September 6, 2010
A loose-handling race car and long green-flag runs are a frustrating combination for a NASCAR race team. But Bill Elliott and the crew of the No. 21 FordParts.com Ford Fusion hung tough, overcame both of them and made up a deficit that grew to three laps at one point to finish 23rd in Sunday’s Emory Healthcare 500 at Atlanta Motor Speedway.
Elliott started the race in 40th place after a disappointing qualifying run, and the team had planned to use early race pit stops to fine-tune the chassis.
But the race opened with 133 straight laps of green-flag racing. Elliott moved up six positions initially, but by the time he had completed his first green-flag pit stop he was a lap down but still within two cars of getting the Lucky Dog free pass.
The green flag continued to fly, and the breaks didn’t fall the Woods’ way initially as Elliott continued to struggle with a loose-handling condition.
On Lap 239, race leader and eventual winner Tony Stewart put Elliott three laps down, but from there the Wood Brothers crew reached into their bag of pit-strategy tricks and began regaining the lost ground.
With 27 laps to go, Elliott rejoined the lead lap. The move up from the rear of the pack caught the attention of the ESPN crew covering the race, and they pointed out to their viewers the surge of the blue-and-white FordParts.com Fusion.
Elliott held on over the closing laps to finish 17 positions better than he started.
It was his third straight top-25 finish.
We’re still struggling some,” Elliott said. “We’re not that bad; we just need to be better.
The car just didn’t roll through the center of the corner well enough to run like we want to.”
Elliott had a few close calls during the race but managed to steer clear each time.
His closest brush with disaster came when Scott Speed blew an engine in front of him on Lap 265.
“I was in that melee a little bit,” he said.
Elliott and the Wood Brothers team return to the circuit on Oct. 3 for the Price Chopper 400 at Kansas Speedway.
Cindy, did that article say KC ? Are we going to get to run KC ? I hope so.
Just wish Bill was with a first class team, I know he could still win. STILL PULLING FOR BILL ANYWAY…GO BILL!!!!
I think KC is one of the scheduled races for this year. Unfortunately, it will be the next to last race for him and I’m so scared this will be it after 27 years of watching Bill race. I sure hope not. All good things must end – but I’m not ready yet.
Feb. 14, Daytona 500
March 7. Atlanta
April 18, Texas
May 30, Charlotte
June 13, Michigan
July 10, Chicago
July 25, Indy
Aug 15, Michigan
Sept. 5, Atlanta
Oct. 3, Kansas
Nov. 21, Homestead
also running charlotte with special paint scheme
Lets hope the Wood Brothers don’t pick Bill for next year, best thing that could happen to him. I too am a 30 year fan of Bill’s and it has pained me to see such a wonderful talent abused by a team that is happy with 30, 40, etc qualify positions and happy when Bill finishes in the twenties or thirties position. It is all about them and Ford has finally had enough. Rather see Bill mentoring his son and the other young drivers than embarrassing his awesome name any more. I would love to see him with a first class team I will keep my hopes up, you just never know.
Do we all feel that Bill would be contending for a win if he was with Hendricks or Rousch running a 12 race schedule? Would he still have a part time crew and part time team? Would he be running test equipment or R&D equipment?
We cannot expect top 5 runs on a 12 race schedule. No matter whom you run for. Unless the stars line up perfectly it’s just not going to happen.
Even if Rousch or Hendrick had Bill in a car for 12 races sponsor dollars still come into play. Part time crew comes into play. He would have a benefit of using TEAM notes for set ups.
I am sick to death of Bill’s fans bashing this Wood Brothers Deal. If you guys remember Bill wanted to only run 12- 15 races a year starting back in 2004.
Who else was in line to offer Bill a ride for a 12 race deal? Ray didn’t get it done for him.
I was tickled to death to know a team was out there looking to hire Bill.
Bill was pretty much done was racing and riding off in the sunset. The Woods needed help. Who better to hire to help you with your program than AWESOME BILL? I feel privileged to even see him race.
Bill was going to focus on family, children, relax and help Chase with his career. Bill was running these part time deals because racing is etched in his bones. He just couldn’t walk away cold turkey.
If Bill gets a chance to run full time next year with the Woods. You will see top 10′s and top 5′s because they will be running week in and week out.
I am just a huge fan of Bill and his family. No matter what they drive, who they drive for I will be pulling for them. I will pull for them to get the best possible starting spot or finish. Do I want to see them win? Heck Yeah! Who doesn’t?
My racing hero isn’t going to be behind the wheel for too many more years. I am not going to complain about any opportunity to see him race.
GO BILL !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Ol’ Slick. I agree with almost all that you are saying except for one thing – Bill did NOT want to go part time in ’04. If you don’t belive me, read back through some of the article comments in the last 6 weeks and you’ll see that I am right.
But, like you, just seeing Bill run is enough for me. Hell, Sunday night, I was still holding out hope for a top 10 when he got back on the lead lap. Just those MOMENTS of hope make it fun to still watch Bill. Maybe one day, just ONE day, we’ll see Bill win a race again. Tell me honestly, in 2000, before news of Bill signing with Ray Evernham, when Bill hadn’t won a race in 6 years, did you REALLY think Bill would even win again? Nope, but you dang sure hoped that he would!
Really? Bill didn’t want to run a partial deal in 04 ? I was hoping he would have ran a full schedule in 04 cause that 9 team he built was a championship team at the end of 03. I always pull for Bill to win and to run well. I knew in my heart he would win in the 94 car. He had several shots at a win in that 94 car. I never gave up on him. I knew it was just a matter of time in 2001 before he got a win. He should have had a few more wins in that 9 car in 02 and 03.
Bill wanted to run full time in ’04, but Dodge wanted a girly boy to drive the car. Plain and simple. I’ll celebrate the day Dodge makes their last lap in NASCAR. Maybe they’ll even go out of business. Looks like the decisions they made worked out for them REAL well. Bill would have won 15 races in ’04 – ’06 in the 9 car. Idiots.
Yea, I was at the 2000 Pepsi 400 when Skinner wrecked Bill with about 20 to go. That was definitely Bill’s race. I looked everywhere for a Skinner fan so I could kick their a$$. I’m STILL pissed about it. But, I might be a little too old now for fighting.
If Earnhardt doesn’t wreck with 10 to go in the ’97 Daytona 500, I believe Bill would have won that race easily. Man, he was STOUT that day. I mean strong. And even with that caution, if the last caution with 3 to go would not have came out, he probably still would have won it. They had pushed him back to 7th and when the caution came out, he was pasing Craven for 3rd – running all by himself. That car was strong. I still remember, like it was yesterday, Bill saying after the race, “I just wish I’d ‘ev had a chance to retaliate”. Me to Bill, me too.
If the Wood Brothers cars are so crappy how come the 21 car finished ahead of the current points leader and defending race winner?
Bill Elliott in any car on any track will be the guy I’m pulling for.
Awesomeb, you all over that!! I remember that too! Those Hendricks cars drafted by Bill and he was already going back by Craven when that caution came out! Bill had a lot of good chances slip by him in that 94 car! Those bad crashes set him back a lot! I remember after he broke his femur at Talladega He came back at the Brickyard walking on a cane and running in the top 2 or 3. Bill’s TUFF!! I also remember that post you’re talking about. It was something like “Sorry I can’t answer that”! After that race at homestead that I’m still not over yet, they interviewed Bill. They ask him “you have some decisions to make?” I remember Bill said “I ant got no decisions to make am ready! I though that meant he was coming back! I always thought Bill willingly stepped of that car so Kane would have a good car to get in and not struggle in his first year. Bill also said he didn’t want to learn a new crew chief because Mike Ford was leaving. That might not have been the case at all!
http://www.race2win.net/wc/03/dttbe.html
http://www.race2win.net/qa/elliottfans.html
http://www.race2win.net/wc/03/beannounce.html
http://www.race2win.net/wc/04/bedistest.html
Race 2 win still has lost fo older articles still posted on there.
Yep, Brian M. I am quite confident that Bill is one of the greatest drivers of all time (I mean like top 3) because he damn sure never had a bit of good luck. Plenty of bad luck! He made his luck though – like coming back from almost 2 laps down under green at ‘dega in ’85. Hell, if he would have just had NO BAD LUCK, he would have won the race by 2 laps over everybody else. Bill didn’t need luck, but it was damn hard to always have to overcome bad luck. An $8 transmission part cost him a championship in ’85. A blown tire cost him homestead in ’03. Ran out of gas at Darlington one year off turn 4. And NEVER getting that cation at the right time – NEVER!!! And who remembers the ’97 Pepsi 400 where Bill lost 2 laps when a spark plug wire fell off. HE was so fast, he pushed Andretti to the win and then backed off to let the leaders go at it. Pure class. I think there was a race like that also where Bill lost a lap because of a lug nut and then there was not 1 freaking caution the entire race. Not one. Anybody remember that one?
I read the above article, and realize the wording of sentences can change a story tremendously. Bill made up six spots initially, but by the end of his first green flag stop, was one lap down. If we stated it as Bill made up six spots on the track during the first green flag run, but his pit crew cost him two spots and a lap with a bad stop, it would seem more correct. The cars of Mears and Kesolaski where behind Bill, but managed to stay on the lead lap. This happened on his first two stops, which translated could mean never going down three laps, and having a lot better finish. Bill’s lap times were ahead of cars in the top 10-15 consistently. Just little mistakes make big differences. Just need to tighten everything up, get the car right at the start and leave the rest to Bill. Good Luck at Kansas.
I think the race I am thinking about is the ’97 Winston 500 at ‘dega. To add insult to injury, not only did Bill not get the caution he needed to get back on the lead lap, by there being no cautions, Mark Martin broke Bill’s all-time record for the fastest avg speed for a race.
Man, ’97 could have been a magical year with just a little bit of luck – just a little. Michigan – bending a fender and putting a patch on it and still finishing 2nd, the Daytona 500 race I talked about, the pepsi 400 and the winston 500. All races that Bill could have won. And that’s just 4 that are fresh on my mind. If I really think back, there are probably more. Oh well, we should just be happy for the little bit of luck we did have. Like the ’85 Southern 500 for the million dollars. Bill probably wasn’t the fastest car that day – thank God power steering pumps use to break occasionally
But, we wouldn’t have needed that if Charlotte hadn’t brought bad luck.
I could do this all day. I think I remember more about Bill’s races than he does – ok, maybe not. But man, they stick in your head. Heck, a rear-end at Sonoma when running in the top 5. A transmission shifter at Michigan with a dominant car.
I can sum up Bills’ luck like this. When Bill’s car aint good, they can drop a nuclear bomb on the place and it will miss Bill – won’t be a scratch on the car. When they’ve got the car good, trouble is aiming at him from every direction – and it usually finds him.
I AM A BILL ELLIOTT FAN 4-EVER NO MATTER WHAT HE DRIVES OR WHO HE DRIVES FOR……..PLAN AND SIMPLE!!!!!!! GO BILL!!!!!
PLAIN AND SIMPLE
Does make ya wonder how other drivers would do if not for multicar teams doesn’t it ?? I still don’t believe it’s proper racing personally !… I wonder also how Bill might have done with K. Francis…
bill is with a 1st class team but if u add single car team and doesnt run all the races i think hes doing great alot better than teams that run all year come on give us a full year bill a few more wins would be awsome
I was watching Bills times on new and old tires ,and to me, he was as good as the leaders on old tires , which means Bill can still drive or out drive the best of them. Anyway, i was glad to see Bill get a call by the guys in the booth. I know they all pull for Bill too, but it’s hard to talk him up when he goes down a couple of laps. Then, he makes up three laps and gets twenty third (on the lead lap) says a lot. Wish the Woods Bros could get it together at the begining of the race , and i’m sure we would see some of those illusive top tens come our way. Hope Bill does run Kansas, as well as Charlotte ,and Homestead. I’ll be watching for sure.
I think Bill hired Kenny Francis when he was still in the 94 car back in 1999 or 2000. He worked on Bill’s car as an Engineer with EMS. I think they would have made a good combo. Bill had bad fast Super Speedway cars at Dayton and Dega in 1997 and 2000. He always had darn good cars at Indy, Michigan, Darlington, and Charlotte in that 94 car. That Mcd’s team had several races(wins) slip away from them but the team did all they could with what they had.
awesomeb,
Don’t forget about Swervin Irvan taking Bill out while leading early in the race coming off of turn 2 in Daytona in 1992 the first year he drove for Junior. Bill would have won the first 5 races that year and the championship. Speaking of bad luck, of all the years of winning races and championships, Junior falls in love with a young gal will Bill is driving for him and we all remember what happened with that!
Yep..we got Kansas, Charlotte, Texas, and Homestead left….
Speaking of Kansas, how about the race when he was driving away at the end but had to pit for gas and they decide to take 4 tires. Newman takes no tires and just gas and is way ahead. We pull within about less then a second when the checkered flag drops. Bill looked mighty pissed that day. Another one no luck!
thanks Cindy.
Slick do ya remember Bills blue and white Mopar haulin’ @ Charlotte in the fall race of 2003 ?
I was just checking some info on the upcoming race at Richmond and see that Terry Labonte is listed to drive the #10 with a sponser (Gander Mountain) and the #36 team just announced a new sponser for this week. Come on….where is the sponsership for Bill?? I just hope that sponsers look at the #21 team and dont think that its a “Ford” only sponsered car. I am a huge Ford fan but would love to see some new sponsers on the #21car. There is no reason that a top notch sponser looking for a team would not want to be on a Bill Elliott driven car. Lets get past the Motorcraft / FordParts only mentality that seems to be the norm. The team needs to think outside the box and work some magic. Having Bill there is the best thing that has happened to the #21 in many, many years. They need to take this opportunity and really push hard to get this deal full-time while they still can. Get their marketing department in high gear and get some sponsership for next year.
Bill was also wrecked by Ward Burton running in the top 5.I think it was Daytona. Bill had a big run on the bottom. Burton cliped him and sent Bill head on in the wall with Earnhardt pushing him. It was a horrendous crash! Thats when Earnhardt got his face burned by the flams off Bills car! That was a scary crash!
The Wood BRothers have to finally decide if they are going to race with the multi car teams or continue to run a one car R&D CAR.As we all know in todays economy there Are not many corporations who have or want to spent the money on an investment that will not in bring in a profitable result.As I have said in other posts, they have to decide if they are are going to compete or just stay in NASCAR FOR PAY CHECKS AND LIVE OF THEIR PAST LAURALS.I realize many of you are Wood brother fans for many years, but Bill realized that a one car team just isn’t the way to be succesive and moved on. The Woods have come to 2010 and have to compete in this maket in order to win as the other teams of success do. that being a multi car organization. If they can’t get the sponsorship then move on. When I read that some of you will support Bill no matter what he drives is commendable , I beg to differ , I admire and have followed Bill possiblly longer than some of you and it pains me to see him in this position , he is too great a driver . This is his choice and I will live by it, but not be happy.
My opinion on sponsorship is this: If I were investing my money to sponsor a race car, I would want to see it get plenty of air time, and that is not happening with todays TV. I used to watch the race, and listen to Eli Gold introduce each car, driver, and main sponsor while showing that car on TV. Now its lets talk to our incar reporter, and his crew chief. What a joke!!! Same questions every week, and the same answers. Until this TV situtation is changed, which I think Nascar brought on itself when they sold out to the highest bidder without taking the best coverage into consideration it will be hard to get sponsorships. So WBR needs good runs to get the TV exposure. Good Luck at Kansas
Who ever said that WBR is running R&D cars? I thought they built there on stuff. It could be why Ford only gives them enough money to run 12 races. Maybe Because WBR is Fords R&D program. I just don’t know. I do know that the pit crew is killing Bill on the race track! Bill was running about 30th and was not very far from 29th on the first run. After that 16sec pit stop now he’s 3 or 4 sec behind running 32nd! That’s why he can’t move up through the field and is stuck in one position for so long. I know they’re doing the best they can with what they got. But why don’t WBR hire a pit crew from Nation Wide team for there races? Once again I don’t know, just thinking!!
Bill Elliott didn’t run a Blue and White Mopar car at Charlotte in 2003. Bill lead 15 or twenty laps of that race. Stewart won. Bill Finsihed 4th.
Khane ran a Blue and white Mopar car in 2004 at Charlotte. He lead a bunch of laps and dominated the race. He cut a tire down late in the race and and wrecked that car.
okay-my bad.. I know the car did very well from me recollection…
I think everyone has lots of good thoughts on what the Bill and the Woods need to be doing. The Woods like many many many other teams in the 80′s and 90′s were just a single car team. Lots of single car teams folded because of lack of sponsorship and the unwillingness to change to a muti-car team. Sponsorship means no one gets paid, no money for equipment, and no money to get to the next race.
99.9% of the race teams love to race otherwise they would not be there….but they are also making a living at this sport. In order to make a living and be competitive it takes sponsor dollars. Lots of sponsor dollars.
These days it takes 25 million dollars to run 1 car in the cup series and be a contender. I am not sure that there is a great deal of extra money in the economy right now that companies is willing to pay to sponsor a car. Millions and millions of people are unemployed.
It takes at least a 2 car team in this day and age to be a cup series contender. I.e. EMS
It takes the best people working on your car week in and week out. Plus you better be willing to pay those people well. I.e. Mike Ford leaving
It takes running a car week in and week out to be successful. i.e. Testing bans
The Wood Bro. are in re-building mode. I am not so sure that most of us understand that. Some of you guys expect them to be winners without really considering what has to happen to be a winner at this level. Guys, this is not the 80′s or the Melling days. How many years did Bill and his family race before they ran a full season or ever won a run?
Wood Bro. need to be beating the sidewalks and knocking on doors to find some money somewhere so they can go back to racing full time.
Who better to hire to re-build a program? Bill Elliott
Guys and Girls we just need to support Bill and that team and stop being so doom and gloom.
Guys and Girls we just need to support Bill and that team and stop being so doom and gloom.
A-Men Ol’ Slick
i dont think that disliking your driver finish 28th means your doom and gloom. some occasional success would be nice. whatever your feelings, bill deserves better.
I am really excited about Kansas! Will be there to cheer for Bill! Let’s go 21
Alan Jackson And Bill Elliott on You-Tube!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TU7jxtZDx2M&feature=fvw
Thanks to Red Fox, Lots of great memories there!
slick those are some great points you make. I just think when your favorite driver and I mean a guy you have been cheering for more than 25 years is running 25th to 30th consistently after the partial success they saw last year, is very sad. If all those things you said are the situation we are in, then why is Bill out there? Why not be with family and if he still wants to race hop in a truck a couple weekends a year and run in the top 10. Nascar has left him and the Wood brothers behind. Bill says it himself everytime you here him talk “Its so hard to compete on a partial schedule in this day in age in Nascar” You can see it: No air time, no sponsorship, no true support from Ford, no help with people like maybe from Rousch, We are on a desert island. Just lame cars each week that Bill drives the wheels off of and finishes mid 20′s. We cant even get the crew to not make a mistake on pit road (they are the worst out there) I understand part time but jeeze. Did you happen to watch the Jimmie Johnson 4 week series HBO did around the Daytona 500. How in the hell can the Wood brothers compete with that? There pit crew is lifting weights, doing sprints, cardio training and watching film on there stops.
I wish Bill had one more fairwell year for the fans that have supported him for so long in a decent car. It doesn’t have to be a mega team just a team with a fighting chance. Woods have no chance!
Its not negative its just stating the obvious!
I would love to see the Wood Brothters and Bill do a full year next year! They are just a tick off most of the time and that tick would go away if they ran a full schedule and had a comprehensive set of notes from running every race. Man, that would be great.
They ought to run Martinsville this year. Show a sponsor they can do something on a short track. Or find out how much they are behind on a short track. How long has it been since they ran one? It has to be cheaper for them to run close to home. Maybe not since the shop is in NC now. If they are serious about going full time next year, they need a baseline at Martinsville. It could help or hurt, I guess, with a potential sponsor. I think the reward is worth the risk!
Cindy, The #3 that Dale Sr. ran is owned by R. Childress and not run by any other team , why doesn”t Bill have the same rights to the # 9 ? so that in time Chase can run that number like his dad. Thanks
Don, I’m sorry, but you are wrong. Nascar owns all the numbers. Childress does not own the number 3.
Hey Brian , Thanks for the info .
Well everyone is “kind of ” right. NASCAR does own the numbers and is the only entity that can retire a number, BUT the team, if they have the copyright and trademark on say for example ; clothing or toys etc… are the ones that actually own the “stylized” design of the number. So, Childress does own the official #3 that Dale Earnhardt made so famous becuase his company created the design of that #3 but NASCAR mandates how it is used when realated to the teams and racing. Each team is assigned a number just like Childress is assigned that #3 and after you do not use it for a season it becomes available and reassignable by NASCAR unless the team knowing that it plans to drop the number sales it to another team as when Ray Evernham bought the #9 for Bill and then created the design of that 9 which now he has all of the copyrights to in the apparel and toys market so NO we do not own the design of the 9 anylonger although we did at one time and have applied for it again for Chase but will have to wait for Ray not to renew his copyrights on it.
Hope that clears all of this up for everyone.
Thanks Cindy , that is what I thought , but was not sure, again thank you.
Cindy. Does Petty Racing have to pay Ray for the use of the #9 on t-shirts etc then?
Absolutely
cindy……thanks for answering.