Bill Elliott

Check out this older video of Bill in a McDonalds commercial during the 1999 Season:

MASON MASSEY BECOMES YOUNGEST WINNER OF THE ALABAMA 200 AT MONTGOMERY MOTOR SPEEDWAY

DOUGLASVILLE, GA (September 18th, 2012) – Just three short months after earning his first Late Model victory at the same track, 15-year-old Mason Massey took the checkered flag at Montgomery Motor Speedway (AL) in the 48^th Annual Alabama 200 behind the wheel of his No. 9 Jeff Foxworthy Full Force Energy Shot and Elizabeth Lee Ford for Bill Elliott Racing.

Massey qualified second for the race and started fourth following an inversion of the top five drivers. The 200-lap event was the longest of his career to date and he took the lead for the final time on lap 166.

“We had a great car all weekend. The first 100 laps the car was a little tight and Ricky (Turner), my crew chief, put us on four new tires and made the perfect adjustment for the next 100 laps,” said the young driver. “In the last 20 laps we were able to pull away and get the biggest win of my career so far. It was a great day for us. I just want to thank Jeff Foxworthy Full Force Energy Shots, Elizabeth Lee, and all the guys at Bill Elliott Racing. It is definitely an honor to put my name in the record books with some of the best ever in racing.”

Richard Petty, Bobby Allison, and Neil Bonnett are just a few of the legendary drivers who have made it to Victory Lane in this historic event.

Massey will be back in the driver’s seat for Bill Elliott Racing later this month at Five Flags Speedway (FL) for the Allen Turner Pro Late Model 100 on September 29^th.

About Mason Massey

Mason Massey is a 15-year-old racecar driver from Douglasville, GA. Massey got his start racing Quarter Midgets at the age of four. After learning many lessons and accumulating over 40 wins Massey made the transition to Bandoleros for four years where he earned over 100 victories before moving up to Legend cars. The young driver saw success in the Legends Young Lions division and was moved up to the elite Pro division at the end of the 2011 racing season; he has accumulated over 60 wins in Legend cars. Now racing Late Models, Massey earned his first career victory in only his sixth start in the Show Me The Money 100 at Montgomery Motor Speedway in June. Overall, this young driver has won over 200 races in his short career, 12 championships, including three Thursday Thunder championships at Atlanta Motor Speedway, and 11 track records. For more information about Mason Massey, please visit his website at www.MasonMassey.com.

 About Jeff Foxworthy’s Full Force Energy Shot

Made in the U.S.A, Full Force is produced in a pharmaceutical facility using the best ingredients available in an energy drink, meaning your body will be running on what it needs, when it needs it. Full Force has only 4 calories a serving and lasts a long time so you can stop relying on high-sugar soft drinks with that too-familiar crash. For more information about Jeff Foxworthy’s Full Force Energy Shot, please visitwww.FullForceEnergyShot.com.

 About Elizabeth Lee

Elizabeth Lee is the newest young country/pop star with a sultry, raspy voice reminiscent of the best torch singers of the past. Passionate about singing, this Atlanta native has been doing it since she could talk. Winning a competition to sing the National Anthem at Atlanta Xplosion’s first home game in April 2012, she’s been performing it at multiple games throughout Marietta since middle school. A graduate of the University of Alabama with a degree in Musical Theatre, Elizabeth Lee has starred in many musical theatre productions throughout high school and college. She has built a loyal fan base who clamor to hear her sing everything from jazz to blues to country and pop in multiple venues in the Atlanta area.

Published: August 31, 2012

 

TOM HIGGINS’ SCUFFS

By Tom Higgins — ThatsRacin.com Contributor

The great hope was for Richard Petty to go out in a blaze of glory.

Instead, NASCAR’s greatest star went out in a blaze.

Literally.

It happened on Nov. 15, 1992, at Atlanta Motor Speedway in the Hooters 500, by many accounts the most memorable event ever in stock car racing in terms of multiple dramas.

Certainly, no single race in the sanctioning body’s history, dating to 1949, has held so many sub plots and story lines.

These included:

It was to be the career finale for Petty, the immensely popular seven-time champion and the winner of a record 200 races over the span of 35 years in the sport.

It was the biggest-ever battle for the coveted points championship, with six drivers holding a mathematical chance of capturing the rich championship going into the last of the season’s 29 races.

It marked the inaugural start at the Cup Series level for youthful Jeff Gordon, widely rated the most promising newcomer to the major circuit since Dale Earnhardt in 1979.

All this returns to mind as the 20th anniversary of those events looms as the Cup Series teams assemble again this weekend at Atlanta for the AdvoCare 500.

Petty had no illusions about winning for a final time. He was 55 years old and he hadn’t triumphed since the Firecracker 400 on July 4, 1984, at Daytona International Speedway.

However, King Richard hoped to run well for the pleasure of his legion of followers.

It wasn’t to be.

On the 94th of the race’s 328 laps on the 1.522-mile track Petty was swept into a seven-car crash. His famous No. 43 Pontiac burst into flame, bringing shrieks of terror from the thousands of fans packing the grandstands. “Oh, no! Don’t let it end like this!” was the horrid thought on many minds.

It didn’t, of course.

The fire was doused and Petty later laughed about it.

“At first them cats (the firemen) didn’t have a fire extinguisher,” he said, flashing his seemingly ever-present smile. “I think they came over to get an autograph. I sent ‘em back to get one.”

Although the No. 43 was battered and blackened from the flames, Petty had his crew make enough repairs for him to get back on the track for the final laps. In characteristic deference to the fans and perhaps symbolically for himself, Petty wanted to be running at the finish. He took the checkered flag 35th, 231 laps behind.

Then, The King ran an extra lap and got the checkers again. This time, they signified the completion of a storied driving career covering 1,185 starts.

“God don’t put many people on Earth and let ‘em be able to go and do what I’ve done,” Petty said. “It’s been a wonderful life.”

Gordon’s debut was somewhat similar to Petty’s exit. Gordon wrecked, too, on the 164th lap. “I got enough of a taste of this to know I’m going to like it,” said Gordon in what was to prove classic understatement.

Gordon, then 21, was driving a Chevrolet for Rick Hendrick, who had pirated the youngster with so much promise away from Ford. Gordon had starred spectacularly for Ford in what was then the Busch Series. But Ford officials failed to get Gordon under contract and he was able to jump to arch-rival Chevy.

Gordon finished 31st in that ’92 Atlanta race, hardly a harbinger of things to come.

While the Petty saga played out, the chase for the championship continued on the track.

Davey Allison had gone into the Hooters 500 leading the standings by 30 over Alan Kulwicki and 40 up on Bill Elliott.

The likable son of 1983 Cup Series champion Bobby Allison, Davey needed to finish fifth or better to join his dad as a title-winner.

He was running fifth on the 254th lap when disaster struck. Ahead of him, the Chevrolet of Ernie Irvan suddenly slipped sideways exiting the fourth turn. Allison took evasive action, but to no avail. Davey’s Ford plowed hard into Irvan’s car.

The damage forced Allison’s car to the garage for lengthy repairs and he wound up 27th, destined to finish third in the point standings.

“It looked like Ernie had a flat tire or something,” said a saddened Davey. “The car just got away from him. We just ran out of room and I couldn’t miss him. We were just trying to run a smart race…”

Allison’s awful misfortune forged a showdown between Kulwicki and Elliott for the treasured title.

The plot thickened dramatically among the duo – running first and second, with Elliott in front – as the race wound down. Both were very low on fuel.

Kulwicki pitted on Lap 311 for gas. Elliott came in on Lap 314.

These stops enabled Terry Labonte – who stayed on the track – to lead the 315th lap, and this was to prove pivotal in favor of Kulwicki. Labonte got the five points awarded for leading a lap, denying them to Elliott.

“Awesome Bill From Dawsonville,” the darling of Georgia fans, assumed the lead after the stops, and pulled away to get the checkered flag 8.06 seconds ahead of fellow Ford driver Kulwicki.

However, Kulwicki had led the most laps, 103, to 102 for Elliott, thus earning a bonus five points.

Kulwicki was the champion by a margin of 10 points. At the time, it was the closest finish in NASCAR history.

It took a stunned Kulwicki a bit to realize the magnitude of his accomplishment.

“Did we just do what I think we did?” he asked of his crew via radio. Jubilant replies told him that they had indeed.

It was an unlikely, only-in-America story for a team that was considered such a underdog. Such an underdog, in fact, that Kulwicki had removed the “T” from the title Thunderbird on his car’s front bumper so that the name read “Underbird.”

Kulwicki had come from Wisconsin in 1985 to pursue a Cup Series career, owning his team and driving, too.

He had spurned offers from bigger, richer operations to become a “hired driver,” clinging to the dream of doing it “his way.”

Now, probably to the surprise of everyone but himself and his teammates, he had reached the unreachable star.

“This is the answer to a long quest,” said Kulwicki, who gathered his composure and “cool” enough to grab a comb and run it through his hair before emerging from the No. 7 orange and white Ford in Victory Lane. “I know there were a lot of people who said, ‘He can’t do that.’ I hope I’ve made some believers. I’ll cherish this day in Atlanta forever.”

Epilogue: Alan Kulwicki got to enjoy his championship only until April 1, 1993, when he was killed in the crash of a private plane at Blountville, Tenn. Davey Allison lived only a little longer, until July 13, 1993, when he died of injuries suffered in the crash of a helicopter he was piloting.

Richard Petty continues in racing as a team owner, now fielding cars for drivers Marcus Ambrose and Aric Amirola.

Jeff Gordon has realized the success predicted for him, presently listing four Cup Series championships and 86 victories, the latter ranking him third on the all-time list behind only Petty’s 200 and David Pearson’s 105.

More racing news, blogs, photos and more at www.ThatsRacin.com.

MASON MASSEY EARNS THURSDAY THUNDER LEGENDS PRO DIVISION CHAMPIONSHIP AND THREE TOP-FIVE LATE MODEL FINISHES IN ONE WEEKEND

DOUGLASVILLE, GA (August 1st, 2012) – Over the span of three days, 15-year-old Mason Massey earned a championship, a podium finish, and two more top-five finishes between two different types of racecars. On Thursday, July 26^th, Massey was officially named the Thursday Thunder Legends Pro Division Champion at Atlanta Motor Speedway (GA) after winning seven of the nine series races he competed in. The next day, the young driver took home a fourth-place finish behind the wheel of the Jeff Foxworthy Full Force Energy Shot Late Model at Five Flags Speedway (FL). On Saturday, July 28^th, he earned a third-place finish and another fourth-place finish in a pair of 55-lap Late Model features in his first appearance at Mobile International Speedway (AL).

“The weekend was an extraordinary one for the Mason Massey Racing team,” said Massey. “We have worked hard all year and to see it pay off in a Legend car championship and three solid finishes in the Late Model, especially the two at Mobile (Speedway) in my first trip there, is so rewarding. We have a great team and this just gives us momentum going into the last few months of the season.”

Massey ran the first nine races of the 10-race Thursday Thunder Series at Atlanta Motor Speedway. After winning seven of those features, the Pro division hot shoe had earned enough points to take the points championship without having to run the final race which allowed him to practice at Five Flags Speedway before Friday’s event.

The trio of Late Model races at the two separate tracks over the weekend showed Massey’s versatility and true abilities behind the wheel of the Jeff Foxworthy Full Force Energy Shot Late Model out of the Bill Elliott Racing stable. The young driver also had extra coaching at the track with NASCAR K&N Pro Series East star Chase Elliott in the spotter’s stand.

“Having Chase as my spotter for those three races was invaluable,” said Massey. “He is so knowledgeable, especially at Five Flags (Speedway) where he won the 2011 Snowball Derby. He helped me learn the best line around the tracks and made me feel at ease on the high banks of Mobile where he has also seen a lot of success.”

The rest of the 2012 race season will see Massey take on a handful of Late Model races behind the wheel of his Jeff Foxworthy Full Force Energy Shot Ford, including the Show Me The Money 100 at Montgomery Motor Speedway (AL) on August 18^th, as well as running the Legends Asphalt Nationals event at Atlanta Motor Speedway in October where he hopes to bring home a National championship title.

About Mason Massey

Mason Massey is a 15-year-old racecar driver from Douglasville, GA. Massey got his start racing Quarter Midgets at the age of four. After learning many lessons and accumulating over 40 wins Massey made the transition to Bandoleros for four years where he earned over 100 victories before moving up to Legend cars. The young driver saw success in the Legends Young Lions division and was moved up to the elite Pro division at the end of the 2011 racing season; he has accumulated over 60 wins in Legend cars. Now racing Late Models, Massey earned his first career victory in only his sixth start in the Show Me The Money 100 at Montgomery Motor Speedway in June. Overall, this young driver has won over 200 races in his short career, 12 championships, including three Thursday Thunder championships at Atlanta Motor Speedway, and 11 track records. For more information about Mason Massey, please visit his website at www.MasonMassey.com.

 About Jeff Foxworthy’s Full Force Energy Shot

Made in the U.S.A, Full Force is produced in a pharmaceutical facility using the best ingredients available in an energy drink, meaning your body will be running on what it

needs, when it needs it. Full Force has only 4 calories a serving and lasts a long time

so you can stop relying on high-sugar soft drinks with that too-familiar crash. For more information about Jeff Foxworthy’s Full Force Energy Shot, please visit www.FullForceEnergyShot.com.

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (July 8, 2012) – Saturday night’s Coke Zero 400 marked a first for Turner Motorsports, which made its NASCAR Sprint Cup Series debut with racing legend, Bill Elliott.  It was also a first for Walmart, with the company’s logo adorning the blue No. 50 Chevrolet in their first endeavor as a primary sponsor in NASCAR’s top series.

After making several appearances at Walmart stores throughout the area, meeting customers and employees alike, Elliott made his way to Daytona International Speedway set for his 60th start at the historic race track.

Rolling off from the sixth position under the lights of the 2.5-mile speedway, Elliott quickly jumped into the third spot, which he maintained until the teams began making their first round of pit stops under green-flag conditions.  The lead lap cars began hitting pit road on lap 40, with Elliott following suit on lap 42. Under crew chief Trent Owens instruction, the Walmart crew changed four tires and added fuel.  No adjustments were needed as, prior to the stop, Elliott had informed his crew over the radio that “everything’s all good in here.”

As the stops cycled through the field, Elliott dropped to the rear of the lead pack of cars in an effort to cool down his engine, which had become a little hot in the pack.  Elliott patiently circled the track, holding his position as he let the leaders battle it out.

A caution on lap 81 prompted Owens to bring the No. 50 Walmart Chevy back to pit road for service. Again, the crew went to work, changing four tires and packing the car with fuel.  Elliott returned to the track in the 17th position, again wanting to trail the lead pack, not only to keep his engine cooled off, but also to avoid the highly anticipated “big one.”

A multi-car accident on lap 90 proved that the veteran’s strategy was the right one as he was able to maneuver through the carnage that occurred ahead of him.  He returned to pit road under the caution for a four-tire and fuel stop before lining up 21st for the restart.  Within two laps, he had taken over the 14th position.  He briefly reported a bad vibration in his Walmart Chevrolet, a condition that eventually diminished.

Over the course of the next few laps, Elliott reported that he was really happy with his race car.  He jockeyed for position while working the draft, preparing himself for a battle to the end.  Unfortunately, on lap 123, a car entering pit road caused the field to stack up ahead of him. Though he was able to get slowed down to avoid the melee, the car behind him was not, and slammed into the back of the No. 50. With damage too severe to repair, Elliott and his team’s night was disappointingly cut short.

After being released from his mandatory visit to the Infield Car Center, Elliott spoke to reporters.

“That was one of the best cars I have had in a long, long time. I think we really had a contending car had we been able to get to the end, but that’s just Daytona.   I can’t say enough about the effort of these guys.  They were a great group to work with! Thank you to everyone at Turner Motorsports as well as a huge thanks to Walmart. It was a privilege to represent them both on and off the track and I’m happy I could be a part of their 50th birthday celebration!’

DAYTONA BEACH – Walmart and NASCAR’s fan bases are a perfect match, yet the retail behemoth has never sponsored a race car in NASCAR’s high-profile Sprint Cup Series.

That’s going to change with today’s Coke Zero 400 at the Daytona International Speedway, where NASCAR legend Bill Elliott will drive a Walmart-adorned car.

“Walmart has been a strong leader in the retail market for a number of years, and to have them in the sport and the capacity that they are, it’s a big deal,” the semiretired NASCAR driver said from the Speedway on Thursday as he prepared for his third Sprint Cup race of the year.

Elliott visited several area Walmart stores this week as part of the promotion.

Walmart is sponsoring the car as a one-time gesture specifically to celebrate the retailer’s 50th anniversary — Elliott’s car is No. 50.

The chain has no plans to sponsor a car after this, Walmart spokeswoman Sarah Spencer said.

The sponsorship highlights Walmart’s recent specialized partnership with stock-car racing’s top governing body.

Walmart and Daytona Beach-based NASCAR are in the second year of an exclusive partnership called Race Time. Walmart says it’s the largest retail promotion in NASCAR history, and it was one of the first agreements NASCAR entered into after forming a licensing group called NASCAR Team Properties in early 2010, said Blake Davidson, vice president of licensing and consumer products for NASCAR.

Under the agreement, NASCAR and a large number of race teams consolidated licensing rights around the biggest product categories, ending the fragmented process of individual teams working with stores and product-makers themselves.

Walmart soon after reached its Race Time deal with NASCAR, which allows Walmart to sell merchandise and host NASCAR-related fan events at Walmart stores in cities where Sprint Cup Series races are held. Walmart also offers discounted family-ticket packages in those markets.

NASCAR even has an office across the street from Walmart’s Bentonville, Ark., headquarters. But still, it never sponsored a car until today.

That isn’t too odd, said Tyson Webber, a senior vice president at GMR Marketing who has worked with NASCAR and sponsorships. There are different routes companies can take to connect with NASCAR and sponsoring a car can be “a little bit narrow,” he said.

“And for a retailer like Walmart that has as large and diverse of a population as you can get — I think they’re well-suited to stay an official partner and doing a lot with their licensing,” Webber said.

Elliott, who has won four times at the Speedway, was chosen partly because of his popularity with fans, Spencer said. Elliott is racing with Turner Motorsports, a team that typically fields cars in NASCAR’S lower-rung circuits. But he’s hopeful that his past success at Daytona will carry on to today’s race in the Walmart car.

“If we can finish in the top 10 of this field, we’ll have a heck of a night,” said Elliott, a 16-time winner of NASCAR’s Most Popular Driver award. “The main thing is survival.”

By Tom Knox

The Daytona Beach News-Journal

BILL ELLIOTT QUICK FACTS

No. 50 Walmart Chevrolet

Daytona International Speedway

Pepsi 400

July 7, 2012

No. 50 Walmart Chevrolet News and Notes

Bill Elliott Career NSCS Stats

Starts                 Poles            Wins                 Top-Fives                 Top-10’s

827                     55                  44                           175                                320

Bill Elliott Career Daytona NSCS Stats

Starts                 Poles            Wins                 Top-Fives                 Top-10’s

59                         5                       4                         15                                24

Turner Motorsports makes NASCAR Sprint Cup Series (NSCS) debut at Daytona International Speedway (DIS)… This weekend will mark a major milestone for Turner Motorsports, which fields three teams in the NASCAR Nationwide Series (NNS) and three teams in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series.  The team will make its debut in the NSCS with veteran and legend, Bill Elliott.  Elliott, who has accumulated 44 series wins over the course of his career, will drive the No. 50 Walmart Chevrolet in conjunction with the company’s 50th birthday celebration. This will mark Elliott’s 828th career NSCS start.

Elliott at Daytona International Speedway, by the numbers…. Bill Elliott has made 59 career NSCS starts at DIS, accumulating four wins, 15 top-fives, 24 top-10s and five poles. He has an average starting position of 17.4 coupled with an average finishing position of 15.6. His last win at Daytona came in 2001 after starting fifth while driving for Ray Evernham.

Other interesting stats:

• Elliott is one of six drivers to win at Daytona from the Coors Light pole more than once – he did it in 1985 and 1987.

• Elliott is tied with Dale Jarrett for the seventh-most all-time points race wins at Daytona in the NSCS with four.

• Elliott is ninth overall in laps led in points-paying races at Daytona with 617 laps led.

• Elliott has started 59 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series points races at Daytona, the fifth-most all-time behind Richard Petty (74), Dave Marcis (67), Buddy Baker (64) and Ricky Rudd (60).

• Elliott holds the NSCS track qualifying record for Daytona with a speed of 210.364 mph (42.783 sec.) on Feb. 9, 1987 driving a Ford for Harry Melling.

Happy 50th Birthday Walmart!… Walmart’s sponsorship of the No. 50 entry at DIS was announced in January as part of its 50^th anniversary celebration.   In honor of the occasion, Walmart’s Race Time program was launched and is the largest retail promotion in NASCAR history. Race Time 2012 gives customers more accessibility to discounted race tickets, driver appearances and fan events at Walmart stores. It also offers a greater selection of authentic NASCAR merchandise available at Walmart stores and www.Walmart.com/NASCAR.

Who’s on the pit box? Trent Owens will call the shots for  Elliott and the No. 50 Walmart team this weekend.  Owens currently calls the shots for Turner Motorsports’ No. 30 NASCAR NNS entry which currently sits ? in owner points.  The Owens-led team captured the victory in the 2012 season-opener at Daytona International Speedway with driver, James Buescher.

Elliott on this weekend’s Coke Zero 400

Any favorite Daytona memories? ” Obviously the wins are pretty special, but for the most part, any time you can go down there and run well it’s a good deal.”

What makes Daytona different than any other race?  “At Daytona, handling used to be the most important thing and what you spent most of your time working on. Then with the new surface, handling became less of an issue. Now, since they have changed the rear spoiler, handling is back in and something you have to keep up with.”

Expectations for this weekend?  “I’m looking forward to being a part of Turner Motorsports Cup debut and to celebrating Walmart’s 50th birthday. This has been a pretty cool deal to be a part of.  I know we’re going to have a good, competitive car.  We just have run a smooth race and put ourselves in the right position at the right time.”

Favorite statement about Daytona? “I think Tony Stewart said it best when he talked about what it’s like to race at Daytona when he said ‘Racing at Daytona is like a high speed chess game but I ain’t smart enough to even play checkers.’ I think that pretty much sums it up for most of us out there. (laughs)”

Owens on leading Turner Motorsports into their NSCS debut

“It’s exciting to be part of Turner Motorsports’ first Cup race with Bill Elliott and support from Walmart.  We’ve come a long way in just the last two years, so to take this step is really going to be a milestone for everyone who works so hard for this team every day.”

Follow Turner Motorsports on Facebook! Facebook.com/TurnerMotorsports

About Turner Motorsports: Turner Motorsports, LLC, established in 1999, has completed its sophomore season of NASCAR competition. Owned by Texas businessman Steve Turner, the organization expanded in 2011 from a two-truck operation in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series (NCWTS) to become the largest stand-alone multi-series team in NASCAR’s top-tier touring series. Turner Motorsports operates out of an 110,000 square-foot state-of-the art facility in Mooresville, N.C.  The Chevrolet-backed team has created alliances with General Motors’ powerhouse team Hendrick Motorsports, which provides engine support for both its NNS and NCWTS programs, and Earnhardt Technology Group for drive train and suspension technology assistance. Turner Motorsports’ marketing partners include Great Clips, BRANDT, Exide, AccuDoc Solutions, Wolfpack Rentals, Fraternal Order of Eagles ABF Freight, Qualcomm, Duroline Brakes, and KoikeAronson Ransome. For more information on Turner Motorsports, visit www.turnermotorsportsllc.com.