BILL ELLIOTT
NO. 91 AUTO VALUE/BUMPER TO BUMPER DODGE CHARGER
MICHIGAN PREVIEW
Driver: Bill Elliott
Team Director: Chris Andrews
Team Owner: Ray Evernham
ON MICHIGAN SUCCESS:
“I’ve always liked going to Michigan. I’ve just managed to have some decent success there in the past. I can’t really say why. It’s like I’ve said a million times, it’s just a track that suits my driving style. It’s like California, Kansas, Las Vegas or Indy – those racetracks that sort of favor how you drive and where you’re able to put it all together.”
ON THE CHASE:
“It’s just like last year, there was a lot of media coverage up towards race 26. It’s just like the way the points system has been in the past, nobody really talked about it until the end of the year. We’ve had some things that went along with it, but all in all, once you kind of get used to it and it’s a part of things to do, you don’t think much about it. Everybody is trying to run and gain points regardless of if it’s the way the old system was or the way the new system is. To me, you look at it from the standpoint of either getting into the top 10 if it’s more than 400 points, or if you can stay within 400 points of the leader with 10 races to go, then it just starts over again. It’s like you might as well as forget about the first two-thirds of the season if you can stay within that magic number of either 10 or 400, I think is the way it pans out. And with that, you’ve got just as good a shot as a lot of the other guys, with the exception of the way they break the points down there in the last 10 races, from first to whatever position they go back to.”
ON RUNNING A PARTIAL SCHEDULE:
“I’m just taking it a day at a time. If it looks like it’s a pretty good deal, I might do it. If it’s not, I’m not. I told Casey Atwood the first year he was with Ray, I told him to enjoy it because the first time he turns around you’ll be 41 and you’ll look back and wonder where it all went. You better work hard and enjoy it while you can. That’s the point I’m trying to make. A lot of those guys who raced around me are not around today. They’ve retired or gone somewhere else. I guess I’m fortunate to be able to accomplish the things I’ve accomplished and today enjoy a different look and a different part of the sport.”
ELLIOTT AT MICHIGAN INTERNATIONAL SPEEDWAY
Starts 53
Poles 6
Wins 7
Top Fives 17
Top 10s 29
Laps Led 1,004
RACE NOTES
Elliott is scheduled to drive EMS chassis No. 101 this weekend at Michigan. Elliott tested and raced the chassis at Indianapolis this year. The backup Dodge Charger features EMS chassis No. 103.
This will be Elliott’s first start in the No. 91 Auto Value/Bumper to Bumper Dodge Charger this year and his seventh start of the regular season for Evernham Motorsports.
HISTORY OF DOMINANACE
Elliott’s seven victories rank third all-time at Michigan.
Six of Elliott’s wins came in an eight-race span. He won the spring race in 1984 then swept both races in 1985 and 1986, finishing off his run with another victory in the fall race of 1987.
Elliott has swept both Bud Poles at Michigan three times -1988, 1984 and 1985
ACTIVE LEADER IN ALL CATEGORIES
Elliott ranks first among all active drivers with the most poles, wins, top fives, top 10s, and laps led at Michigan.
ELLIOTT RETURNS TO ACTION
Elliott will make his 744th career NASCAR Cup Series start at Michigan. He has 44 career wins, 55 career poles, 175 top fives and 320 top 10s.
Elliott’s next Nextel Cup race is scheduled for California in September.
