Elliott at Indy UPDATE: #91-Bill Elliott plans to return to Indy, the site of his 43rd career win, driving a Dodge sponsored by Visteon.(RacingOne)(6-12-2004)
UPDATE: on Tuesday, June 22nd, Visteon's Greg Gyllstrom, vice president and general manager of North America and Asia Aftermarket Operations, will join Ray Evernham and driver Bill Elliott to announce details of the Brickyard 400 and a primary sponsorship of the team. Visteon's Aftermarket Operations are committed to leading the market in delivering products that withstand the extreme vehicle requirements and endurance of racing, and to delivering original equipment components and systems to customers and consumers of Aftermarket products. The Brickyard 400 will also be the venue for the first public showing of Visteon's newest line of glass products, the NASCARĀ® Performance Windshields and the GlideMaster rear windows for light duty trucks.(Visteon Site)(6-19-2004)

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redriderbob

 

Melling and Elliott team up at MIS: Mark Melling and Bill Elliott, two of the most famous names in Michigan International Speedway history, are getting back together this weekend at MIS. Melling, a Jackson businessman whose father, Harry, sponsored Elliott from 1981 through 1991, is sponsoring the Bill Elliott Racing Team entry driven by MIS newcomer Ray Cook in the Flagstar 200 ARCA Re/Max Series race Saturday. The sponsorship of Cook by Melling Cylinder Sleeves is one of two Melling sponsorship interests in the ARCA race. Melling is also sponsoring the Melling Oil Pump Chevrolet driven by Billy Venturini.(Michigan Live)
HOWEVER: Bill Elliott's debut as an ARCA Re/Max car owner got off to a rough start Friday when his driver, Ray Cook, became the first to test the new SAFER walls at Michigan International Speedway. Cook lost control of his Dodge late in practice and backed the car hard into the wall in Turn 2. Cook wasn't hurt, but the car's rear end was caved in to the back window, and Cook was not able to qualify it for today's Flagstar 200, scheduled for 1:00pm/et.(Detroit Free Press)(6-19-2004)

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redriderbob

 

Bill Elliott has become a big player in the cola wars that will be fought at Daytona International Speedway next month. The July 3 Nextel Cup race is sponsored by Pepsi, but Atlanta-based Coca-Cola has chosen the event for a huge promotion of its new mid-calorie, reduced-carb beverage, Coca-Cola C2. Elliott, who hasn't raced in Cup since April 4 at Texas, will drive a Coke-sponsored #98 Dodge [not sure how this effects the current #98 Ford team and who would get to use the number, they are listed at #198 for owners, and last I heard, #98 is held by Yates, assume Elliott would be owner #298]. Because his usual car owner Ray Evernham has a deal with Pepsi, Elliott will have to be his own car owner. He will lease the car from Evernham, and after a recent test at Daytona is confident of a strong run. "I'm looking forward to this," Elliott said Wednesday. "Coke's from Georgia and so am I, so for me this is a really neat deal." Seven other drivers will be carrying the C2 colors at Daytona, including #1-John Andretti, who like Elliott, is running a limited schedule this season. Elliott's return as a car owner actually will come this weekend at Michigan when he'll field an ARCA car for his dirt racing buddy, Ray Cook. "Ray's a good young driver and he's worked awfully hard at racing," Elliott said. "I'm just trying to open some doors for him and help him get some credibility."

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redriderbob