Elliott to run limited schedule
in '04, maybe a little longer
Rookie Kahne to run No. 9 full time,
while veteran driver will take another number
By JIM UTTER
ThatsRacin.com Writer
AP
President Bush shares a laugh with drivers Tony Stewart (second from right), Bill Elliott (right) and Kevin Harvick (left) at the White House.
NEW YORK – Former Winston Cup champion Bill Elliott will run a limited schedule next season and take an active role in the development of his successor at Evernham Motorsports, NASCAR sources confirmed Wednesday.
Elliott, 48, is expected to reveal his plans at a news conference Thursday morning at the Waldorf-Astoria Hotel, site of Friday night's Winston Cup awards ceremony.
Elliott's move to a limited schedule – which may involve more than one season, depending on sponsor issues and Elliott's desire to continue racing – makes way for the arrival of NASCAR Busch Series driver Kasey Kahne at Evernham.
Kahne, 23, will drive the No. 9 Dodge the entire 2004 Nextel Cup schedule, sources said. The races Elliott runs, perhaps as many as 10 a season, will be in a third Evernham entry, the number of which has yet to be determined, sources said.
In Thursday's announcement, Elliott is expected to make clear his limited schedule is not a "retirement tour," per se, sources said. Instead, Elliott's role at Evernham will be more as a mentor for Kahne and Elliott will take on a more active role as a business partner with team owner Ray Evernham, sources said.
Evernham, Elliott and Kahne were traveling to New York on Wednesday and unavailable for comment. All three, as well as Evernham driver Jeremy Mayfield, are expected to attend Thursday's announcement.
Elliott contemplated retirement much of this season, but the late-season success of his No. 9 team prompted speculation he could return for another full season.
He finished ninth in points, his best finish since he was eighth in 1997 while still driving for his own team. He joined Evernham in 2001.
Elliott's 43 Cup victories rank 14th on the all-time list and ninth in the modern era (since 1972). He is a 16-time winner of the National Motorsports Press Association's "Most Popular Driver" award and the 1988 Winston Cup champion.
Kahne has 54 starts in the Busch Series and just completed his first full season. He ended the year with his first career victory, Nov. 15 at Homestead, Fla., and finished seventh in points with his Akins Motorsports team.
Evernham's interest in Kahne was first reported in October, when Kahne said he had been approached by several Cup teams. Kahne was under contract with Ford Motor Co. through the 2005 season, but none of the interested Cup teams ran Fords.
After a sometimes-testy public dispute with Ford, it appears the contract issues have been resolved, at least to the point that Kahne is able to drive for Evernham's Dodge organization.
Kahne will also continue to drive for Akins next season in the No. 38, which will move to Dodge and utilize Evernham
in '04, maybe a little longer
Rookie Kahne to run No. 9 full time,
while veteran driver will take another number
By JIM UTTER
ThatsRacin.com Writer
AP
President Bush shares a laugh with drivers Tony Stewart (second from right), Bill Elliott (right) and Kevin Harvick (left) at the White House.
NEW YORK – Former Winston Cup champion Bill Elliott will run a limited schedule next season and take an active role in the development of his successor at Evernham Motorsports, NASCAR sources confirmed Wednesday.
Elliott, 48, is expected to reveal his plans at a news conference Thursday morning at the Waldorf-Astoria Hotel, site of Friday night's Winston Cup awards ceremony.
Elliott's move to a limited schedule – which may involve more than one season, depending on sponsor issues and Elliott's desire to continue racing – makes way for the arrival of NASCAR Busch Series driver Kasey Kahne at Evernham.
Kahne, 23, will drive the No. 9 Dodge the entire 2004 Nextel Cup schedule, sources said. The races Elliott runs, perhaps as many as 10 a season, will be in a third Evernham entry, the number of which has yet to be determined, sources said.
In Thursday's announcement, Elliott is expected to make clear his limited schedule is not a "retirement tour," per se, sources said. Instead, Elliott's role at Evernham will be more as a mentor for Kahne and Elliott will take on a more active role as a business partner with team owner Ray Evernham, sources said.
Evernham, Elliott and Kahne were traveling to New York on Wednesday and unavailable for comment. All three, as well as Evernham driver Jeremy Mayfield, are expected to attend Thursday's announcement.
Elliott contemplated retirement much of this season, but the late-season success of his No. 9 team prompted speculation he could return for another full season.
He finished ninth in points, his best finish since he was eighth in 1997 while still driving for his own team. He joined Evernham in 2001.
Elliott's 43 Cup victories rank 14th on the all-time list and ninth in the modern era (since 1972). He is a 16-time winner of the National Motorsports Press Association's "Most Popular Driver" award and the 1988 Winston Cup champion.
Kahne has 54 starts in the Busch Series and just completed his first full season. He ended the year with his first career victory, Nov. 15 at Homestead, Fla., and finished seventh in points with his Akins Motorsports team.
Evernham's interest in Kahne was first reported in October, when Kahne said he had been approached by several Cup teams. Kahne was under contract with Ford Motor Co. through the 2005 season, but none of the interested Cup teams ran Fords.
After a sometimes-testy public dispute with Ford, it appears the contract issues have been resolved, at least to the point that Kahne is able to drive for Evernham's Dodge organization.
Kahne will also continue to drive for Akins next season in the No. 38, which will move to Dodge and utilize Evernham