Will Bill Elliott’s carpetbagging cost him a Hall of Fame nod?

April 21, 2011 35 Comments »

Should Bill Elliott keep selling his past champions provisional if he doesn't plan to run the whole race? Photo by Rusty Jarrett / Getty Images for NASCAR

The Rolex Sports Car Series doesn’t run at Talladega, but apparently Whitney Motorsports thought so Sunday during the Aaron’s 499.

Lost in the furious finish of Dale Earnhardt Jr. pushing Jimmie Johnson to victory was the fact that J.J. Yeley replaced Bill Elliott in the No. 46 in the middle of the race. I called a team spokesperson Monday to make sure Elliott was feeling OK.

He confirmed that Elliott was fine, but simply didn’t want to run the whole race. So he made a deal with Yeley, the team’s regular driver, to finish up for him before the race even started. If you’re Memo Rojas and Scott Pruett in Daytona Prototypes, that’s how business is done. In NASCAR, not so much.

Now, I wasn’t one of the folks who felt Elliott was tarnishing his legacy by bouncing around uncompetitive rides in his 50s — until now. The past few years made sense largely because his son, 15-year-old Chase, was developing his racing career as a rapid pace. Putting youngsters in cars is expensive for anybody, and Bill’s past champions provisional is about the only pension a NASCAR driver will ever see.

It was a good deal for everybody involved. An owner could put Elliott in his car and know it would be in the race. Elliott could make quick money while continuing to rub shoulders in NASCAR garages while seeking the best long-term opportunity for his son. (He was successful, as Chase Elliott signed a developmental deal with Hendrick Motorsports in February.)

Most importantly, Elliott could stay just sharp enough behind the wheel that if Chase progressed a la Joey Logano, maybe Bill could get a taste of the thrill Dale Earnhardt Sr. had driving against his boy.

This “second career” couldn’t take away from his 1988 Cup title, his two Daytona 500 triumphs, his 1985 Winston Million win, his improbable win at the Brickyard 400 in 2002 or his 16 Most Popular Driver awards. Why? Because 1) it was based on selflessness, trying to help his son; and 2) there was no reason to believe that if Elliott found his way back in a competitive ride, he wouldn’t immediately get the fire back in his belly and try to do something with that opportunity.

So why would he agree to sell his provisional and then willingly step out of the car at one of the few places where something crazy could happen and he could actually win? (See Dave Blaney.)

There’s a good chance that Elliott will be an immediate nominee for the NASCAR Hall of Fame once he retires, but sticking around so far past his prime isn’t helping.

If he makes a habit out of of the deal he made Sunday, Chase may be a few years into his Hall of Fame career before his dad finally gets tapped.

The only kind of ride Bill Elliott should accept now is one into the sunset.

  • http://Nascar James Robert

    Bill Elliott has done enough for this sport to get him in the hall of Fame. He brought back Fords and completely dominated the field for a few years. He has shown when he had a good ride, he could win.

    He and his family got the fire going with Earnhart Sr. and the old dogs of the day. He showed his passion when he lapped the field 2 time to win going speed un heard of today. Not many drivers would have shown that much heart and drive to win.

    I got interested in Nascar due to Bill Elliott killing the Chevy’s in 1985. I raced Fords and new was beet by a Chevy so it was good in those days.

  • Jim Crooks

    I agree in part. It’s somewhat sad to see Awesome Bill running in some of the cars he’s been in over the last few years, with the exception of the Wood Brothers 21, but now that Trevor Bayne has done what he’s done, I suppose Bill’s out of that car for good. I enjoy seeing Bill in the races, regardless of what car he’s in though. Whether it hurts his chances of getting into the HOF, you might be right. When you look at Darrell Waltrip, he obviously stayed around longer than he should have in the driver’s seat. I still miss seeing guys like DW and Rusty Wallace behind the wheel though.

    I suppose right now, Bill Elliot just wants to race, and he isn’t really thinking about the Hall of Fame. Bill apparently doesn’t want to race full time, but he’s happy to keep his hat in the ring for the time being. One day he will be in the HOF, but I don’t know that it matters to him when that will happen.

  • William

    The reason Bill is doing the popping arround is to make money to help support Chase in his racing.

  • dbeesokc

    If the owner feels that the driver is competitive enough get his car in the show and not cost him a lot of money due to wreckage, let him go. Retirement is not as easy as it seems or sounds. Competitive people like to stay in competitive environments. Maybe when Bill decides that he wants to get into management, he’ll concede the seat to someone else.

  • Tyler West

    That in no way should hurt Bill. The Hall of Fame is a joke anyway. First of all every Winston Champ should be automatically on the ballot. Awesome Bill did what Earnhardt never did, he captured the first Winston Million. Only Gordon matched that. Multiple 500 victories, the Million, an 88 Winston title, a Brickyard, being part of the greatest season ever in the 92 battle for the Winston title and lets not forget owning both speedway records at 210 and 212 mph plus . There is no question Bill should be there, ALL FORMER CHAMPS SHOULD BE THERE! It’s shameful, writers want to cry and whine about people like Wendell Scott, who gives a flip if he ever gets in there. Get champions in from all forms of Nascar racing then worry about the field fillers. Wallace needs to be on the ballot as well. The Hall needs to check its self!!

  • http://jayski dagsboro

    From what I saw when he was driving for the Wood’s he rarely used the the PCP. Most of the commentaries I read don’t seem to pay any attention to that. He qualified on time the vast majority of his attempts in a car I think we can all agree wasn’t all that competitive. I remember DW using a PCP every week and nobody seems to be bad mouthing him. Having said all that I agree he shouldn’t pull that Talladega deal every week. Swapping out is alot different than running the whole race.

  • Rick Wood

    You do not know the whole story and did not take the time to research.
    Just like the typical media (or one who thinks he is) today, part story, your opinion.
    Too bad he could not be put in a Hendrick ride today, he would have immediate success like Martin…not like Junior.

  • Wilbur

    garbage , many of you dale and young guns are livid about seeing Bill the most popular driver ever to leave Nascar so your boys can have a free run.. Bill can still drive circles around any active driver given the same equipment. Your junk is just what I said as you are in the minority here. Bill has more fans than Nascar does at the moment.

  • Joe Lane

    How many drinks have you taken Stewart? This has got to be the most idiotic I’ve seen in a while. You know NOTHING about the Elliotts and now I’m willing to tell NOTHING now except Bill is not about selling himself. I never leave comments like this but you are a moron.

  • timber9

    Your a damn idiot!

  • Jeff F.

    Just another article,thats garbage.You write things about an individual based on what someone else says without getting your information from the source.

  • Shannon Sanford

    This has to be the most stupid articles I have ever read in my life. For a so call writer to say this about one of the greatest race car driver’s to sit behind the wheel. What turnip truck did you fall off of? The only one that has sold out is NASCAR! Bill Elliott can still out drive any driver in NASCAR today in equal equipment. Kyle Busch or Jimmie Johnson couldn’t get the finishes that Bill has posted in the equipment he has driven over the last 4 or 5 years. As the World Turns Left is nothing more than a Left Wing post for Brian France. Bill Elliott is an ambassador for NASCAR. Never does ne put anyone down or say anythingThis has to be the most stupid articles I have ever read in my life. For a so call writer to say this about one of the greatest race car driver’s to sit behind the wheel. What turnip truck did you fall off of? The only one that has sold out is NASCAR! Bill Elliott can still out drive any driver in NASCAR today in equal equipment. Kyle Busch or Jimmie Johnson couldn’t get the finishes that Bill has posted in the equipment he has driven over the last 4 or 5 years. As the World Turns Left is nothing more than a Left Wing post for Brian France. Bill Elliott is an ambassador for NASCAR. Never does ne put anyone down or say anything negative about NASCAR. After all he has down for the sport, this is the thanks he gets! Whatever object you have lodged in your brain that’s causing you to have these delusional thoughtsis of great concern. You need to seek immediate medical attention for that problem NOW!!!!

  • Shannon Sanford

    This has to be the most stupid article I have ever read in my life. For a so call writer to say this about one of the greatest race car driver’s to ever sit behind the wheel. What turnip truck did you fall off of? The only one that has sold out is NASCAR! Bill Elliott can still out drive any driver in NASCAR today in equal equipment. Kyle Busch or Jimmie Johnson couldn’t get the finishes that Bill has posted in the equipment he has driven over the last 4 or 5 years. As the World Turns Left is nothing more than a Left Wing post for Brian France. Bill Elliott is an ambassador for NASCAR. Never does he put anyone down or say anything negative about NASCAR. Whatever object is lodged in your brain that’s causing you to have these delusional thoughts is of great concern. You need to seek immediate medical attention for this problem NOW!!!!!

  • Mike Locklear

    No way…he has as much or more to do with the rise of NASCAR popularity in the television era than anyone else…Bill’s dominance and fearless record breaking feats of speed in the mid 80′s at the Speedways provided the perfect vehicle for NASCAR and ESPN to tout the previously called out “taxicab style” racing as breathtaking and nothing short of major league…

    If in fact it does cost him a nod, it would have been done for a great reason…he kept the Elliott name relevant in helping out the Wood Brothers along with many others but in the end it is Rick Hendrick who helped Bill and more importantly Chase…

    When he turns 18 they better watch out…he will be what we were told Joey Logano was….

    If you were not there to witness how great “Awesome Bill” was in his prime you indeed missed something special…

  • TTaylor944

    I’m glad to know someone else finally noticed it. I have always defended Bill Elliott, Terry Labonte, and the past champion’s provisional. If a driver wants to stick around after their career is over and run a few races here and there they have ever right to do so. After all, they are PAST CHAMPIONS. I had a feeling when the #46 was so far off the pace in qualifying that something like this was going to happen. I didn’t like that this really was a blatant abuse of the PCP, but then I looked at who the three cars were going home: the #60 from Germain has never done anything but start-and-park, the #37 is run by Larry Gunselman’s team which has never done anything but start-and-park, and the #66 under any name is just an absolute joke. MSRP, PRSM, Humphries-D’Hont, and now “HP Racing” they were the group that turned start-and-park from an occasional problem that small teams had to do to survive to an absolute business plan. So when I realized that Elliott/Whitney Motorsports sent home three cars that probably had no intent of racing I really wasn’t too concerned.

    As for Bill Elliott harming his career by hanging around: look at DW. He wasn’t relevant the last 10 years of his career, but he made the list of nominations in the second year. That would suggest that at worst he’s about a 6th ballot Hall of Famer. Bill Elliott will still make it in when the time comes that he deserves it, but I’d say there’s probably at least 100 people deserving of the nod before him.

  • Ken Gentry

    After 35 years in NASCAR, and accomplishing everything there is to in this sport. If Mr. Elliott wants to use one of his pcp’s to help out a struggling team that uses his brother’s engines. Then so be it, he’s earned that right. I doubt very seriously if that will affect his Hall of Fame status.
    I also cannot believe you accuse him of “carpetbagging” and “selling out”. Since apparently you didn’t even try to speak to him about his reasons for leaving the race Sunday.
    This just shows me you are the worst type of sensationalist hack reporter/commentator there is. But I guess what should we expect from someone who works for the “National Enquirer” of media outlets?
    Finally for a NOBODY like you to say that Mr. Elliott should just “ride off into the sunset”, is an absolute joke. In a few years when Mr. Elliott has retired, and is standing at the podium making his Hall of Fame speech.
    No one will even remember your name pal.

  • http://www.tireball.com John

    To all the people who can’t read this was clearly an opinion based article.
    I mean read the darn title, now who is the idiot?

    Anyway I don’t see how this could keep Bill out of the hall eventually. Obviously I can think of 5 active guys who are as good a pick as him but ya know how NASCAR wants to honor their good ole boys first

    It is a real bummer to see Bill as nothing more then a crappy version of an also ran

  • mike danvers

    The people who are so upset here should realize it’s only an opinion, and a question that fans ask all the time about drivers who have been pushed aside by the time they’re in their late 40′s. Bill was great in his day, he’s hanging around for whatever reason, be it money or love of racing or lack of something else to do. He’ll easily make the hall of fame and he’s entitled to finish his career however he wants to. But the point of the article is that like DW, Sterling Marlin, Terry LaBonte and a few others, he’s just tarnishing what he did by driving the start and parks. Rusty Wallace quit at the right time. But it goes on in every sport. Remember Ken Griffey Jr. and Steve Carlton? Maybe the next story should deal with Bobby LaBonte. He has one last chance not to tarnish his legacy by getting the 47 car up front this year.

  • Kevin Grube

    What about the part where Elliott got screwed out of the 09 ride this year. I don’t even want to hear that crap about “performance issues”. HOGWASH! He put that car further up the standings than anybody else could have based on the crap equipment he was in. He was willing to fix that team up and make runs at quality finishes this season. Bill Elliott will be in the HOF. Hell, he already is.. he’s a 16 time Most Popular Driver Award winner. And that’s from the only crowd that really matters, the fans. Sounds pretty famous to me.

  • Rick Mc

    The whole past champion provisional thing was changed to a limited number because of DW in case you all don’t remember. I was one of his biggest fans and it pained me to no end to see that spiral of a great champion. In my mind, that was humiliating. For a man to have that much ego and not be able to see the writing on the wall is just sad. No one here has mentioned Petty. If there was ever anything that made me question the validity of NASCAR it would have to be him “winning the pole” at Daytona after running like a broken dick throughout his final years. If indeed this is a real sport and these are athletes, there comes a time when you’re too old to play. you wouldn’t see these guys still on the field or skating down the ice at this age and be competitive.
    And besides, being a field filler either by barely qualifying or using the PCP takes away the opportunity or spot away from a young up and coming hot-shot with little funding but great talent like Elliot did when he first showed up on the scene.
    Terry Labonte, you’re no different, hang it up while we still see you as a champ and not a chump who needs the money? who said that? Most of these guys have car dealerships and such. If the reason they’re still here is for the money, that makes it even more sad. They all made substaintial incomes for a number of years and now have no money? Go away winners, not losers!

  • Rick Mc

    Bill Elliot should be ashamed of himself, as should Terry Labonte. This all reeks of the same stench of DW and of course the worst case of all, Richard Petty. They were so past their prime and still showed up every week only to further humiliate themselves. The sin of it all is when the younger fans only see them limping around like a broken dick in their final years, this far surpasses the greatness they had acheived and leave these fans wondering what all the fuss is about of how great they were. If there was ever a stunt that made me question the validity and integrity of NASCAR it was when Petty won the pole for Daytona the year Reagan showed up. That was so full of crap and an obvious publicity stunt.
    Both Petty and Waltrip were greats, emphasis on the WERE. If memory serves me correcty, they actually changed the Past Champion’s Provisional rule because of Waltrip using it week in and week out. Don’t get me wrong here, I was a Waltrip fan, emphasis on the WAS but that was ridiculous. To me this only takes a spot away from an otherwise eligible competitor. Which leads me to my next point: I know Elliot actually qualified on time for Talledega, this time. I remember the no name team of the Elliot’s rolling into race tracks with no money, driving their own “hauler” themselves and going out and blowing everyone away on the track. Those days are long gone I realize when under funded teams can accomplish the impossible but when a Past Champion takes a spot, and isn’t even remotely competitive, isn’t he taking an opportunity away from an up and comer upstart like they were when they came into the sport? Or at least someone who wants to run….the entire race. Which leads me to my last point: Elliot’s stunt while driving a car for a start and park team. When did this craziness become acceptable? The other week when Jennifer Jo had her issue with the arse hole owner she was driving for and he marched into the NASCAR hauler to plead his case and intentions to start and then park the truck, shouldn’t NASCAR have stepped up and kicked him off the premises? To announce to the sanctioning body that you did not intend to run the entire event should have been the cardinal sin as far as I’m concerned. Again, these teams run a good qualifying lap or use a Past Champ to get in only to park the car and go to the pay window? Doesn’t this take away a spot from someone who wants to run the whole race?

  • Patrick F.

    Let see, Bill’s used something like around 3 PCP in the last 3 or 4 years. Not many at all. He got the Wood Bros. into races repeatedly before Roush Racing brought Bayne up providing chassis and tech support to WBR. Elliott did this racing the car into the field week in week out. Phoenix had trouble making races, Bill races them into the field and into the top 35 in points (26th) then they drop him. He can still race a car into the field and would have probably done so with Whitney Motorsports had the engine not gone sour in qualifying. Is Elliott the driver he once was? No, certainly not. But if had been given the shot Mark Martin has he would certainly show similar results, most likely better IMHO. Ask Ray Evernham.

    Bill can still get it done, I’m not sure why he did what he did for Whitney. But I’m sure he had his reasons. But he’s not whoring out his PCP routinely as this article suggests. Facts are he’s been racing these cars into the field without having to use it a vast majority of the time. Unlike DW and Petty who relied on it week in and week out to solely make races. Bill can still get it done and do it in equipment that isn’t top notch.

  • jtkrezman

    I believe Bill Elliott is being a good hearted greatful Champion just helping out his friends, as his father did before him.
    The people that hurt are detractors . (Probably not many) He still can carry an also run car to help a short funded team run in Nascars top 35 and help a start and park to a few extra bucks at a super track like Talladega, Al. That’s just good old Bill Elliott giving a friend a hand up. When Bill started he was given some help from then Nascar Champ Benny Parsons. Benny will be a hall of famer soon. Bill Elliott will be in the hall when and if he decides to retire. Red Farmer is still racing at 79 and running good.
    Good for you Bill Elliott. your glass is always half full.

  • Blake

    I bet Stewart didn’t research the fact that the only reason Elliott got out of the car on Sunday was to go and support Chase at his K&N race at South Boston after it was rescheduled until Sunday……

    • admin

      How many races did Dale Earnhardt Sr. leave early for to go watch his kids race?

      • Patrick F

        Sr. hardly had anything to do with his kids until they were older, but that hardly has anything to do with your article. Your reply kind of contradicts it. The article was about Elliott carpet bagging and selling off his PCP. Let’s look at how many PCP he’s used in the last four years. This is just his 4th PCP used since the start of the 2008 season. That’s hardly whoring out the PCP. Plus he’d run mainly for the Woods since 2007. He started helping the Woods because they needed it and he considered them friends. He still had the itch to race and went with Phoenix with the intentions to run 18 races, maybe even a full season if things went well. Whitney runs his brothers engines, there in most likely lies the answer to the question for helping Whitney. Bill is the epitome of class, something NASCAR has long since forgotten.

  • Tom1194

    This just shows writers these days and some readers don’t do limited research before offering opinions that, though erroneous, may hurt chances of their targets of getting rides.
    first thing – Trevor Bayne and the 21 – that was a Jack Roush car, Jack Roush crewchief, Jack Roush driver with the 21 painted on the side. Officially the car was owned by Richard Petty because the Wood Brothers bought their way into the top 35.
    All the Daytona and Talladega “races” show is that it takes less experience to win one of those specticles.

    2nd thing – the 46 car – a lifter went bad during the qualifying attempt and they had to change the engine for the race. If you would have noticed the 46 was the fastest of the cars not in the top 35.

    Bill ran consistantly last year and the team screwed up most all pit stops. Bayne and Cassill have done nothing but tear up cars this year. That is the type of drivers Bill should bow out to???? I don’t think so!

  • Bob

    A poorly written article by a “reporter” that doesn’t leave his basement. Stick to wrestling and popping your pimples.

  • Bob

    Had I noticed that this was a Faux sportless site, I wouldn’t have wasted my time.

  • Dale Brown

    Well it says at the top of this article that you are a writer for NASCAR, Country Music, and Wrestling. I sincerely hope you know much more about the last two, because you don’t know squat about NASCAR. Like everyone else in NASCAR when they decided to hang their helmet up, their career was looked at over their entire career, not the last couple of years. Case in point, lets take Darrell Waltrip, he ran the last three or four years of his career living on provisionals. I don’t mean the two or so Elliott has used in three or four years, I mean every race. He was horrable. I have never been a fan of his but I felt sorry for the guy. He couldn’t get out of his own way. But do people remember that now about Waltrip, not hardly.

    A race drivers career is defined from start to finish and everything in between. Especially in Bill Elliott’s case where he had a very rough trip into NASCAR with no funds, used cars and unpaid crew people. But what he did have was the desire to acheive his goals and did that and more. How many drivers now practice their cars and then get out and crawl under them to work on the car. Bill did it for years, that why he has such a good understanding of how the car works and how to make it work better.

    His acomplishments go on and on which if you will check the record book, no one will break some of them. Beyond that he did it with class and humility, something very rare today. If Bill Elliott isn’t a shoe in for the Hall of Fame their shouldn’t be one!

    And as for your my friend ( I us that term loosely), you should stick to Country Music and Wrestling because it obvious you know nothing about the present or the history of NASCAR. This just goes to show everyone anybody with a computer and an internet link can think they know about NASCAR, you don’t have a clue! You might write about the top of the charts in Country Music, but Bill Elliott has been on the top of the NASCAR charts for years!

  • Rick Mc

    Way to go Josh, keep up the good work. it’s nice to see someone actually writing what a good portion of us are thinking instead of all the sanitized stuff on NASCAR.com. it’s obvious to me you know what you’re talking about and how about the response you got? Doesn’t take much to wind folks up these days.
    We are in the world of “what have you done lately?”
    This article doesn’t state anything other than the obvious and that is Bill is past his prime. It doesn’t say anything about Bill not being a nice guy or his popularity, which I don’t think anyone would question. But when I pay $100 for a race ticket I want to see guys who are serious contenders racing for a win, not a quick pay cheque. If anyone can honestly say they believe Bill had a chance to win last week, you are more dilusional than you think and should probably have constant medical attention.
    And remember, NASCAR is selling this as a sport, not a movie, not entertainment.
    If that’s what it is, there’s nothing more sad than an athlete who doesn’t know when to say when. I do remember Waltrip as the joke he was! He was a washup plain and simple and I was a fan. There’s a difference between being a fan and being realistic. The same folks who are sympathetic to Bill’s deal here are the same people who think Michael Waltrip is a great race car driver…….Lake Speed and Derick Cope both won
    the Daytona 500. So the real question here, and this one is gonna wind you all up in knots: would Earnhardt still be racing if he were alive at, how old? 61 or 62?

    • Patrick F

      Rick, there has never been a day when you put down your money on a race ticket and every driver had a legitimate shot to win. If that’s what you want then I’m sad to say you will never be satisfied with attending a race.

      The article basically said Bill is selling his PCP off when in fact he’s only used four in the past four years counting this one. When he’s actually taken back marker cars and consistently raced them into races. People were saying the same thing about Elliott when he took the Evernham ride. Old, slow, over the hill. How’d that turn out. He took WBR and helped turn them from a team consistently missing races to a team that was consistently racing in on speed. He took Phoenix Racing, another team consistently falling on it’s face outside of the restrictor plate tracks and put them in the top 26 in points. I’m realistic and realize that Elliott isn’t the driver he once was. But I’m also realistic enough to know that if you put him in the same type of competitive equipment Mark Martin is racing in that he could do as good or better.

      In the end it should come down to what Elliott wants to do. If he wants to race and still enjoys racing, then so be it. I say let him race. The facts are this year he was 26th in points before he lost his ride. So washed up or not, he was still better than 17 of the other competitors he was competing with who are all younger than him.

      P.S. Lake Speed never won the Daytona 500. He did finish 2nd once that I can think of, to winner Bill Elliott :-)

      • Rick Mc

        Hey Patrick, All good points and you got me on Lake Speed, that’s what I get for writing rants at 5:45 am! 

        I agree Bill is still a decent driver and the point I’m trying to make that he’s taking a spot away from a more deserving driver when sad to say, there isn’t really a lot of those waiting in the wings. 

        At this point in time where all of the major teams have development deals up the wazoo and kids all over the continent either being home schooled or dropping out to chase their 
        dream you would think there would be 100 entries showing up for qualifying each week when in fact there’s seldom more than 5 that get sent home.

        Maybe it’s a reflection of the economy or perhaps this shows that Cup is harder than it looks or that the day of the unknown up and comer doesn’t stand a chance at this level against the established teams of Hendrick-Roush-Childress. Then again I suppose that could have been said back in the day of the Woods-Carl Kiekhaefer-Petty.

        I’ll give you this one too, “If indeed Bill wants to race, let him 
        race” ……the entire race though. You have to admit that kind of stinks don’t you? I always think of the local short track big event where the Cup star flies in as a draw, drives a rented 
        ride only to pull off the track around halfway when not running competitve makes his way to the chopper and blows out of town.  That’s just gross, so you would think I’d be used to not getting my monies worth.

        That’s the business side of this thing and I guess I know that. That said, the past few years Regan Smith and David Reutimann have flown to our very remote region of the world to run our big “250″.  They run hard and competitve, stick around for all the promo stuff go and visit some sick kids and all that. I guess they still do it for the love of it and not just the paycheck.

        all the best Patrick…….

  • Devo

    This is a waste of internet space, what has this writer ever done? he is a joke and about as informed as a lug nut. If Bill wants to race he will, he will take care of the owners car and not screw it up like half the iddiots out there, plus they can get a sub par car into the show and thats how they make money. The start and parks have shown that its worth the time to just show up. Bill does not need to race for his kid to be in the garage, he will have to earn it no silver spoon for a new kid you either have talent or you are a test dummy. Bill is a class act as you will ever meet and knows the buisiness end of the sport. if he wants to start the race its fine by me if he gets out if he finishes great he has earned the respect of the drivers and fans. The writer of this article is a lug nut and needs to go back to playing with his hot wheels.

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