NASCAR WCUP: Elliott looks for luck, top ten finish at Pocono
Posted By Terry CallahanMotorsports Editor, The Auto Channel
July 25, 2001
LONG POND, Penn. - Bill Elliott's hopes for a top-10 run at Pocono Raceway earlier this year went flat when his left front tire blew, taking him from the top 10 to a 27th place finish. But the veteran driver thinks his return trip to the racetrack offers more promise.
The driver of the No. 9 Dodge Dealers Intrepid R/T has rallied three top 10 finishes in his last six races. His notable finishes at Michigan, Sears Point and Chicago were offset by tough luck at New Hampshire and Daytona. Elliott has a lengthy track record at the Pennsylvania 500 that includes three wins three poles-the highest of any active drivers. This weekend he hopes to mix some momentum - and a little luck - to add to his record.
Bill Elliott, driver of the No. 9 Dodge Dealers Intrepid R/T
What's your outlook on returning to Pocono?
"We didn't learn much out there last time. Hopefully we can expand on what we did there last time before we cut the left front tire. Maybe we can take something from our runs out at Indy this week and use it out at Pocono.
"Now that the first half of the season is over I think we'll be better the second time around. But things are going to be different still if NASCAR keeps changing things. We'll try to get better. We're going to have to do a little bit of this and a little bit of that to adjust because the tracks are always changing a little bit. But more than anything we need to just have some good luck."
What are your thoughts on the season thus far?
"You know, as soon as you think you've got the camel by the tail it puts you right under again, I guess. I know we can improve in the second half. The last several races we've run better, if you take out Daytona, we've been better. But if you look around you can see that a lot of people have had problems this year. So, we've just got to keep gaining on everyone.
"I look at our finishes last year and in a lot of stuff I think we did pretty well, if you take into consideration the races at Indianapolis and Daytona. I think we're doing things alright this year, but I'd hoped we'd be further along right now."
Bill Elliott By the Numbers
* Bill Elliott is the active leader in poles, (three) and wins (three) at the Pennsylvania 500. In 39 starts at Pocono Raceway, Elliott has totaled four wins, four poles and 12 top five finishes. His last win at the track came at the 1985 AC Spark Plug 500. He won both 1985 Pocono races from the pole position. His last pole came in 1995 at the Miller GD 500.
* Elliott and the No. 9 team have earned three top 10 finishes in their last six races and four overall for the season. They finished ninth at Michigan and Sears Point, and 10th at Chicagoland.
* This will be Elliott's 643rd start in a NASCAR Winston Cup points event. If he makes every race, his 650th start will be when he returns to New Hampshire International Speedway for the New Hampshire 300 on September 16th.
* Bill Elliott ranks 19th in the points standings. He has remained within the top 10 for half of the season, and within the top 20 for the entire year. His average start is 13.6 and his average finish is 20.1. With $1,686,933 in earnings, (excluding non-point events) Elliott leads all Dodge drivers with money earned this season.
Text provided by Debby Robinson
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