Sharpie 500

WOOD BROTHERS RACING HAS SOLID START; BRUSH WITH WRECK FATED FINISH AT BRISTOL

BRISTOL, TN — Bill Elliott in the No. 21 Ford Fusion qualified in the top 5 and had a solid run in the top 10 for most of the first half of the Sharpie 500, until a brush with a multi car wreck put the team mid-pack in the field where he finished 26th.

Elliott took the green flag in the fifth position after a great qualifying run on Friday afternoon. Within first 25 laps of the race, he was still in the top 10, and Crew Chief David Hyder radioed that he was as fast as race leader Carl Edwards. By lap 72, the No. 21 was putting cars a lap down and was in the eighth position. The first caution flag flew on lap 96, and Bill was scored in the 10th position. He reported that the car was a little tight, but it worked its way out as he put more laps on the tires. The team called the No. 21 down pit road for four tires and fuel with no adjustments. Bill was happy with the car, however, the No. 21 lost two spots in the race off of pit road. He restarted the race 12th on lap 103. The next 100 laps of the 500 lap event were caution-free. As Hyder gave lap times, he repeatedly noted that Bill was running faster than the leader. By the time Elliott moved up to the 11 spot, another yellow flag flew on lap 196. Bill didn’t want any changes made to the car so the team put on four fresh tires, added fuel and sent him back to the track in 11th.

The race restarted on lap 206, but only a few more laps ticked by when another caution flag flew for an eight car wreck that occurred on lap 216. Bill dove down to the track apron to avoid the crashing race cars ahead. As he did, the right front and rear wheels hit another car. There was some damage, but the team couldn’t tell if it needed immediate attention or could wait until the next opportunity to pit. NASCAR brought out the red flag to stop the race. The team asked other drivers parked near Bill to assess the damage as he sat on the track. The team decided not to take the risk of having the rear fender rub on and cut the tire. As soon as NASCAR lifted the red flag and opened pit road, Elliott brought the No. 21 in for four tires and to fix any damage. This moved Bill back to the 13th position as the race restarted on lap 222.

As soon as Bill took the green on the restart, he reported that the front end didn’t feel right. He was worried the hit to the front tire knocked the “toe” out — meaning that the front right tire was no longer facing forward, it was pointed out which effected the car's steering. Bill had a difficult time handling the car and fell to the 19th position on lap 240. The team anxiously awaited the next caution so they could repair the issue, yet green flag racing continued until lap 280 when they used the opportunity to pit. At that point, the No. 21 fell one lap down to the leader. The 21 pit crew found that the toe was out three-quarters of an inch and was in need of repairing. They sent Bill back to the track and had him return to pit road the next time around for the repair so that he wouldn’t lose another lap. They were able to get the job done and sent him back for the restart on lap 325 in the 25th position. The next 75 laps would prove to be trying for the No. 21 as Bill worked to regain track position. On lap 400 another caution flew, and the No. 21 pitted for four tires and fuel. As he left pit road, he received a penalty for speeding and had to restart at the tail end of the longest line. Already three laps down, Elliott remained in the 26th spot where he took the checkered flag.

Aside from the unfortunate circumstances, Bill was extremely happy with the team and the car that they provided for him. “The guys worked hard and gave me a great car this weekend," Elliott said. "It’s just unfortunate that we got involved in that wreck and had to make a major adjustment. I feel we had a top 10 car that drove so well that even my grandfather could have driven it.”

The Wood Brothers Racing No. 21 Little Debbie® Ford Fusion will travel cross country to Auto Club Speedway in Fontana, California with driver Marcos Ambrose for the Pepsi 500 on Sunday, August 31st. Contributed by Christina Cicci, Wood Brothers Racing

Sharpie 500 Results:
1. Carl Edwards
2. Kyle Busch
3. Denny Hamlin
4. Kevin Harvick
5. Jeff Gordon
6. Ryan Newman
7. Clint Bowyer
8. Tony Stewart
9. Matt Kenseth
10. David Ragan
26. Bill Elliott

2008 Final
Point Standings:
1. Jimmie Johnson — 6684
2. Carl Edwards — 6615
3. Greg Biffle — 6467
4. Kevin Harvick — 6408
5. Clint Bowyer — 6381
6. Jeff Burton — 6335
7. Jeff Gordon — 6316
8. Denny Hamlin — 6214
9. Tony Stewart — 6202
10. Kyle Busch — 6186
11. Matt Kensteh — 6184
12. D. Earnhardt, Jr. — 6127
36. M. Ambrose* — 2655
*Listed by Owner Points for Michael Waltrip Racing/
JTG Daugherty Racing