Bill Elliott, driver of the #9 Dodge in Cup, visited Cleveland Speedway on Tuesday for a private practice session which he said was “mostly for fun.” Elliott arrived at the Speedway shortly after noon via helicopter. He ran the 1/3 mile dirt track in two different cars, describing Cleveland Speedway as “fast.” Bobby Turner and 17-year-old Bradley Central High School junior Todd Morrow joined Elliott on the track. The two drivers were used to “pace,” or compare, times with the NASCAR great. The practice session was kept private so work could be done. While Elliott admitted his main purpose was for entertainment, the dirt track was also good conditioning for the upcoming NASCAR season. Although he rarely gets time to visit them, Elliott said visiting smaller tracks like Cleveland Speedway is a hobby. Elliott’s visit to Cleveland was the first since he was a child.( Cleveland Daily Banner )(1-9-2003)
