Bill Elliott’s No. 9 pit crew notched its fifth victory in the McDonald’s Drive-Thru Pit Championship fueled by POWERade by edging Elliott Sadler’s team in Sunday’s MBNA America 400 at Dover (Del.) International Speedway. The No. 9 pit crew became the second team to capture five McDonald’s/POWERade wins and season prize money of $100,000 ($20,000 for each win). The crew for Dale Earnhardt Jr. also has five victories. The four other first-place finishes for Elliott’s crew were at: Bristol (March), Talladega (April), New Hampshire (July) and Darlington (August). Elliott’s No. 9 Evernham Motorsports Dodge spent the least amount of time on pit road for participating teams during the Dover race – 197.400 seconds. Sadler’s No. 38 M&Ms Ford was a close second with a total pit road time of 197.728. Third was Jeff Burton’s Citgo Ford at 230.933. “The guys certainly earned it this week,” said Elliott. “They were on their game. We gained several positions on pit road, not just once but throughout the day. I am proud of them.” Elliott’s over-the-wall crew consists of: Todd Colburn (jackman), Nick Bailey (front tire carrier), Jim Pohlman (front tire changer), Eric Wakeland (rear tire carrier), Joe Kruschek (rear tire changer), Rodney Rhodes (gasman) and Steve Lawrence (catch can). The team’s crew chief is Mike Ford and the pit crew coach is Greg Miller. Though Michael Waltrip’s No. 15 Chevrolet had an early exit in the Dover race, the team hardly lost any ground in the McDonald’s Drive-Thru Pit Championship fueled by POWERade point standings. The team’s closest challenger – the No. 8 Budweiser Chevrolet team for Dale Earnhardt Jr. – also posted a DNF. Waltrip’s pit crew has a 32-point lead over Earnhardt’s crew. Kurt Busch’s team is third – 42 points behind. The season pit crew champion will earn a $200,000 bonus.(DMF Communications PR), for season results, other race results and pit crew news I find, see my Pit Crew page .(9-25-2003)
