now hearing that Bill Elliott will semi-retire and run five Cup races in 2004, assuming it’ll be in the #9 Dodge.(10-2-2003) UPDATE: The Winston Cup garage is rife with rumors about Bill Elliott’s possible retirement, but Elliott himself says it’s still too early to announce his plans for 2004 and beyond. “There’s too much going on to say anything right now,” Elliott said. There apparently are several scenarios in play, but at this point, none of them have Elliott walking away from the sport at the end of this season. He is expected to either run the full season next year for car owner Ray Evernham or run a limited schedule — possibly five major events. Elliott’s plans hinge on several factors, including what Evernham does with Elliott’s team car, the No. 19 Dodge now driven by Jeremy Mayfield. Evernham said there are no firm plans in place yet for either of his two teams. “Everything’s not settled,” Evernham said. “We hope to have it settled by the time we roll into Atlanta, but right now we’re concentrating on it race-by-race, trying to win some races here.”( Atlanta Journal-Constitution )(10-4-2003) UPDATE 2 – An odd Elliott rumor: hear a hot rumor circulating around the garage area at Martinsville this weekend is that Ford and Dodge are working on a swap. Ford will release Kasey Kahne from his contract to drive for Evernham Motorsports. In exchange, Elliott will run one last season in a Ford in 2004 with a team to be determined. Unsure if it would be a full season or a partial season as had been rumored.(source)(10-19-2003) UPDATE 3: After weeks of speculation, Totally NASCAR has learned that 1988 NASCAR Winston Cup champion Bill Elliott will retire from full-time competition at the end of this season. Elliott will reportedly run five races next year at tracks significant to his career. Sources say Elliott, who has 43 wins and 55 poles in 726 starts, might make it official this weekend in Atlanta. Elliott is from nearby Dawsonville, GA.( FoxSports )(10-21-2003)
