Elliott in the #09 Chevy for 2011 UPDATE 3: Trevor Bayne will be working with Wood Brothers Racing in 2011. Bill Elliott will move from the Wood Brothers to the #09 Chevy at Phoenix Racing.(Augusta Chronicle)(12-20-2010)
UPDATE denied? James Finch [Phoenix Racing] says he has no plans to put Bill Elliott in his #09 Chevy for the opening five races of the 2011 season. Published reports claimed Elliott would drive for Finch’s Phoenix Racing Team at the start of the season, in an effort to earn the operation a spot in the Top 35 in owners’ points. But Finch told Sirius-Speedway.com that he knew nothing of the deal until reading about it online earlier this week (Sirius Speedway)(12-22-2010)
UPDATE 2: hearing that #09 Pheonix Racing will make an announcement soon regarding the 2011 season, if not by Thursday, we will probably see who is driving the car in the Daytona test, supposedly Bill Elliott will be the driver.(1-17-2011)
UPDATE 3: Bill Elliott will drive the #09 Phoenix Racing entry for a limited NASCAR Sprint Cup Series schedule beginning with the Daytona 500, team owner James Finch confirmed on Monday. “Hopefully, he will run 18 races, maybe more, depending on sponsorship,” Finch said. “It’s great to have NASCAR’s most popular driver ever in our car. We’ve been friends with him a long time and we’re happy to have him in the car.” Finch said the team will test this week at Daytona International Speedway in preparation for Speedweeks in February. Nick Harris will serve as Elliott’s crew chief. The Chevys will be powered with Hendrick motors.(FoxSports)(1-17-2011)
UPDATE 4: Elliott said he plans to run at least 18 races in the James Finch-owned car, and said that he feels he’s plenty capable of giving the car a good run. “I’m still in good shape physically,” he said, adding that he was pleased with the way he ran at times last fall in the Wood Brothers Ford. The team will use engines and equipment from Hendrick Motorsports, and the deal also means that Finch will help support Elliott’s son, Chase, who stunned the short track world with his success in 2010, when he won the Winchester 400, a race at North Wilkesboro Speedway and the Gulf Coast championship, which includes racing at Five Flags Speedway in Pensacola, FL and Mobile International Speedway. “I watched Chase at the Snowball Derby,” Finch said. “That kid’s going to be the real deal.” Finch said he plans to run the full Sprint Cup schedule with the #09, and that Elliott could make more starts depending on sponsorship. He said he’s cutting back on his Nationwide Series efforts and will focus on the races at Daytona and Talladega.(RacinToday)(1-18-2011)
