Since he starting in the series now known as Sprint Cup back in 1976, Bill Elliott has never gone a whole year without racing at his home track, Atlanta Motor Speedway. But that streak is expected to end this week. Other than accompanying his son, Chase, to an appearance on behalf of the NASCAR K&N Pro Series that his son races in, Elliott won’t participate in the AdvoCare 500 weekend. Elliott, 55, has run 62 races at Atlanta, winning five times, snagging five poles and leading 1,017 laps. Elliott has made only five starts this year, four of them for Phoenix Racing, which released him after four starts. He said he still thinks he’s capable of performing at a high level in the right equipment, but the only offers he’s getting are from teams that want to hire him because as a past series champion, he can get a starting spot even if his qualifying speed isn’t fast enough. “I don’t want to get into that,” he said, adding that the money to be made is substantial. “It’s pretty tempting.” He acknowledges that unless he signs on with an underfunded team or a start-and-park outfit, his driving career might have ended, but he’s not ready to call himself retired.(Atlanta Journal-Constitution)(9-3-2011)
