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New sponsorship
The Elliotts were shocked
when McDonald's suddenly announced they would be leaving NASCAR
after the 2000 season. As it turned out, this was a positive
move for the team. While McDonald's was making its decision,
Ray Evernham, former crew chief for Jeff Gordon, was moving
on as well. Evernham felt he was ready to own a team and started
Evernham Motorsports. Ray wanted to pair a popular veteran star
with a young driver for the 2001 season - enter Bill and 20-year-old
Casey Atwood.
Bill has been happy with his new Dodge-sponsored team, and their success proves that Elliott and Evernham are a winning combination. During their first year together, Bill captured five top-5 finishes and four top-10 finishes.
In 2002, he made NASCAR history and gave fans plenty more to cheer about. Bill captured the checkered flag for two straight weeks in a row, at the Pennsylvania 500 in Pocono and the Brickyard 400 in Indianapolis. "I'm wore out," said Bill after the record-setting victories, "But I'll tell you, it's been fantastic."
Today, there is no doubt that his career has seen a major resurgence.
Bill Elliott has proved once again why he is one of the most
talented, and most loved, drivers in NASCAR history.
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