Bill Elliott to return for Brickyard 400.
Former NASCAR Winston Cup Champion and perennial fan favourite Bill Elliott will make just his third points start of the season in August's Brickyard 400 at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway with backing from new NASCAR sponsors Visteon.
1988 Winston Cup Champion Elliott, who is running a limited campaign in 2004, won the 2002 Brickyard 400, becoming the first driver to win the event from the front row. He also captured the historic first win for Evernham Motorsports on November 11th 2001, at the Homestead-Miami Speedway.
Former NASCAR Winston Cup Champion and perennial fan favourite Bill Elliott will make just his third points start of the season in August's Brickyard 400 at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway with backing from new NASCAR sponsors Visteon.
1988 Winston Cup Champion Elliott, who is running a limited campaign in 2004, won the 2002 Brickyard 400, becoming the first driver to win the event from the front row. He also captured the historic first win for Evernham Motorsports on November 11th 2001, at the Homestead-Miami Speedway.
Despite finishing ninth in the points table in 2003 with one victory, Elliott has been running a part-time schedule thus far in 2004 as team boss Ray Evernham searches for enough sponsorship to fund a third full-time team alongside Jeremy Mayfield and rookie Kasey Kahne. After running the season-opening Bud Shootout, Elliott then finished 20th in Las Vegas and 36th in Texas where a crash put him out of the running.
The entry of the No. 91 Visteon Dodge marks the first NASCAR Nextel Cup primary car sponsorship for Visteon Aftermarket, a leading supplier of glass, climate control, rotating electric and other automotive aftermarket products.
Visteon is no stranger to the Motorsports world having sponsored Pat Patrick's Champ Car team for six years until the end of last season. The company is also no stranger to the NASCAR world, as the majority of the cars running in the NASCAR Nextel Cup Series use Visteon radiator cores. Visteon also offers officially licensed NASCAR Performance logo windshields available for cars and trucks. The company's exclusive windshields feature a chequered flag motif with the renowned NASCAR brand logo in the centre.
"We have enjoyed a productive relationship with Evernham Motorsports for the past few years and we are pleased to be the primary sponsor on the No. 91 Visteon Dodge at the Brickyard," said Greg Gyllstrom, Vice President and General Manager of Aftermarket Operations.
"Evernham Motorsports is recognized as a leader in NASCAR and they share our commitment to excellence and performance." In addition to running a limited on-track schedule, Elliot remains active with Evernham Motorsports as a mentor and coach to the team's drivers, testing and developing on-track equipment and lends his talent in a variety of endeavours on and off the track.
"Continued success in Motorsports - particularly in NASCAR - always includes strong support from committed sponsors," said Ray Evernham, CEO of Evernham Motorsports. "Visteon brings that commitment to our sport and we are pleased to be the team to manage their first primary car sponsorship in NASCAR."
