Q&A: Bill Elliott, Ray Evernham.

Bill Elliott, Ray Evernham and Visteon's Greg Gyllstrom take questions about Elliott's return to NASCAR Nextel Cup action with Visteon backing in this year's Brickyard 400 at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway.

MODERATOR
Good morning, everyone. This morning we will cover details regarding an announcement for Evernham Motor Sports entry piloted by Bill Elliott in the #91 dodge at this upcoming Brickyard 400 in August. We'll have brief comments from Ray Evernham and Ray will introduce the new sponsor for the #91 Dodge that will run at the Brickyard, and we will have comments from the new sponsor, and then we will also have comments from Bill Elliot and open it up for questions. I'd like to introduce Ray Evernham, the CEO of Evernham Motor Sports.

RAY EVERNHAM:
Good morning, everyone. Really excited this morning to announce our taking our partnership with Visteon to a new level. Visteon will be the primary sponsor of the #91 car in the Brickyard. Bill Elliott, of course, will drive it.

We've had a great partnership with Visteon for quite some time now. It goes back to some of my earlier days, I have three Indianapolis Brickyard wins, and all with three of course Visteon. But probably 95 percent of the cars that race -- that will race at the Brickyard will have a Visteon radiator core in them. They were one of the first groups to jump on board. None of my Dodges have ever had any other radiator core in them but a Visteon. And they have been supportive of our program since we first opened the doors and I'm very proud now that we are taking to a new level and they will be the primary sponsors.

It's going to be new for us because I always wanted to run a black car, and this is going to be kind of a black and orange car that's a really neat-looking thing; and as you know the past history, the black cars have done well at Indianapolis, too. So we are again very, very proud, very pleased that they stepped up and put their faith and effort behind Bill and I, and we're going to do everything that we can to make sure we deliver for them.

We are building Bill a brand new car. It's a Evernham Motor Sports in-house chassis that he will run at Indianapolis. So we are excited about that. Our in-house chassis have been performing really well, so Bill will have a brand new one. I'm not sure what the dates are, but he is scheduled for a test at Indy; I believe it's the second test. So we are really, again, looking forward excited and can't wait to run three cars at Indy. At this time I'd like to let Greg Gyllstrom from Visteon speak and hopefully we can answer this questions for you.

GREG GYLLSTROM:
Thanks, Ray. Very much appreciate it and thank you everyone on the line for joining us. As Ray had pointed out we have a very proud history with NASCAR in rather subtle way in terms of supplying the radiator core for most of the field. We are really expanding that relationship and we are thrilled that we could continue our and expand our relationship with the Evernham Team, but also now with Bill Elliott, who we regard as kind of the champion's champion.

And really what Bill is helping us to do is to celebrate the launch of the new NASCAR windshield. Visteon has a business called Car Lite, and we have joined together with NASCAR to exclusively license a new technology that relates to NASCAR banded shay-band (ph) windshield that will be exclusively available through our distributors and installers. And we're very proud of the fact that Bill Elliott will be the guy to bring that home.

So at the end of the day, we are the official auto glass of NASCAR as we are and have been the official radiator of NASCAR, as well. So, what Visteon is doing is really paying homage to the fact that NASCAR is the premiere auto racing series in the United States, and we believe that the consumers that will buy this brand new NASCAR windshield product. The consumers and the installers alike have a wonderful affinity for the NASCAR brand and the NASCAR name, and we're proud to offer it through our exclusive network of distributors. So we are just thrilled to be a big part of Ray's team, and we are excited about our chances with that new black and orange car that Bill Elliott will drive.

RAY EVERNHAM:
I'd like to introduce Bill Elliott. A couple of stats that is always impressive to me. Bill has 44 NASCAR wins, including the 2002 Brickyard, and an important one from Ray Evernham and everyone at Evernham Motor Sports was the first win for Evernham in November 2001 at Homestead. Bill, welcome.

BILL ELLIOTT:
Well, great to be here. Great to be a part of this announcement. You know, with the way my season has gone this year and Ray kind of going off and us doing our, I guess, chassis development so to speak, the first two races and now having Visteon on the car, it's a great opportunity for me. I'm really looking forward to it. I really enjoyed that -- from the first time I went there in the early 90s and did the Goodyear Tyre test to winning there in 2002, as well as I've run there over last number of years. It's a racetrack that's got a lot of history and I think it holds right in there with the Daytona 500, and for me to go and compete in that particular event, for this year, is really a special opportunity for me.

RAY EVERNHAM:
Thank you, Bill.

Q. Bill, you worked a lot with Kasey this year, you worked a lot with testing, with everyone else racing, and you in that semi-retirement mode, what has it been like to watch the series go on while you've been on the sidelines?

BILL ELLIOTT:
Well, you know, I've known that's going to be a difficult part of my life. I understand that the race is going to go on, and I think I learned to realize that when I got hurt back in Talladega in '96. I was able to sit at home and kind of watch the stuff goes on. You have a lot of drivers, that's not had that opportunity, which it's a bad opportunity in one respect, but it's a good opportunity in another one because it really made me realize that the sport is going to continue on.

Now, I've just found myself a different role within the sport. I've not really sat and said, well, you know, I should have done this or I should have done that. I've just let the role kind of turn into, you know, trying to help Kasey, Ray, Jeremy, whoever I can, as far as to bring Evernham Motor Sports to continue on. This is just another evolution of it, being able to use whatever experience I have and continue to roll that on into another level because Ray has got to continue to grow with the organization. I think this is a prime opportunity for Visteon or whoever comes along to give them some good recognition without having to put a full season in. Plus, it gives Ray more credibility within his own organization, which I don't think he needs it, especially the way that Kasey and Jeremy has been running up to this point.

But still, for my opportunity -- if I know -- I realize racing is going to continue on with or without me, but I would like to kind of wind my deal down slowly. And to be able to come in and run a limited amount of races gives me a lot of flexibility. At least it let's me spend more time with my family at home and let's me go other opportunities that come along, and I think that's where I need to be.

Q. You mentioned Kasey. Have you been surprised, and is there a sense of pride with you working with Casey, how well he's done this year?

BILL ELLIOTT:
Well, Kasey is a unique individual. He's really got a good feel and car control. I think if you turn around and look at all of the guys that come out of that evolution of racing, which I'm not saying that's the only line of racing that you've got to do to ever get the Cup, but it still seems like that landed itself to the guys that's come along between Ryan Newman one Sunday, Tony, Jeff Gordon and several other guys. So anyway, Kasey has kind of shed a new light for me. He gives me something to watch and look forward to on Sunday, to keep the #9 car running and running up front, as well as he's done to this point, it goes to show, A, how well a driver he is; and B, how good of equipment Ray has got.

I keep going back to our season at the end of last year; it just seemed like for the last third of the season, we started hitting on things. The engine shop came together and the chassis shop came together and everything started falling into place. I think as Ray saw it from a number of years ago, I think it took a little bit longer than what he expected, but I think that was a key point in time it all started coming together. Because between Jeremy and myself, we finished either in the Top-5 or Top-10 nearly every race the following year and then us winning -- almost winning Kansas and then coming back and winning Rockingham and then almost winning Homestead was definitely a great, I think, success story where Ray is going to. And then turning it around and Kasey coming in and continuing that on was a good opportunity and showing the strength of Evernham motor sports and where it needs to go.

Q. The future for you right now is Indy. Given the fact that you haven't raced since the beginning of the season and Indy is such a big race, is there a different feeling now that you know you're going to be at Indy and in some respects is a one-off race? Do you approach this -- is there a new level of excitement for going to the Brickyard? A long way around for a short question.

BILL ELLIOTT:
Yeah, it really is, because at least the races that I do run, I hold a little more special. Because I was able to run Vegas and I ran Texas and I've been testing and we'll go to Indy and test I think the 19th and 20th of July. With all that being said, at least it gives me an opportunity. And I've run other stuff, I've run some asphalt stuff or my dirt car or whatever, and it's kind of keeping me going in that direction.

But still, to come in, and at least I can be able to focus on that one event and really go in and dedicate a lot of time a lot of energy to it. And then as far as the way I look at it is we are not -- it doesn't get me behind, because Kasey and Jeremy are running every week, and you're running with Ray's teams that are running every week. You're keeping up with the technology and the changes, and then we'll get an opportunity to go test. So to me you're not behind the 8-ball as you would be if you were running a limited schedule in your own team, if you see where I'm coming from. Q. And Ray, when you hear a man of Bill Elliott's stature talk regarding loyalty to you and to that team, how does that make you feel?

RAY EVERNHAM:
It makes me feel great, and that's why he's Bill Elliott. He's dealt with the sport with integrity for 28 years, and this is a difficult sport to keep that kind of integrity, and that's why we are loyal to him and we'll continue to supply cars for Bill as long as he wants to drive. When I started this program, I knew it needed a good partner. Bill and I have become good partners, good friends and I think we've helped -- we've helped each other a lot. And I want to make sure that he makes the most of his retirement, and in turn, I think he wants to help me make the most of Evernham Motor Sports.

MODERATOR:
Thanks for calling in this morning.