Elliott climbs out of car, puts youngsters in seat
By Elliott climbs out of car, puts youngsters in seat
ATLANTA -- As Bill Elliott nears the end of his long and fruitful career in
the circuit now known as NASCAR Sprint Cup, his work routine is reverting back
to something akin to the earliest days of his career, to a time when he spent
more time with a wrench in his hand than a steering wheel.
But instead of tuning the No. 21 Ford that he'll race in Sunday's Pep Boys Auto
500 at Atlanta Motor Speedway and in the remaining races this season, he's
maintaining cars for the kids who are a part of his driver-development
program.
Most of the bolts he turns are on the Legends cars driven by his 11-year-old
son Chase. Even though Bill Elliott has won 44 Cup races, 55 poles, the 1988
championship and more than $42 million as a driver, it's evident that some of
his greatest satisfaction comes from working behind the scenes, taking race
cars apart and putting them back together in search of more speed.
Whether the subject is the work he did on the No. 9 Fords he drove in the 1970s
and '80s, or the wrenches he turns today on his son's Legends cars, the
excitement in his voice is evidence of his passion for things mechanical.
"I love working on the car," he said. "I'd rather do that than anything."
But unlike his early NASCAR days, when he worked on his No. 9 Fords during the
week then drove them on the weekends, he's now responsible for someone else's
performance and safety. That's an all-new experience - and responsibility - for
him.
"I worry so much about Chase's car because I wrench it," he said. "The biggest
worry I have is that something will fall off of it, and it will be my
fault."
So far that hasn't been a problem, and he has seen his son progress as a driver
and mechanic. He's also seeing improving results in his other drivers, Trey
Poole, Casey Roderick, John King and Mitch Cobb.
Although the slumping economy has hampered Elliott in his efforts to help his
young drivers find adequate sponsorship, he has been able to share with them
the lessons he has learned over the past 33 years as a Cup driver.
"For the most part I try to teach them a skill, how to work on stuff and how to
be responsible," he said. And he's also trying to help them learn to race,
which as he points out is far different than just being able to drive fast.
The first lesson, Elliott said, is on racing etiquette.
"I put the most emphasis on teaching a kid how to respect his competitors," he
said. "That should be the first step."
Then come the fundamentals of chassis set-up, followed by the finer points that
lead to long-term success on the track.
"A lot of people get away with driving fast, but to really race you need to
understand your car and know what it needs so you can win and what you need to
go fast.
"You need to understand how to set a guy up to pass him and how to run fast in
a crowd. That's the definition of racing. A lot of people can get in a car and
go fast for a few laps, but that doesn't prove anything."
Surprisingly, Elliott said he was well into his Cup career - and winning races
- before he really mastered the art of racing. He now acknowledges that he lost
races he should have won in the early days.
"Absolutely," he said. "When I started racing NASCAR, I had run less than 100
races in my career. These kids today, by the time they are 14 or 15 years old
have run hundreds of races a year. That's why they're so much better racers
than what my generation was.
"I didn't think I was a good racer until the late '80s."
He also said that from a driving standpoint, he's at the top of his game, even
at age 53.
"I'm a better racer today than I've ever been, but the competition is that much
better," he said. "If I could start over where I am today, I'd be light years
ahead."
Rick Minter writes for The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. E-mail: rminter AT
ajc.com.
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