Following the end of the 2003 Nascar racing series Bill Elliott announced that he would be starting a part time schedule. Nascar team owner Ray Evernham announced in a gesturing way,
"On the day Bill Elliott decides it's going to be his last race, he will drive the No. 9." - Ray Evernham
join us Bill Elliott fans and nascar purists and sign this petition asking Ray to follow through on his nice gesture!
with Bill missing the Atlanta race it would be nice to see Ray lend the Wood Bros the number 9 for the fall race at Atlanta. it wouldnt hurt Kasey or Ray because driver and owner points wont follow the #. so please, sign the petition below, and help Bill race one final time at Atlanta, in a Ford, with the #9!
Nothing against Bill, but why can't these drivers just retire like normal. They really should go out not necessarily on top but not in this way, striving to make a race and just kinda lagging around. Don't you think that would just be kind of embarassing if that were you? Like you were a great race car driver but now people just kinda see you and be like "what are you doing?". If I were a Mark Martin fan as of a few years ago I would've just been so confused. Retiring, no not really, well one more year, well maybe another, ok I'll come back just cause you asked, but only a few races a year. The only difference in Mark Martin doing this compared to others is that he was actually competative when only running part-time. Any other part-time driver, it just seems like why bother (unless you need the $). Again this just isn't about Bill, but others that seem to do the same. Even if Evernham lets him use the #, will he even make the race, doesn't even look like it at this point. I just hope that my fav drivers don't do this when they decide to hang their hat. It'd be too painful to watch.
__________________
"My wiener has never been so exhausted." - Kurt Busch
Bill has 6 PCP's for the year. All he has to do is hold on to one for the end of the year. Whats funny is that Bill actually seems to enjoy what hes doing. Yeah, it hurts to have to leave before raceday but he truely looks like hes having fun. Besides, this is his last year and it seems that the last part time guys left will be Martin and Petty.
I signed i think it would be awsome but its not Bill's fault he isn't making races he just had the bad luck of only winning a championship in 1988 and has 2 active drivers ahead of him
__________________
"It's all fun and games until somebody wrecks a racecar" Larry McRenyolds
"On the day Bill Elliott decides it's going to be his last race, he will drive the No. 9." - Ray Evernham
How good is someone giving you his "word" nowadays? I remember hearing this and seeing it posted in the following months after Bill Elliott announced he would be driving part-time. I recollect thinking to myself, "thats going to be a fine day when Bill drives the #9 for the final time". A legend.. one of the good ol' boys.. the Fastest Man Alive.. Million Dollar Bill.. Awesome Bill from Dawsonville and his final drive in the #9!
Bill stood next what was left of his 2003 Dodge Intrepid. It's rear quarter panel torn open like a soda can after a dog had gnawed on it all afternoon. His right foot pressed up against the exhaust trying to choke out the fire. A few minutes ago he was coming out of turn 2 on the final lap with the lead. We all saw the rear of the car wobble to the right and got that sickening feeling in the pit of our stomachs. For months on end before this race the media hounded Bill asking him when he was going to retire. Bill would shine his pearly whites and give us his old famous line, "we'll just have to wait and see". We waited, and we saw Bill standing next to his "ole piece" he delivered the words to us that he would be back. Elliott fans all around rejoiced!
Bill's definition of being back and my definition got somewhat tangled up. I thought he would be back in the #9. Bill and Ray layed out a semi-retirement plan that seemed ample at first, but waned as funding wasn't always there for Bill to run in competitive equipment. It became a guessing game as to when we would see the next time that Bill would race. Over the next 4 years we would see Bill in the 91, 98, 00, 83, 39, 19, 21. Bill fans would hear of a race he was scheduled to be in only to show up at the track to see someone else in his car. It got harder and harder to follow our 16 time MPD.
For me the breaking point was watching Bill not make the field for the 2008 Daytona 500. The salt in the wound was failing to qualify at the Kobalt Tools 500 at Atlanta Motor Speedway(Bill's home track). It became evident to me that Bill's services provided through his Past Champions Provisional would no longer be needed when Dale Jarrett decided to to do a parade lap during qualifying. With the Petty's struggling and Sam Hornish teeter-tottering the top 35, Bobby Labonte and Kurt Busch become hotter commodities than Bill. So us Elliott fans sit around hoping qualifying gets rained out so Bill makes the show. We wonder when will be Bill's last race. He was scheduled for Bristol and was removed at the last minute. I feel bad for whoever bought tickets to see him race.
I started reading old Bill headlines when I came across Ray Evernham's promise. It brought me back to that day when I remembered thinking how cool it would be to see Bill in the #9, one last time. I imagine Bill holding onto one of his PCP's for the fall Atlanta race. I imagine Ray Everhnam lending the Wood Brothers the #9. I imagine Coors Beer sponsoring a Ford with the #9 on the side. I imagine Dan, Ernie and Bill standing next to the car for a photo. I imagine George Elliott and Harry Melling smiling down. At the beginning of 2008 NASCAR president Brian France proclaimed that NASCAR needs to get back to its roots. Is there anything rooted deeper than Bill Elliott driving the #9?
This petition has been created to show Ray that we remember his promise to Bill. We ask that we fans get our one last chance to see our racing hero in the car he made famous.
by, Wes Eisenschenk
http://www.gopetition.com/online/17466.html
keep up the good work. 107 sigs and counting. dont forget to forward the link!!
I do not think Gillette/Evernham Motorsports is going to give Bill Elliott the #9 Bud car to race for his last race. Kasey is too good a driver to give up his seat and not qualify for the chase (unless Kasey gets hurt). JMO.
I do not think Gillette/Evernham Motorsports is going to give Bill Elliott the #9 Bud car to race for his last race. Kasey is too good a driver to give up his seat and not qualify for the chase (unless Kasey gets hurt). JMO.
I think that Ray's only giving him the number 9, not the car itself. Kasey will probably take #21 or #91 (if Ray still owns that one) for the one race.
__________________
To view links or images in signatures your post count must be 5 or greater. You currently have 0 posts.
kasey wouldnt be giving away his driver points. also, Bill wouldnt be getting the #9's points. he would simply be borrowing a #. Ray still owns the #91 so Kasey would simply be adding a # to his car. no one gets adversely affected by this, the points dont get screwed up and Ray fullfill's his promise.
Linear Mode
