Bill Elliott Racing
| Owner(s) | Bill Elliott, Charles Hardy, Dan Marino |
|---|---|
| Base | Mooresville, North Carolina |
| Series | Winston Cup, Busch Series, Craftsman Truck Series |
| Car numbers | 9, 13, 89, 94, 98 |
| Race drivers | Bill Elliott, Matt Kenseth, Jerry Nadeau |
| Sponsors | McDonald's |
| Manufacturer | Ford (1995-2000) |
| Opened | 1995 |
| Closed | 2000 |
| Career | |
| Drivers' Championships | 0 |
| Race victories | 0 |
Bill Elliott Racing (formerly known as Charles Hardy Racing, Elliott-Hardy Racing, and Elliott-Marino Racing) was a NASCAR Winston Cup, Busch and Craftsman Truck Series team. It was owned and operated by 1988 NASCAR champion Bill Elliott from 1995 until 2000, when it was sold to Evernham Motorsports. The team's primary car was the No. 94 McDonald's Ford Winston Cup car driven by its owner, but also fielded various other cars.
In 1998 Elliott's operation went multi-car full-time in 1998, teaming up with Dan Marino, the team being renamed Elliott-Marino Racing, to field the No. 13 FirstPlus Financial Ford. Rookie Jerry Nadeau raced the car for the first half of the year, before he was released and replaced by Wally Dallenbach, Jr., Dennis Setzer, Tom Hubert and Ted Musgrave.
In February 1999, the partnership between Elliott and Marino was dissolved, the No. 13 closed as a result. The No. 13 came back for the Daytona 500 with Dick Trickle, but didn't qualify.
The 89 R&D car began as the No. 91 with Ron Barfield, Jr. for the 1996 Brickyard 400. Barfield, Jr. returned to the team, now the No. 92, for the 1997 Brickyard 400. A year later, the team was renumbered to the No. 89; driven by Dennis Setzer, it competed at the DieHard 500.
The team was originally owned by Charles Hardy and ran part-time with various drivers under the Charles Hardy Racing name with sponsorship from Buss Fuses. Kenny Wallace made the first start for the No. 44 at Talladega Superspeedway, finishing in the ninth position. Jimmy Hensley and Bobby Hillin, Jr. ran the car later in the season, but neither finished in the top-ten. Wanting to own his own team, Elliott partnered with Hardy for the 1995 season to form Elliott-Hardy Racing. The new team premiered at the 1995 Daytona 500 as the No. 94 Ford with McDonald's sponsoring. Elliott's first year as an owner/driver was marked with eleven top-tens, two poles, and an eighth-place finish in the points. After a horrific crash in 1996 at Talladega Superspeedway, Elliott missed several races to recover from his injuries and was replaced by Dorsey Schroeder, Todd Bodine, Tommy Kendall, and Bobby Hillin Jr.. In July 1996, the partnership between Elliott and Hardy was dissolved, the team being renamed Bill Elliott Racing.
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