By Rick Minter
Hampton, Ga. -- Although his No. 9 Dodge let him down early in the running of the NAPA 500, Bill Elliott still wore a smile for most of the weekend.
That's because on Saturday night, he slipped off to Seven Flags Speedway, a 3/8-mile clay oval in Douglasville, and drove his dirt car.
Elliott, who hadn't raced at the track in years and had only a few laps of practice to reacquaint himself, qualified poorly and had to start from the rear of the 30-lap Late Model feature.
While dirt racing veteran Mike Head and Glenn Morris, who got his first Late Model win just a week ago, banged fenders in battling for the lead, Elliott was charging through the pack from his ninth-place starting position.
He only got to third by the finish, but even a full-face helmet couldn't conceal the grin as he pulled his car to a stop.
"That was fun," he said, climbing from his car Saturday night. "I don't do this every weekend, and it took me a while to figure out just how to race these boys."
On Sunday, there was little to smile about. Elliott's Dodge began vibrating -- a drivetrain problem appeared to be the culprit -- at the start, and he struggled to a 33rd-place finish, three laps behind winner Kurt Busch.
"We just seem to have hit some bad luck these past few races," Elliott said. "I know these [crew] guys have worked awfully hard. That's who I feel bad for."
Hampton, Ga. -- Although his No. 9 Dodge let him down early in the running of the NAPA 500, Bill Elliott still wore a smile for most of the weekend.
That's because on Saturday night, he slipped off to Seven Flags Speedway, a 3/8-mile clay oval in Douglasville, and drove his dirt car.
Elliott, who hadn't raced at the track in years and had only a few laps of practice to reacquaint himself, qualified poorly and had to start from the rear of the 30-lap Late Model feature.
While dirt racing veteran Mike Head and Glenn Morris, who got his first Late Model win just a week ago, banged fenders in battling for the lead, Elliott was charging through the pack from his ninth-place starting position.
He only got to third by the finish, but even a full-face helmet couldn't conceal the grin as he pulled his car to a stop.
"That was fun," he said, climbing from his car Saturday night. "I don't do this every weekend, and it took me a while to figure out just how to race these boys."
On Sunday, there was little to smile about. Elliott's Dodge began vibrating -- a drivetrain problem appeared to be the culprit -- at the start, and he struggled to a 33rd-place finish, three laps behind winner Kurt Busch.
"We just seem to have hit some bad luck these past few races," Elliott said. "I know these [crew] guys have worked awfully hard. That's who I feel bad for."
