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Closer Look Elliott takes risk, gets hard-earned top-five finish
Posted: Monday February 21, 2000 08:46 AM
By Ryan Smithson, CNNSI.com DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (CNNSI.com) -- Bill Elliott knew it would be no problem getting past Johnny Benson's lone Pontiac. The problem was getting past the Fords of Dale Jarrett and Jeff Burton with only two fresh tires. Elliott, who started third in Sunday's Daytona 500, was forced to opt for track position at lap 156. He was running 17th, and the driver of the No. 94 Ford Taurus knew he was nearly out of time. "I told my crew, 'Guys, we can't take four tires -- we have got to do it on two,'" Elliott said. The decision was a risky one. There were still 44 laps to go-meaning the move would force his right-side tires to go 67 laps. Only four other cars opted to go with just two tires -- and only Elliott was able to maintain pace with the teams that took on four. "The car would still run on the bottom [with old tires]," Elliott said. "It was a pretty short run, so it worked out well." Elliott came out of the the pits second behind Johnny Benson, who had also taken on just two tires. Elliott led a pack of Fords behind Benson, who drives the No. 10 Pontiac. Elliott admitted that they ganged up on Benson. "It was one of those situations that if they didn't go [draft] with you, you were dead," Elliott said. "That is what we did to the 10 car." Dale Jarrett and Jeff Burton nosed their way past Elliott, who managed to get back in line to stay in fourth place. Jarrett then forced Benson up the track, and Elliott stuck with the pack of Fords as they drove right by the Pontiac. "There's nothing you can do," Benson said. "They caught me at the spot they wanted to." Elliott moved into third place with three laps to go. He tried to get past Burton to make a run at Jarrett, but he ran out of time -- and friends. "You couldn't do it by yourself," Elliott said. "You could help the car in front of you, but you couldn't get by them."
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