Notebook: Elliott's bad start continues

HAMPTON, Ga. -- Bill Elliott, winless at Atlanta Motor Speedway since 1992, thought he had the car to win Sunday's Bass Pro Shops MNBA 500.

	Bill Elliott is without a top-10 finish in 2003. Credit: Autostock

Starting on the front row, Elliott found himself fighting to stay on the lead lap as the race stayed under green flag conditions for the first 136 laps.

Unfortunately, the torrid pace also overtaxed the engine in Elliott's No. 9 Dodge.

"It had a real bad vibration in the motor and it just quit," a sullent Elliott said. "We started out really loose and then we kept getting it better and better."

Elliott now has three finishes of 32nd or worse in four Winston Cup starts this season.

"This has just been par for the year for us, but we'll get better," he said.

Bent Bodine

Brett Bodine's first Winston Cup start of the year ended badly when he backed the No. 11 Ford into the outside wall after contact with Kenny Wallace following a caution for Kurt Busch's blown engine.

	Brett Bodine will sit out next week at Darlington. Credit: Autostock

"I didn't know the yellow came out," Bodine admitted. "The guys checked up in front of me and I got into the side of Kenny Wallace. I hope I didn't damage his car too bad, but it was totally my fault."

Bodine, running only selected races, failed to qualify in his 125-miler at Daytona and didn't tow to either Rockingham or Las Vegas.

"The car was really, really pushing and it just wouldn't turn the corner," Bodine said. "We're out of it, but we'll bring the Hooters Ford back at Bristol."

Never give up

Kyle Petty kept his consecutive races finished streak going at 39 races, but it took a yeoman's effort in the garage area to accomplish it.

Early in the run, Petty's crew switched a fuel pump and sway bar, then got him back on the track.

Down 29 laps to the leaders and stuck in 42nd place at one point, Petty soldiered on for a 34th-place finish, the last car listed as running.

Points for honesty

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Larry Foyt's weekend was miserable at best. The No. 14 Dodge struggled all weekend, using a provisional just to make the field.

Then Foyt blew an engine 34 laps into Sunday's race, finishing last.

"I hate that it happened but we were in everybody's way anyway," Foyt said.

Lowe's, Indy tests set

Winston Cup testing dates for Lowe's Motor Speedway and Indianapolis Motor Speedway were announced Sunday.

Teams have open tests scheduled at Lowe's for the evening of April 29 and all day on April 30. In addition, two days of afternoon and evening testing are set for Sept. 2-3.

Two test sessions have been set for the upcoming Brickyard 400: July 8-9 and July 14-15.

Fish and chicken

Atlanta Motor Speedway VIPs included TV fisherman Bill Dance and entertainer Kenny Rogers, also known for a chain of chicken restaurants. No word on whether beef or pork were also represented.