Bill Elliott now has a little less free time. Credit: Autostock

Elliott adds three events to 2006 Cup schedule

Former Cup champion Bill Elliott, who has been in semi-retirement for the past three seasons, has added three races to his 2006 Nextel Cup schedule.

Elliott, 50, will run upcoming races at Charlotte, Atlanta and Texas driving a No. 83 car for Team Red Bull. This is in addition to the five races Elliott is already committed to in a No. 00 Chevrolet for Michael Waltrip Racing.

Inside the Numbers Bill Elliott's Cup career Starts 747 Wins 44 Top-5s 175 Top-10s 320 Poles 55 Avg. Start 13.3 Avg. Finish 15.2 Earnings $37,987,180

Elliott, the 1988 NASCAR champion and 44-time winner in its premier series, will drive Waltrip's car in races at Chicagoland, New Hampshire, Indianapolis, Fontana and Homestead.

Team Red Bull and Michael Waltrip Racing will each field two-car Toyota teams in 2007. Team Red Bull has yet to announce its drivers or crew chiefs, while Waltrip will field a No. 55 Camry and a second car for Dale Jarrett.

"My job is simple -- put the car in the show, drive it toward the front and provide valuable input so that Team Red Bull is fully prepared by the Daytona 500," Elliott said. "It's really a great role at this stage of my racing career."

Elliott, who said he wanted to drive somewhere between eight and 15 races per season after he stepped back from the sport in 2003, has made 16 Nextel Cup starts over the past three seasons with one top-10 finish.

"It's an honor to have a driver of Bill Elliott's caliber help us get the program ready for 2007," Team Red Bull general manager Marty Gaunt said. "His championship pedigree and his penchant for providing technical feedback make Bill the ideal fit for this important role."