Bill Elliott is helping Toyota get a head start on 2007. Credit: Autostock

Toyota-tester Elliott considering full-time ride

LOUDON, N.H. -- Bill Elliott is considering a full-time return to the Nextel Cup series next season.

Considering Elliott is Toyota's Team Red Bull, which already has signed Brian Vickers to drive one of its two cars when the foreign manufacturer debuts in NASCAR's premier series.

"If the right deal comes available, yeah, I'd consider doing it,'' said Elliott, who will start last in Sunday's Nextel Cup race at New Hampshire International Raceway for the Toyota team of Michael Waltrip Racing.

Elliott, 50, hasn't run a full-time Cup schedule since 2003, when he finished ninth in points for Ray Evernham Motorsports. He ran six races in 2004 and nine in 2005.

He is signed to drive five races this season for Michael Waltrip Racing and three for Team Red Bull.

Waltrip said on Friday that Jeremy Mayfield has an offer to drive his third Cup car, leaving Team Red Bull as Elliott's most viable option.

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Elliott hasn't decided whether his full-time return would be for more than one year.

"I'll probably leave my options open on that deal and then decide, but I really haven't thought that far along,'' he said. "In '03 I said I wanted to drive 12 to 15 races. I've fallen short of that the last two years.

"With this [Waltrip and Red Bull] opportunity it's given me the opportunity to run more races. Granted, I want to be better than I am here [this weekend]. There's certain things you've got to work through.''

Elliott said physically he can handle the grind of a 36-race schedule.

"I've kept myself in real good shape,'' he said. "I've been able to do the things I need to do. Just like Chicago last week. I felt bad about the way we ran, but I looked in the mirror and hell, there were guys worse than me that have been running every week.''

Elliott, who finished 35th at Chicagoland, would help any new team get into the first five races next season because of the past champions' provisional given to one driver outside the top 35 in points.

But the 1988 champion wouldn't be first in line for that spot. Dale Jarrett, who will drive for Michael Waltrip, is the most recent champion (1999).

"There are a lot of opportunities out there,'' Elliott said. "We'll see what transpires.''