Elliott to drive Braun's No. 32 in Charlotte Busch race

Former Cup Series champion Bill Elliott will be making a return to the Busch Series on May 26 when he takes the wheel of Braun Racing's No. 32 Toyota for the Carquest Auto Parts 300 at Lowe's Motor Speedway.

Elliott last drove a Busch Series car in 2005 when he competed in six races late in the season, three driving Rusty Wallace-owned cars and three for owner Ray Evernham.

It could also be Elliott's first time racing this season in any of NASCAR's three premier series. Elliott attempted to qualify for the Daytona 500 in February but failed to make the race.

Elliott, who has competed on a part-time basis in the Cup Series since the end of the 2003 season, said he's glad to be back behind the wheel although it's his first partnership with Braun Racing and newly acquired sponsor Seymour Paint.

"After winning in my Thunder Roadster at Atlanta in March, I caught the racing bug again, and this deal with Braun Racing and Seymour Paint is a great opportunity for all of us," Elliott said. "Braun Racing fields two top-notch teams each week, and I'm confident we will have a car capable of winning in Seymour's first NASCAR race."

Braun's two full-time drivers Dave Blaney and Jason Leffler have been the torchbearers for Toyota in the Busch Series this season. Blaney is third in points, 496 behind leader Carl Edwards, with a pair of top-five finishes. Leffler has endured streaks of bad luck but he's still 16th in points with a top-five at Nashville.

The organization, however, officially fields three teams. Blaney has split time between the Nos. 10 and 32 cars, which are listed under different owners; the 10 is owned by Greg Pollex and the 32 is listed under Todd Braun. Braun is also the official owner of the No. 38.

With Elliott in the 32 at Charlotte, all three of the organization's cars will be on the entry list.

"This is definitely a milestone for me," said Braun, who has been a Busch Series owner since 2003. "Having Bill Elliott drive the No. 32 shows that Braun Racing is establishing itself among the elite teams in our industry."

Braun did not say whether the partnership with Elliott extends past the Charlotte race. That could hinge on sponsorship, as the announcement came after landing Seymour Paint as a primary sponsor for the race.

"Seymour Paint is excited to make its NASCAR debut with Braun Racing and Bill Elliott," said Chris Heatley, vice president of Seymour of Sycamore, inventor of aerosol spray paint and producer of Seymour Paint. "Bill Elliott is a great ambassador for Seymour, and we look forward to building a lasting relationship with him and with Braun Racing."

Elliott has 43 career Busch Series starts, one victory (Watkins Glen, 1993) and 16 top-10 finishes. After competing in the series' season opener in 1994, Elliott didn't race in NASCAR's junior series again for 10 years. He ran a single event at Memphis in 2004 before his late-season run in the series the following year.