Huddle House sponsors Elliott's No. 37 for 500

ATLANTA -- Huddle House, a 420-unit nationwide family restaurant franchise with deep ties to the South, along with Front Row Motorsports have announced a partnership for the No. 37 Dodge driven by Bill Elliott at the Daytona 500 -- uniting two Georgia homegrown icons into a powerful force for the opening of the Nextel Cup season.

Huddle House, fresh off an infusion of funding from its recently announced $124 million acquisition by Allied Capital, has signed on as the primary sponsor of racing legend Bill Elliott, giving the Huddle House brand extensive positive exposure to tens-of-millions of Americans who are known to be very loyal to the companies that sponsor their favorite drivers.

As the primary sponsor of Bill Elliott's No. 37 Dodge, the Huddle House logo will be detailed on the hood, trunk, bumper and inside the car, as well as patched onto Elliott's team jersey. As part of the sponsorship deal, Elliott's car has been officially renamed "The Huddle House Dodge" for all of Daytona week.

"As one of the most talented, and most loved drivers in NASCAR history with roots embedded in Georgia, our decision to invest in Bill Elliott as the primary sponsor was a genuine partnership that makes perfect sense for both brands," said Phil Greifeld, president & CEO of Huddle House, noting that Elliott's team is based in Dawsonville, Ga., and team owner, John Carter, is from Toccoa, Ga. "With Bill Elliott's racing team born and raised in Georgia, there's tremendous synergy between us. It was both an emotional and business decision, as it speaks to our consumer base, who are loyal fans of both Huddle House and NASCAR."

Elliott has competed in 26 Daytona 500 races, of which he won twice and placed in the top five nine times. He finished in the top 10 a total of 14 times. Elliott was voted "the most popular driver of the year" 16 times until he finally withdrew his name from the voting in 2003. When his retirement is made official, the award will bear his name.