"The Rock" was still hosting Cup races, the Chase was nonexistent and the Car of Tomorrow was merely a project in the making when Bill Elliott last rolled into Victory Lane.

So much has changed since Elliott's most recent triumph -- at North Carolina's Rockingham Speedway on Nov. 9, 2003 -- that it could seem like an eternity ago.

“

I think age is just a number. I don't feel no different than I did in my 30s.

”

-- BILL ELLIOTT

Now 54 years old and set to continue his part-time role with the Wood Brothers Racing outfit in 2010, the 1988 Cup Series champion is considered to be in the twilight of his career.

Just don't tell Elliott that.

In a perfect world, Elliott, a native of Dawsonville, Ga., believes he could still hang with the big boys. Could he win races and contend for a title in, say, the No. 48 car of four-time defending champion Jimmie Johnson?

"Absolutely," Elliott said with only a little hesitation. "I think if you had the equipment I think you could put it together. It may take you a little bit of time. It may not be just being plugged into a car. It may be the point of getting the right crew chief or a few of the right people around you to understand where you're going."

Elliott unabashedly said he's as physically and mentally capable of wheeling a 3,500-pound stock car as he was two-plus decades ago, when he earned the moniker, "Awesome Bill," and solidified a place as one of the best drivers in the sport's history.

Elliott remained mostly competitive up through 2003, when he went to Victory Lane in the penultimate Cup race at Rockingham. That also was his final full season before going to a partial schedule in '04.

Elliott, who continues to race because "I just love the sport," rides dirt bikes and goes to the gym in an effort to stay in top condition.

"I think age is just a number," said Elliott, his hair bearing little evidence of gray. "I don't feel no different than I did in my 30s. For me now, I don't see it any differently. I mean, I go to the race track, it's the same mechanics as it's always been.

"You just understand more at this age. You know of the things you fight, some of the things you've got to look forward to, some of the things you don't look forward to but it's still a part of the sport." (Continued)