Elliott's impact spans generations, race teams

SONOMA, Calif. -- Bill Elliott just laughed Saturday morning at Infineon Raceway when he was asked the last time he'd run two different cars for two different teams at the same official event.

The fact he might never have done it, and couldn't remember if he had in a 34-year career, was irrelevant.

What was important was the savvy veteran -- who coincidentally won his first career Cup race in the 1983 season finale at the Riverside International Raceway road course in Southern California -- stepped up to help out two team owners.

Elliott was credited on Friday by Kasey Kahne with giving Kahne his start to road course excellence six years ago.

But on Saturday, Elliott drove both Carl Edwards' No. 99 Roush Fenway Racing Ford and Paul Menard's No. 98 Richard Petty Motorsports Ford when Edwards and Menard, along with Penske Racing driver Brad Keselowski, had to miss the entire day at Infineon to qualify at Road America in Elkhart Lake, Wis., and run the Nationwide Series' Bucyrus 200.

Marcos Ambrose, a two-time Nationwide winner on the road course at Watkins Glen, continued his fast, consistent streak at Sonoma as he was fastest in both Saturday practices after leading Friday's session and qualifying sixth.

Kahne, who a year ago practiced 20th and fifth on Saturday before holding off Tony Stewart to win his first Cup road race, was 17th and 25th this time around.

A number of red flags interrupted both Saturday sessions, but the most significant involved Penske driver Sam Hornish Jr., who backed into the barrier on the outside of Turn 10 after getting off the road in his No. 77 Dodge. The team pulled out a backup car and Hornish was 35th in Happy Hour. (Continued)