Wal-Mart to sponsor Bill Elliott for race

CONCORD, N.C. -- Former Cup champion Bill Elliott will drive a special Wal-Mart-sponsored Chevrolet in a one-race deal for the Coke Zero 400 Sprint Cup event on July 7 at Daytona, Wal-Mart officials announced Thursday.

The team of Turner Motorsports will field the entry using Hendrick Motorsports engines. The race with Elliott, the 1988 Cup champion who was voted one of NASCAR's 50 greatest drivers, is part of Wal-Mart's 50th anniversary celebration. The car will use the number 50.

Elliott, 56, will make appearances at Wal-Mart stores throughout the season. The department store also is offering fans a family deal at 17 Cup races this season that includes four tickets, four sodas, four hot dogs and one program for $99. The Coke Zero 400 is one of those events.

"This is a big deal to have Wal-Mart on a car and get more involved in the sport," Elliott said. "It helps to have a company like this take a major step forward in NASCAR."

Rand Waddoups, Wal-Mart's senior director of entertaining, said there are no immediate plans to expand the car sponsorship beyond the July race.

updated by @stars-radio: 12/05/16 04:02:07PM

This doesn't surprise me. The former advertising and PR operative who headed the Gillette Atra racing program in the early 80s, the KFC sponsorships for Junior Johnson and became VP, Public Relations for Home Depot and sponsored Tony Stewart, is now VP, Investor Relations for Wal-Mart and married to the former Head of NASCAR media for RJ Reynolds Winston Cup Series.

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"Any Day is Good for Stock Car Racing"

Call me biased...but I think they got a heck of a driver for that car. Wonder if this sponsorship might play out down the road when Chase is old enough to drive in the big three series. Remember that there was talk last year that Jeff Gordon was gonna get the Wal-Mart sponsorship; Chase is contracted with Hendrick, Jeff not too far from retirement...just a lot of things lining up.

Jay, I'm almost positive that chase will get Jeff's car. The number might get changed, but it'll be Jeff's car. Like you said, he'll be at the top right when Gordon is leaving. This year, Chase is going for the K&N series, a few Arca, and a few late model races like the CRA. He won't even be able to get into the top 3 until age 18. And I'm pretty sure that Rick will skip the trucks and put him straight into Nationwide, keep him there either 1 or 2 seasons, then that's when he'll take Gordon's ride, probably when Chase is atleast 20 or 21.

Anyway, I was real excited when I read this, this morning in first period! I think Walmart is the best sponsor he's had since Dodge. He's got practically a Hendrick car, so in other words, it'll be an exciting race hopefully. Remember last Daytona 500, he qualified 5th, re-started 8th on the g-w-c, then fell back to 12th! That's pretty good for Bill.