Elliott, Owens To Debut Turner Team At Daytona
RacinToday.com Monday, 16 April 2012
Bill Elliott to driver for Turner Motorsports. (File photo courtesy of NASCAR)
Turner Motorsports announced that crew chief Trent Owens and veteran driver Bill Elliott will team up for the teams NASCAR Sprint Cup Series debut at Daytona International Speedway in July.
Owens currently is crew chief for Turner Motorsports No. 30 NASCAR Nationwide Series entry and recently led the team to victory in the 2012 season-opener at DIS.
A former driverf, Owens is a Darlington, S.C., native who has served as crew chief for six years for Braun Racing and remained with the organization through its acquisition by Turner Motorsports two years ago.
Turner Motorsports NSCS debut is in conjunction with Walmarts Race Time program, launched last year as the largest retail promotion in NASCAR history. Race Time 2012 gives customers more accessibility to discounted race tickets, driver appearances and fan events at Walmart stores.
The goal for Elliott, who was voted NASCARs Most Popular Driver 16 times and is one of NASCARs Top 50 Drivers of all time, is to qualify and compete at the Coke Zero 400. He will also visit Walmart stores with his show car before select races.
Walmarts sponsorship of the No. 50 entry at DIS was announced in January as part of its 50th anniversary celebration.
Its exciting to be part of Turner Motorsports first Cup race with Bill Elliott and support from Walmart, said Owens, who has four NNS wins as a crew chief. Weve come a long way in just the last two years, so to take this step is really going to be a milestone for everyone who works so hard for this team every day.
Over the years, Owens has been successful working with a variety of drivers with different levels of experience. Prior to his win in the Feb. 25 NNS event at DIS with rookie James Buescher, Owens last season led veterans Mark Martin (Las Vegas Motor Speedway) and Reed Sorenson (Road America) to victory lane. In 2007, he served as crew chief for Dave Blaney in his win at Charlotte Motor Speedway.
Fans will also get to participate in Elliotts return to the 2.5-mile superspeedway by voting on what drivers suit and helmet he will wear for the race. Three different drivers suit and helmet combinations have been specifically designed for Elliott and fans can vote by visiting www.Walmart.com/NASCAR between March 28and May 14.
Elliott, the 1988 Cup champion, has 44 career wins in the series, including four at DIS. He most recently finished 12th there in the 2011 Daytona 500.
Having the chance to work with Bill is icing on the cake, Owens said. Obviously, hes had an amazing career, and I have a lot of respect for his talent and what he has accomplished over the years. Not only is this a great opportunity for Turner Motorsports but its a big deal for me personally.
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updated by @dave-fulton: 12/05/16 04:04:08PM
