HAMPTON, Ga. - Bill Elliott will drive a No. 00 Chevrolet for Michael Waltrip Racing in five Nextel Cup races in 2006, Waltrip announced Friday at Atlanta Motor Speedway.
Burger King will be the primary sponsor for the car as part of a program that could expand when Waltrip becomes a two-car team owner with Toyota in 2007.
Elliott, who retired from full-time competition after the 2003 season but has run selected races ever since, has 44 career victories in 747 Cup starts. He last raced in this year's Daytona 500 in a Chevrolet owned by MB2, finishing 19th.
Elliott is scheduled to run at Chicagoland Speedway on July 9, at New Hampshire International Speedway on July 16, at Indianapolis Motor Speedway on Aug. 6, at California Speedway on Sept. 3 and at Homestead-Miami Speedway on Nov. 9.
"I am kind of still on loan from Ray," said Elliott, speaking of Ray Evernham, team owner of Evernham Motorsports. "But we really have no plan put together for anything yet this year, and sometimes the door opens."
Waltrip is in a sort of limbo this season. He's driving Dodges built by Bill Davis Racing in a partnership between himself, Doug Bawel and Davis.
Meanwhile, Michael Waltrip Racing is ramping up to compete in Toyotas next year.
Waltrip will drive one of those Toyotas, with sponsorship from NAPA. Burger King would be a potential sponsor for the second team, for which a driver has not yet been named.
Elliott's cars will be powered by engines built by Hendrick Motorsports.
"I'm Switzerland," Waltrip said when asked why Elliott would use Chevrolets instead of the Dodges that Waltrip is racing. "I can drive anything I want, and we think Chevrolet has the car to beat."
