CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) -Bill Elliott will run three races this season for Red Bull Racing as a warmup for its 2007 debut as one of Toyota's initial teams.
Elliott, NASCAR's 1988 champion, will attempt to qualify for races in Concord, N.C., Atlanta and Texas. The car make he'll drive has not been decided, but it won't be a Camry because the model has not been approved for 2006 competition.
"It's an honor to have a driver of Bill Elliott's caliber help us get the program ready for 2007,'' Red Bull general manager Marty Gaunt said Monday. "His championship pedigree and his penchant for providing technical feedback make Bill the ideal fit for this important role.''
Red Bull is one of three teams that has announced plans to field Toyotas next season when the Japanese automaker makes its Nextel Cup debut.
So far, Michael Waltrip is the only car owner with a driver lineup - he and Dale Jarrett will team to drive two entries. Bill Davis Racing has yet to announce its '07 driver lineup, and Red Bull appears to be having trouble finding a top-name driver.
Matt Kenseth and Kevin Harvick both signed extensions to stay with their current teams, leaving Casey Mears as the next best driver with a contract expiring at the end of the season. But Mears has maintained he wants to remain with Chip Ganassi Racing and is not talking to anyone about driving a Toyota.
Red Bull potentially could talk Elliott into piloting one of its cars next year. He's run a limited schedule the past two seasons, and his 2006 calendar has him driving five races for Waltrip and a select few for MB2 Motorsports.
Red Bull asked him to drive three this year as it tries to assemble a crew for the 2007 season-opening Daytona 500.
"The organization and its competitive spirit are what attracted me to Team Red Bull,'' Elliott said. "My job is simple, to put the car in the show, drive it toward the front, and provide valuable input so that Team Red Bull is fully prepared by the Daytona 500.''
