Nyorai kupfuurira kweiyi ndima - Nhamba 44 yakatanga seNhamba 9 mu2001 Daytona 500 nekudzoka kwaDodge kuNASCAR. Mushure memakore makumi mashanu semutyairi uye muridzi, 1988 Winston Cup Series shasha Bill Elliott akabatana naEvernham semutyairi uye akatorazve nhamba 9 yaakatyaira neMelling Racing. Elliott akakunda danda reDaytona 500
uye akapedza ari wechishanu. Akaratidza mwaka wake wokutanga kukunda mumakore manomwe paHomestead-Miami Speedway uye akapedza 15th mumapoinzi. Elliott aizowana kukunda kuviri ndokupedza ari 13 mumapoinzi muna 2002. Akawana kukunda kwake kwokupedzisira mubasa rake muNorth Carolina mukupera kwa2003. Mushure mekupedza nzvimbo yechipfumbamwe mumapoinzi mwaka iwoyo, Elliott akazivisa kuti nekuda kwekumanikidzwa kwehurongwa hwakazara hweNextel Cup, aizoenda pasi kubva pakutasva kwake nguva yakazara uye aizomhanya mota yekutsvaga nekusimudzira timu.