Rubuta ci gaba ga wannan sakin layi - Lambar 44 ta fara zama lamba 9 a 2001 Daytona 500 tare da dawowar Dodge zuwa NASCAR. Bayan rabin shekaru goma a matsayin direba da mai shi, 1988 Winston Cup Series zakara Bill Elliott ya shiga Evernham a matsayin direba kuma ya sake ɗaukar lamba 9 wanda ya tuka tare da Melling Racing. Elliott ya lashe tseren Daytona 500
kuma ya gama na biyar. Ya yi bikin kakar wasa tare da nasararsa ta farko a cikin shekaru bakwai a Homestead-Miami Speedway kuma ya gama na 15 a maki. Elliott zai ci nasara biyu kuma ya gama 13th a maki a 2002. Ya zira kwallaye na karshe a North Carolina a shekarar 2003. Bayan kammala na tara a maki a wannan kakar, Elliott ya sanar da cewa saboda matsin lamba na cikakken jadawalin Nextel Cup, zai sauka daga tafiyarsa ta cikakken lokaci kuma zai yi tseren motar bincike da ci gaban kungiyar.