interesting Could a reunion be coming

[Chris]

found the two articles... released a few days apart...
Now someone with a little common sense,.. and a little foresight,.. could look at this and say... hhuumm 2 + 2 could = a possible reunion

Mayfield 'doubts' he will be back at Evernham: While #19-Jeremy Mayfield told reporters Saturday that he doubts he'll be back with Evernham Motorsports next year, team owner Ray Evernham said no decisions have been reached. Asked following qualifying for the Allstate 400 if Mayfield has inquired about his release, Evernham said they'd discussed a number of things. "But we haven't made any decisions," Evernham said. "The first thing we honestly both said was, 'Let's fix this first, because no matter what we decide to do, we can't leave this thing like it is. We have to prove that we can do it. Jeremy's got options, the same as many other drivers. Why wouldn't he? He's been in the Chase two years in a row. If I was a team owner starting a new team, he'd be one of the guys I'd be looking after, too." Mayfield has struggled this season, working with a new crew after Evernham swapped his teams following the 2005 season. Mayfield is coveted by Michael Waltrip Racing and is believed to be a candidate at Bill Davis Racing as well

Elliott still has not decided: Bill Elliott says he is within a couple of weeks of deciding what he'll do next season. The semi-retired former series champion, who won this race in 2002 and is at the Brickyard this year driving Michael Waltrip's #00 Chevrolet, has been courted by several teams, including some that plan to field Toyotas next year. "I'm still waiting on a few things to come together," said Elliott. "The folks that I've talked to still haven't decided what we're going to end up doing. I'm going to try to put things together a little bit more in the next couple of weeks

Could it be that Bill is talking to Ray... After all he DID mentor Kasy Kahne for a couple years,... and Ray told him if he ever wanted to come back and race full time and he had a 3rd car, there WOULD be a seat for him....
Just curious thinking... Bill had good success with Ray,.. and maybe that could be regenerated.
And it would be EASIER to go to an established successful Dodge team who you ALREDAY had success with ,... then to go to a start-up Toyota team and start from scratch... And NOT have any owner points either.

[AfterShock]

Chris,

Bill mentored

Kahne or Atwood?

[SMOKEN14]

 WELL  not to sound mean spirted but Bill Elliot is a has been. all he has to offer a team is the past champions provisinol and yes he would be a good mentor which means his best fit would be with yates and his 2 drivers that will have very little nextell cup experince

[Chris]

Bill mentored
Kahne or Atwood?

Kahne

WELL  not to sound mean spirted but Bill Elliot is a has been

Well... I'd say Bill's about as much of a has been as Mark Martin is...
If you remember the year Bill retired he WON his next to last race,.. and in his LAST race he was leading it when the white flag flew,.. and had a flat tire coming to the checkers...
SO he didn't get out there and just ride around like DW did the last several years of his career.
You got to remember what he's been driving the last couple years has been MOSTLY R&D stuff for teams... so not exactly 'top of the line' equipment for teams...

Put him is GOOD equipment and I think he could put it in Victory Lane

[Chris]

OH... I see that Mayfield has fell out of the top 35 in points after Indy... To me he kinda seems to be putting a 1/2-hearted effort into it knowing he is leaving.

If you think about it,.. thats kinda MORE of a reason for Ray to convince Bill to come back and drive for him.  Hell Ray may boot Mayfield BEFORE the end of the season and put Bill in to get him "warmed up" and get the car back IN the top 35.
If I had a driver I thought wasn't giving it 100%,.. I'd give him the boot.....

[Dustcloud]

Well, the nice thing about Bill Elliot, he doesn't HAVE to get it in the top-35 - which might be all the more reason to put him in.

I don't doubt Bill could give a good car a good ride, but I dunno if he's be some sort of week-in-week-out contender. And I still maintain, as Smoken said, is that past champ's provisional. Especially with the number of teams set up for next year and the top-35 stuff.

[PlanoHarvickFan]

But that's why Hall of Fame Racing picked terry Labonte to start out the season....and there were a couple times he actually qualified higher than the past champion spot

[SMOKEN14]

OH... I see that Mayfield has fell out of the top 35 in points after Indy... To me he kinda seems to be putting a 1/2-hearted effort into it knowing he is leaving.

If you think about it,.. thats kinda MORE of a reason for Ray to convince Bill to come back and drive for him.  Hell Ray may boot Mayfield BEFORE the end of the season and put Bill in to get him "warmed up" and get the car back IN the top 35.
If I had a driver I thought wasn't giving it 100%,.. I'd give him the boot.....

  Elliott is not an option to finish the season if this leads to a permanent separation as is expected. Elliott, the 1988 Cup champion, drove for EMS fulltime from 2001-2003 and part-time from 2004-present, is committed to driving three races for Team Red Bull later this season.

He also has two races left on a five-race commitment to Michael Waltrip.

With Mayfield now 36th in owners' points -- and not guaranteed a starting spot at Watkins Glen -- the switch to Bill Elliott brings the past champion's provisional into play if the No. 19 does not qualify on speed.

[Chris]

  Elliott is not an option to finish the season if this leads to a permanent separation as is expected. Elliott, the 1988 Cup champion, drove for EMS fulltime from 2001-2003 and part-time from 2004-present, is committed to driving three races for Team Red Bull later this season.

He also has two races left on a five-race commitment to Michael Waltrip.

With Mayfield now 36th in owners' points -- and not guaranteed a starting spot at Watkins Glen -- the switch to Bill Elliott brings the past champion's provisional into play if the No. 19 does not qualify on speed.

Smoken you are right.. As far as I know... Elliott DOES have 3 races for Team Red Bull left this season,.. and two left for Mikey Waltrip racing.
OF COURSE,.. no one is saying he COULDN'T run all the other 10 races for RAY..

Since Mayfield is in 36th now,.. I've already saw comments from Evernham about finding someone ELSE to drive the #19 as EARLY as THIS weekend at WG. (maybe a road course specialist)... But I think most of the 'good' ones are already spoken for,.. and I see Mayfield name is on the 'entrants' list.. but if the "car' is entered.... don't mean a driver swap can't happen at the last minute,.. and the CAR still get the points.

Gonna be interesting to see how it all plays out...
I kinda DOUBT Bill and Ray will reunite,.. but personally I would like to see it,.. and IF Bill is interested in WINNING,.. I think that would be the BEST move for him.

[Chris]

I swear,.. I swear,.. I swear... You all know Bill's my cousin,.. but I hadn't talked to him..
And I DID NOT know this was coming today...
Was kinda common sense though when I posted it this morning...
Sure made me look like some kinda profit when I predicted it this morning and then this announcement was made this afternoon... hehehehe

Bill Elliott is now listed as the driver of the #19 Evernham Motorsports Dodge for Watkins Glen per nascar.com's entry list, looks like Mayfield will sit the road course race out since the #19 is now out of the top-35 in owners points,