Click here for catalog!
NASCAR MODELS by MR NASCAR

Bill Elliott's VICTORY LAP Intrepid!!


To honour WINSTON's role in the incredible growth of NASCAR during the years 1971 to 2003, NASCAR organized "Victory Laps" during the last half of the 2003 season, wherein cars of Winston Cup-Winning Champions would run an honourary lap in the pole position prior to the race.

It was Awesome Bill's night at Atlanta in late October at the BASS PROSHOPS MBNA 500, thanks to his 1988 Championship. Unlike the RCR 3 VL Monte this one was an actual race-intent car, since Bill is still competing... and competitive, I might add!

Sam and I knew this was another "must-do" and Sam quickly emailed me the images, I fine-tuned 'em a bit and what you see here is where we ended up. Everything except the fender contingencies are on the sheet. Sam did a great job, and I am very happy with the finished model. The starting point was, of course, the current Revell Elliott Intrepid. It was primed with PlastiKote white primer, and wetsanded smooth with 600 grit paper. I then applied the silver, using a Canadian Tire touch-up lacquer, GM's 1985-91 #13 Bright Silver. (CTC SKU 47-3924-4). Once it had dried overnight, I removed the hood, masked off the cowl, the roof (including A, B, and C pillars) and trunk, and applied another CTC touchup lacquer - Hyundai Code TD, Mars Red (CTC code 47-0610-8) - which seemed a good match to references. As per normal practice, all aerosols were warmed for a few minutes in hot tap water, to improve atomization and smoothness.

While all this was drying, I began the chassis build. Other than adding seatbelts, it was built box-stock.(The red wheels are way cool!)

The decalling was simple, as this is a pretty uncluttered car.

Once it had dried 24 hours, I applied the clearcoat, using TAMIYA TS13, again heated in hot tapwater. Body was then polished out with Turtle Wax after a few hours to harden up..

Here's some info on Bill's career from The Official Bill Elliott Fan Club Site:
"Hard work and a passion for the art of racing turned an eager young driver from a small Georgia town into a NASCAR Winston Cup champion. In the 26 years since his first Winston Cup race at North Carolina Speedway, Bill Elliott has seen and done it all. Quiet and unassuming, he made a high-profile move in 2001 when he joined Ray Evernham and Dodge as they led the manufacturer's return to Winston Cup racing.

Bill Elliott became involved in racing at a young age, thanks to his family's tradition in Dawsonville, Georgia. His father, George Elliott, was an avid racing fan and sold parts for racecars. Bill's brothers, Ernie and Dan, were also involved in fixing up cars and did some racing as well. Bill's interest in driving was minimal at first, but when he started transforming a regular road car into a racecar, George knew it was time to take his son more seriously. He bought Bill a 1963 Ford Fairlane that had already been used as a racecar. Fords would be the exclusive cars of the Elliott's for years to come. Bill started racing regularly in 1974 at the Dixie Speedway in Woodstock, Georgia. When he began winning those races, George took the cue and pushed his son further. Bill remembers, "It was something I look back on and I think he might have seen more in me than I saw in myself." George had a somewhat different view. "Actually, I got my boys into racing because I wanted them to stay away from the back roads. If they were going to be driving fast, I wanted them to do it in the right place."

He earned his nickname "Million Dollar Bill" during the 1985 season when he won a record 11 races and the inaugural Winston Million, a $1 million bonus from R.J. Reynolds for winning the Daytona 500, the Winston 500 at Talladega and the Southern 500 at Darlington in the same season. Bill won on the NASCAR Winston Cup Championship in 1988."

A lot of folks may not know it, but Bill holds the record for the fastest-ever qualifying run - 212 mph plus change - at Talladega in 1988. In the race, which was blindingly fast, Bobby Allison nearly launched his Buick into the stands, and with images of LeMans 1955 floating thru their minds, NASCAR quickly dusted off and re-implemented the restrictor plate for the two fastest tracks. Something else folks might not know... Where did the red and white Melling paint scheme come from? Very simple, when the Elliott's decided in the late 70's to go at this fulltime, thay bought the PENSKE CAM2 cars, as Penske was pulling out of NASCAR at the time. They left the red and white paint schemes, changed the numbers, and stuck Melling on 'em...

Bill has had a lot of success since partnering up with Ray Evernham to bring the DODGE BOYS back up to speed, and it looks like 2004 will mark the end of his career, although Awesome Bill sure ain't lettin' no cats outta the bag as 2003 winds down about his future plans...

Unfortunately only the bass would have been happy this weekend, as the skies opened, and after a valiant effort, NASCAR redflagged the race, and ran the remainder on Monday. Bill acquitted himself quite well, qualifying in fifth, and 26 hours or so later coming home in fourth place..

To Home Page To Models Index Page To Top of Page