Elliott to race for Ganassi in Shootout.

Bill Elliott will swap teams for next month's Bud Shootout at Daytona after agreeing to drive a retro paint-scheme Dodge Charger for Chip Ganassi Racing in the traditional NASCAR season curtain raiser.

1988 NASCAR Champion Elliott, who will participate in a limited 2005 Nextel Cup programme with regular outfit Evernham Motorsports, has switched allegiance to Ganassi for one race only in order to run with the colours of his former sponsor Coors, who now sponsor Ganassi's team.

Coors sponsored Elliott throughout his most successful period in the NASCAR Winston Cup between 1984 and 1991 and Elliott's Charger will sport the paint scheme he used when he earned the coveted Winston Million during the 1985 NASCAR Winston Cup season. His 1985 achievement coined the nickname 'Million Dollar Bill.'

"I am really looking forward to partnering back up with Coors Light," Elliott said. "I think that this is a great opportunity and I really like running that race. I think it is also going to be fun to work with my brother Ernie. Ernie worked on my motors when I was just starting out. Now I get a chance to have him build my engines again and it is something I will thoroughly enjoy."

Elliott first partnered with Coors in 1984 when the beer company entered the world of NASCAR racing. The 1985 season and paint scheme Coors is honouring was a banner year for Elliott. He earned the Winston Million by winning three of the four major races of the season, the Daytona 500, the Winston 500 at Talladega and the Southern 500 at Darlington. He also captured a record-breaking 11 Superspeedway victories that year.

Over the course of eight seasons, Elliott piloted the Coors car to the 1988 Winston Cup Championship, 33 wins, 94 top-five and 142 top-10 finishes.

"I think this is a great way to honour Coors Brewing Company's history in racing," team owner Chip Ganassi said. "Coors had a long and successful affiliation with Bill and has been a sponsor with Felix and I since 1995. This is a great way to partner the company's past and present for one night under the lights at Daytona. We look forward to having Bill in one of our cars and giving Coors this opportunity to celebrate the start of its 21st year in NASCAR."

Coors first came to team owner Felix Sabates and Team SABCO in 1995. After three seasons and two drivers the door was left open for current driver Sterling Marlin to take over the reigns of the #40 Coors Light Dodge. Team owner Chip Ganassi partnered up with Sabates in 2000 and Coors Light continued its success with Chip Ganassi Racing with Felix Sabates.

"We here at Coors Brewing Company are very excited about having Bill in the car and partnered up with us again for this one race," said Steve Saunders, director of event marketing for Coors Brewing Company. "He had an impressive eight seasons with Coors and won a championship while he was sponsored by us.

"We are thrilled to have the opportunity to run our two brands of beer Coors and Coors Light at Daytona International Speedway. First we have Elliott in the Coors car and Marlin in the Coors Light Dodge."

The 2005 Bud Shootout is scheduled for Saturday February 12th at Daytona International Speedway.