Bill Elliott’s plans to run in the Bass Pro Shops 500 at Atlanta Motor Speedway next week with a special paint scheme commemorating his 30 years of racing at his home track have been scrapped, but he’ll race in front of the home folks anyway.

Elliott said the Red Bull team that was set to field his car asked him to step aside so rookie A.J. Allmendinger could drive.

Elliott agreed, then struck a deal to drive the No. 37 Dodge of Toccoa-based R&J Racing. “But the key is that I’ll be racing, and that I don’t let down the fans who have already bought tickets,” Elliott said.

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