Elliott Wins IROC at Daytona : Auto racing: Familiar with surroundings, he handles bump by Davy Jones to win first of four-race series.

Two-time Daytona 500 winner Bill Elliott used his superspeedway experience to win the first round of the 17th International Race of Champions at Daytona International Speedway on Friday.

The redhead from Dawsonville, Ga., took the lead from fellow Winston Cup driver Ricky Rudd with six laps remaining in the 40-lap race, and when his closest challenger, sports car driver Davy Jones, tapped the wall on the final lap, Elliott cruised to the victory.

“I knew I had a good shot at winning when the three of us (Elliott, Rudd and Al Unser Jr.) were able to break away,” Elliott said. “After a yellow flag, Jones came up there and helped me draft by Ricky (Rudd). Then on that last lap, Jones kind of ran into me and it sort of straightened me out. Then, when he brushed the wall, I knew I had it because the others had to check up.”

Jones, who had only one day of practice after flying here from England, where he has been testing a Benetton Ford Formula One car, finished fourth. Davey Allison was second and Unser Jr. third.

“It all came down to experience on that last lap,” Jones said. “I just got a bit close to him and touched him in the rear. As soon as I got back in it, I got in his dirty air and I slammed the car into the wall. All I could do then was hold on.”

IROC is an invitational event for 12 drivers from different series who compete in four races, driving identical Dodge Daytonas prepared by Jay Signore.

The yellow flag was caused when Al Unser Sr. slammed head-on into the wall on lap 31 after tangling with Allison on the front stretch.

“We just ran out of room,” Allison said. “We got together. It wasn’t anything either of us did--it just happened.”

Unser Sr., who complained of a stiff neck after climbing out of his car, did not even know who had hit him.

“I really don’t know what happened,” the four-time Indianapolis 500 winner said. “I thought I gave everybody plenty of room. The only thing I remember is looking at the wall before I hit. At that point, you stop thinking.”

Unser Sr. gets to start on the pole when the IROC series resumes March 27 at Darlington, S.C.