ROCKINGHAM, N.C. — Bill Elliott won a battle of Fords, driving away from Daytona 500 winner Davey Allison in the late stages to earn a seemingly effortless victory yesterday in the Goodwrench 500.

Elliott pulled away steadily over the final 100 miles, beating Allison to the finish line by a whopping 12.75 seconds.

The victory was Elliott’s first for team owner Junior Johnson, whom he joined during the offseason, and his 35th in 350 career starts.

Allison provided most of the competition for Elliott as they took turns leading most of the day at the 1.017-mile North Carolina Motor Speedway.

But Elliott, equaling his victory total for both 1990 and 1991, was able to break away, helped by 210 consecutive laps of green-flag racing at the end of the 492-lap event.

“[Crew chief] Tim Brewer and all the guys made it easy on me,” Elliott said. “This car just ran flawless.

“Davey would be good for 40 or 50 laps [after pit stops], then I’d get a good run on him and I’d be able to open up a lead. I knew if the caution flag didn’t come out there at the end, we’d be in good shape.”

Elliott led 260 laps, including the final 213, on the way to a race-record average of 126.125 mph, breaking the mark of 124.083 set last March by Kyle Petty and barely missing the track record of 127.292 by Allison last October.

Elliott’s third victory at Rockingham and first at the track since 1987 also was his first overall since the Pepsi 400 last July at Daytona International Speedway.

Harry Gant, the oldest driver in the race at 52, finished third in an Oldsmobile, the only other car on the lead lap. Michael Waltrip was fourth in a Pontiac, followed by Ken Schrader in a Chevrolet.