Bill Elliott - NASCAR Hall Of Fame Spotlight

Wild Bill, Awesome Bill from Dawsonville, Million Dollar Bill, or just Bill Elliott. Whatever you call him he is the real deal. Over 37 years in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series highlights a NASCAR Hall Of Fame Career. Bill Elliott made his debut in the Winston Cup Series at Rockingham in 1976, 39 Years later Bill would be inducted into the NASCAR Hall Of Fame in the 6th Class along with  Fred Lorenzen, Wendell Scott, Joe Weatherly and Rex White.
In 1976 NASCAR was introduced to what would become one of the greatest drivers of all time. His name was Bill Elliott. Bill was from a small town just 84 miles from the Atlanta Motor Speedway, in a town called Dawsonville, GA. Bill made his debut driving for George Elliott in 1976. That season Bill's best finish would come at the Nashville Fairgrounds Speedway where he would finish 14th. The following season Bill would continue to drive for George Elliott, a team owner Bill would drive for until 1981. From 1976 till 1982 Bill would finish in the Top 10 a total of 33 times but that win colum would still be a zero. In 1983 Bill drove for Harry Melling

in his first full time season. That season a win would come at the season ending race at Riverside. 12 Top 5's and 22 Top 10's would complete a successful Rookie season. That season Bill would also finish 3rd in Points to Bobby Allison and Darrell Waltrip. The following season would hold 3 wins. Another 3rd Place points finish would come for the Dawsonville Native. 1985 was when NASCAR and It's fans really found out who Bill was. 11 victories in one season kept his name in the minds of NASCAR fans. One of the most impressive

victories in that season was at the Talladega Superspeedway where Bill came from two laps down to win the race during a green flag run. That feat will never be touched again with the new Lucky Dog Rule along with the Wave Around. Also in that season Bill became the first driver to win the Winston Million, The Winston Million was a now-defunct cash prize award program on the NASCAR Winston Cup series. From 1985-1997, R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Company, the title sponsor of NASCAR's premier circuit at the time, offered an award of $1 million for any driver who won three of the four crown jewels on the schedule. Bill would still

finish second to Darrell Waltrip but Bill had the Million Dollars that Rusty Wallace would still away from Darrell in 1989. In 1986 2 wins would land Bill in 4th place in the standings. A moderately calm season would build up for 1987. In 1987 Bill would break records.  On April 30, 1987 Bill Elliott would set what remains, almost 30 years later, the all-time NASCAR qualifying record, 212.809 mph, in a Ford Thunderbird at the Talladega Superspeedway. This of course was pre restrictor plate era. Also in 1987 Bill would win 6 races en route to yet another runner up finish, still with no championship, but come 1988 things with that would change. In 1988 Bill would win a total Of 6 races matching his 1987 campaign but with a different result. That season Bill Elliott would win his first and only NASCAR Winston Cup Championship. The Cherry on Top of what became one of the greatest Careers in NASCAR ever. Bill would win 15 more races from 1989 to 2012. The closest Bill came to winning his 2nd Title came in 1992, The year Alan Kulwicki would win his only championship.

Elliott made his second start of the 2012 season driving for Turner Motorsports in the July race at
Daytona International Speedway, in the #50 Walmart-sponsored Chevrolet. Elliott qualified 5th, and ran in the top 10 throughout the first half of the race, but finished 37th after being involved in an accident. This was his 828th and final start in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series. In 2014 Chase Elliott, Bill's son, would make his NASCAR Xfinity Series Debut driving for Jr Motorsports. That season Bill would watch as his son would win his first championship in his Rookie Season. At Darlington in 2014 Chase ran in

the Bojangles Southern 500 running the paint scheme similar to the car that Bill Elliott drove to Darlington's Victory Lane in 1985 to win the "Winston Million."  In 2016 Chase Elliott will continue on the legacy his father started in 1976. Fans will have a new face to cheer for as the past is replaced by the future as Chase takes over the #24 that Jeff Gordon made ever so famous. In 2016 look for the Son of Awesome Bill be just as awesome as he continues his own Hall Of Fame Career.
Be sure to tune into the Next Hall Of Fame Spotlight featuring a special tribute. The 2016  Squier-Hall Award for NASCAR Media Excellence Steve Byrnes. (Koelle, 2016)