NASCAR fans nowadays hear the name Elliott quite often, and their mind understandably turns to Chase Elliott, first. However, fans have not forgotten about Chase’s father, Bill Elliott, otherwise known as “Awesome Bill from Dawsonville”. These are the biggest and brightest moments of Bill Elliott’s career.
Bill Elliott spent the latter half of the 1990s trying to make it as an owner-driver. He put up some respectable numbers, but he failed to win a race. In 2001, he joined the newly formed Dodge team, Evernham Motorsports.
The team took some time to get their legs underneath them, but, Elliott gave the team their finest moment of the season that fall. Elliott passed teammate Casey Atwood late for the lead, and Elliott claimed his first checkered flag since 1994.
Bill Elliott was the cream of the crop in NASCAR on superspeedways throughout the mid-1980s. He was just as incredible on qualifying day as he was on race day. His greatest qualifying performance came in 1987.
After setting the track record at Daytona with a speed of over 210 MPH, he turned around and turned a 212 MPH lap at Talladega. That turned out to be the peak of speed in the NASCAR Cup Series, as the 1987 Winston 500 was the race of Bobby Allison’s horrifying accident. NASCAR has restricted Cup Series engines ever since, and no one has gotten close to that speed.
Throughout the 1980s, Elliott won a lot of races, but, he couldn’t take home the Championship at the season’s end. He turned his attention in 1988 towards being consistent alongside winning races. Inconsistency cost Elliott the 1985 Championship, and he learned that lesson in 1988.
Elliott never finished outside of the top 20, and he nabbed 16 consecutive top-10 finishes from the summer at Pocono until the penultimate race at Phoenix. Elliott stayed out of trouble in the season finale at Atlanta, finishing 11th, and taking home his only Cup Series Championship.
In 1985, NASCAR implemented the “Winston Million” promotion, awarding a $1 million bonus to any driver who won 3 of the 4 “Crown Jewel” races. Bill Elliott took home two of the first 3, and his last chance at the bonus came at Darlington in the Southern 500. It wasn’t a totally smooth race for Elliott.
After leading early, Elliott fell behind throughout the middle portion of the race. Elliott got back to the front, and he fought with Cale Yarborough for the win in the Southern 500. Elliott held off Yarborough, and was presented with a $1 million check in victory lane with the title “Million Dollar Bill”
Elliott’s finest hour came in the 1985 Winston 500 at Talladega Superspeedway. He started on the pole, but he had to pit early to fix a mechanical issue. He fell two laps down, but, Elliott’s car lost no speed.
The race ran caution-free for the first 159 laps, and Elliott ran the entire field down twice to get his laps back, then another time to take the lead. On lap 145, Elliott took the lead and led 35 of the final 44 laps to take home the win. It was part 2 of his Winston Million run.
Bill Elliott had some incredible moments in his Hall of Fame driving career. These ones defined just how great Elliott was.
As the 2026 NASCAR Cup Series season gets underway, The Daily Downforce is once again tracking how fans feel about race broadcasts throughout the year, just as we did last year. This ratings tracker exists to capture fan feedback in a clear, consistent way across the entire season for each TV partner.
After each Cup Series race weekend, we will post a fan poll asking one simple question: “How would you rate this weekend’s Cup Series broadcast?” And fans can vote and comment based on their overall viewing experience. This article will be updated weekly with the most recent race’s numbers added to the tracker.
Participation is quick and open to everyone.
| Week | Network | Race | Votes | Good | Average | Bad | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | FOX | Bowman Gray Clash | 368 | 16% | 43% | 42% | Check the Poll HERE |
| 2 | FOX | Daytona 500 | 989 | 42% | 46% | 12% | Check the Poll HERE |
Remember to follow The Daily Downforce on X to catch each weekly poll, share your thoughts, and be part of the conversation.
A new trailer revealed that NASCAR will be a part of The Crew Motorfest’s upcoming free season 9 update.
Will you be playing The Crew for this new update? Let us know your opinion on Discord or X. Don’t forget that you can also follow us on Instagram, Facebook, and YouTube.
Denny Hamlin defends Riley Herbst, Brad Keselowski is furious, and Kyle Busch leaves everyone debating what it means to truly compete for a Daytona 500. The final lap at Daytona International Speedway sparked multiple completely different controversies that say a lot about modern superspeedway racing.
At superspeedways, instinct rules everything. Herbst reacted late, Keselowski paid the price, and Hamlin backed his guy. Meanwhile, Busch lifted from 25th, avoided the wreck, and gained ten spots, a move that looks smart in hindsight but could have backfired badly. In a new points-heavy format, are drivers thinking differently? We break down both moments, what they really mean, and whether everyone involved might actually have a point. Plus, early Cup Series power rankings to wrap it up.
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