Catchfence

Bill Elliott will be achieving another milestone this weekend when he starts the Coca–Cola 600 behind the wheel of the Wood Brothers’ #21 Motorcraft Ford Fusion. Bill will be making his 800th NASCAR Cup series start.

Bill began his NASCAR Cup career in 1976 and earned his first win in 1983 during the final race of that year at Riverside California. At the end of 1984, series sponsor R.J. Reynolds announced that it would not only pay the Winston Cup champion one million dollars, it would also offer a bonus million for anyone who could win three of the four major races. Bill did just that, winning the Daytona 500, the Winston 500 (Talladega, AL) and the Southern 500 (Darlington, SC). Along with winning the Winston Million, Bill’s 1985 banner year also included a Winston Cup season record of 11 superspeedway wins. For his achievements in 1985, Bill was featured on the cover of Sports Illustrated. His two nicknames: “Awesome Bill from Dawsonville” and “Million Dollar Bill” also came as a result of his record-setting 1985 season.

Bill followed-up his incredible 1985 campaign by winning the Cup Championship in 1988. In 1998 he was named one of NASCAR’s 50 greatest drivers. In a career that is still going strong, Bill has: 799 starts; 44 wins; 55 poles; 175 top 5s; 320 top 10s; and has won more than $43,000,000.

In addition to being a legendary race car driver, Bill was voted most popular driver by the fans 16 times – a true testament to the kind of person Bill Elliott is.

Be sure to catch Bill behind the wheel of the Wood Brothers’ #21 Motorcraft Ford Fusion Sunday, May 24, 2009 as he makes his 800th start. Live race coverage begins at 5:00 pm on Fox.

- Wood Brothers Racing, Press Release