Bill Elliott

Racing legend Bill Elliott has built one of the most distinguished records in stock car racing history. Throughout his racing career he radiated a modest and friendly personality that has endeared him to race fans of all ages. From cutting up car bodies in the early days to winning NASCAR's first million-dollar bonus, Elliott has seen and done it all. Though quiet and unpretentious, this NASCAR Cup Series champion and NASCAR Hall of Fame inductee has dazzled fans with his racing ability for an amazing three decades.

In 1985, he won 11 races and 11 poles on his way to winning the first Winston Million in NASCAR history, bringing a new fame to him and the sport of auto racing. His victories in the Daytona 500, the Winston 500 at Talladega and the Southern 500 at Darlington earned him the million-dollar bonus and the nickname, "Million Dollar Bill." Elliott's "fuel-injected" success also landed him on the cover of Sports Illustrated as the first Winston Cup driver to appear on the cover. Additional glory followed and in 1988, with six wins, six poles, 11 top-five and 22 top-ten finishes in 29 races, Elliott earned NASCAR's Sprint Cup Series championship.

In 1995, Elliott began his own team and assumed sole ownership a year later. In 2000, he celebrated his 25th anniversary in the NASCAR Winston Cup Series. He made another high-profile move in 2001 when he joined Ray Evernham and Dodge as the lead driver of their organization. The team would herald in a new era for Dodge as the manufacturer made its return to the track after more than 20 years.

His 2001 standings were his best overall since 1994 with one win, two poles, five top-fives, nine top-10s and a 15th place finish in the points. In the 2002 season, he won four poles, finished four times in the top-five, 11 times in the top-10 and captured the checkered flag twice in a row: once at the Pennsylvania 500 and again at the Brickyard 400. By November 9, 2003 he had achieved his fourth win for Evernham Motorsports at Rockingham, moving up from a start in the rear of the field and leading 140 of 393 laps. During that final full-time season, he also finished in the top-five nine times and had 12 top-10 finishes. Moreover, Elliott achieved amazing popularity, winning the NMPA's "Most Popular Driver" Award a record 16 times, eventually retiring his name from the contest in 2003. Elliott turned to a part-time racing schedule for the next nine seasons, closing out his racing career with 44 NASCAR Cup Series victories.

Three years after retiring from the NASCAR Cup Series, Elliott was inducted into the NASCAR Hall of Fame in 2015. Now the time he spends at the race track is in a supportive role to his son, Chase Elliott, a NASCAR Cup Series Champion himself who has followed in his father’s footsteps as the sport’s most popular driver. In fact, both father and son were named to NASCAR’s 75 Greatest Drivers in 2023 as part of the sport’s 75th Anniversary celebration.

Elliott's devotion to both his sport, his family and his supporters equals his talent, making him a legend with both his team and his fans.