William Clyde Elliott Sr. (born October 8, 1955), also known as "Awesome Bill from Dawsonville", "Million Dollar Bill", or "Wild Bill" is an American former professional stock car racing driver. He last competed in the Camping World Superstar Racing Experience part-time in 2022. His accolades include the 1988 Winston Cup Championship and garnering 44 wins in that series, including two Daytona 500 victories in 1985 and 1987, three Southern 500 victories in 1985, 1988, and 1994, one Winston 500 victory in 1985, one Brickyard 400 victory in 2002, one "The Winston All-Star Race" (non-points race) win in 1986, and a record four consecutive wins at Michigan International Speedway between 1985 and 1986 (7 wins overall at Michigan, the most at any one racetrack in his career).
Elliott holds the track record for fastest qualifying speed at Talladega at 212.809 miles per hour (342.483km/h) and Daytona International Speedway at 210.364 miles per hour (338.548km/h), both of which were set in 1987; the mark at Talladega is the fastest qualifying speed for any NASCAR race ever. With the usage of restrictor plates at Daytona and Talladega since 1988, it is highly unlikely that these two qualifying speed records will ever be topped. Elliott also holds the distinction of recording a track record at Talladega Superspeedway of 6 consecutive pole positions from 1985 to 1987.
In 1985, Elliott made NASCAR history by winning the first-ever Winston Million, a million-dollar bonus to any driver that could win three out of the four crown jewel races of NASCAR in a single season: The Daytona 500 at Daytona, the Winston 500 at Talladega, the World 600 at Charlotte, and the Southern 500 at Darlington. In a year dominated by Elliott, Bill went on to win a "NASCAR modern-era single season record" of 11 superspeedway races (with 4 "season sweeps": Atlanta, Pocono, Michigan, and Darlington) and 11 poles, with three of those 11 wins being in the Daytona 500, the Winston 500, and the Southern 500, earning Bill the "Winston Million Dollar Bonus" and earning him the nickname "Million Dollar Bill".
Elliott won NASCAR's Most Popular Driver Award a record 16 times (1984-1988, 1991–2000, 2002).[3] He withdrew his name from the ballot for that award after winning it in 2002. In 2005, the Georgia State Legislature declared October 8 as Bill Elliott Day in the state of Georgia.[4] Regarded as one of the greatest drivers in NASCAR history, Elliott was named one of NASCAR's 50 Greatest Drivers in 1998, and has been inducted into numerous racing and motorsports Halls of Fame, including being inducted into the Georgia Sports Hall of Fame in 1998, and being an inaugural inductee into the Georgia Racing Hall of Fame in 2002. He was inducted into the Motorsports Hall of Fame of America on August 15, 2007,[5] inducted into the National Motorsports Press Association Hall of Fame at Darlington in 2015, and into the 2015 class of the NASCAR Hall of Fame. Elliott has also been honored by the state legislature with a stretch of roadway (the entirety of Georgia State Route 183) in his native Dawson County renamed Elliott Family Parkway.
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William Clyde Elliott was born in Dawsonville, Georgia on October 8, 1955. According to his autobiography, many generations of Elliotts resided there. He was named after two relatives and is the youngest of three boys. His parents were Erving "George" Elliott Jr. (1924-1998) and Mildred Reece (1921-1991) His father George created a lumber company and loved racing, and later created a speed shop where Bill's brothers, Ernie (born 1947) and Dan (born 1951), worked. His father was also a Ford person and later created a Ford dealership as there were none in the area.[7]
Driving a car owned by his father, George Elliott,[9] Elliott made his first Winston Cup Series start at Rockingham in 1976. He qualified 34th in a field of 36 cars, and finished 33rd; Elliott only lasted 32 laps that day before the oil pump failed in his Ford Torino. Elliott toiled for five years in the Winston Cup Series without corporate sponsorship, and along the way showed flashes that he could compete with the established veterans of the sport. In mid-1977, Elliott bought a Mercury Montego from Bobby Allison after his split from Penske Racing to replace the inferior Torino, and the move paid off. He soon earned his first Top 10 finish in the Southern 500 (10th), and his first top-5 finish 2 years later in the same race, finishing 2nd to race winner (and Elliott's boyhood hero) David Pearson.
In the fall of 1980, Elliott gained his first major sponsor in the form of $500 from Harry Melling of Melling Racing in the 1980 National 500 at Charlotte. Melling would extend his contract and give the team enough sponsorship to run a 12 race schedule in 1981. In the 1981 season, he had one Top 5 and seven Top 10 finishes in 13 races, including the team's first pole in the spring race at Darlington.
Melling Racing and the Beginning Years
On December 1, 1981, Melling bought the team from Elliott's father George. In 1982, Elliott continued to show more and more flashes, and continued to flirt with victory lane more and more, as he finished the season with eight Top 5 finishes, and nine Top 10 finishes which included three runner-up finishes in the World 600 at Charlotte to Neil Bonnett, the Firecracker 400 at Daytona to Bobby Allison, and the fall race at Charlotte to Harry Gant.
In 1983, Elliott picked up four more 2nd place finishes in the season, which included finishing runner-up in the Daytona 500 to Cale Yarborough, runner-up at Rockingham to Richard Petty, runner-up to Ricky Rudd in the summer race at the road course Riverside, and runner-up to Bobby Allison in the Southern 500 at Darlington. After 115 starts beginning in 1976, and eight 2nd-place finishes between 1979 and 1983, Elliott finally broke through and won his first Winston Cup race in the final race of the 1983 season — the Winston Western 500 at Riverside. With his first win to go along with 12 Top 5s and 22 Top 10 finishes, Elliott finished the season in 3rd place in the final championship point standings of 1983.
Elliott gained full sponsorship from Coors in 1984 to the tune of $400,000 and won three races – the Michigan 400 at Michigan, the Miller High Life 500 at Charlotte, and the American 500 at Rockingham. He also collected four poles and finished 3rd in the final points standings for the second year in a row. The 1984 season also brought Elliott his first season of winning NASCAR's Most Popular Driver Award, and would begin a stretch of five consecutive years, from 1984 to 1988, where he would win that award.
Before the beginning of the 1985 season, the R. J. Reynolds Tobacco Company and its core brand sponsor Winston began the Winston Million promotion. It offered a US$1 million bonus to any driver who could win three out of the four crown jewel races of NASCAR (a "Small Slam") in a single calendar year season; the Daytona 500 at Daytona (NASCAR's most prestigious race), the Winston 500 at Talladega (NASCAR's fastest race), the World 600 at Charlotte (NASCAR's longest race), and the Southern 500 at Darlington (NASCAR's oldest race). If there was no million-dollar winner, a $100,000 consolation bonus would be given to the first driver to win two of the four races.
The 1985 season was the best season of Bill Elliott's career. He scored 11 wins and 11 poles out of 28 races and also went on to win the first ever Winston Million[10] in the Southern 500 at Darlington. This would give him the nicknames "Million Dollar Bill" and "Awesome Bill From Dawsonville".
Elliott started the 1985 season first with a dominating victory in the Daytona 500, leading 136 of the 200 laps, starting from the pole position. This was the "first leg" of the Winston Million promotion that Elliott captured. His 2nd win of the season came three weeks later at his hometrack of Atlanta Motor Speedway, leading 129 of 328 laps. He would win again two weeks later, his 3rd of the season, with a win in the spring race at Darlington. Going into the "second leg" of the Winston Million promotion, which was the Winston 500 at Talladega, Elliott completed one of the greatest and most memorable comebacks in NASCAR history. Elliott was leading the race when he had to pit due to a broken oil fitting, which would then put him back about 2 laps. He completed one of NASCAR's greatest comebacks by making his way through the field, making up both laps under green flag conditions, and winning the race, his 4th of the season, and capturing the "second leg" of the Winston Million promotion, which also guaranteed Elliott at the very least, the $100,000 consolation bonus in the Winston Million promotion. The following week, Elliott captured his 5th win of the season at Dover. Despite losing power-steering in the car, he led 336 of the 500 laps, and won the race being the only car finishing on the lead lap. Going into the "third leg" of the Winston Million promotion, which was the World 600 at Charlotte, Elliott had a chance to capture the million dollar prize. Elliott had a strong car, leading 84 of the first 155 laps, but mechanical failures relegated him to an 18th place finish. This was the only major of the four, that Elliott would not win in 1985 (a driver needed only to win a "small slam" of the four majors to win the bonus; Elliott, since he retired in 2013, would not finish a Career Grand Slam. However, Elliott had won twice at Charlotte Motor Speedway in 1984 and 1987, and had finished runner up in the World 600 twice, in 1982 and 1990).
Bill Elliott's 1985 record setting Ford Thunderbird which set at the time, the fastest qualifying time at 209.398 MPH for the 1985 Winston 500, and famously made up a 2 lap deficit to win the race, on display at the International Motorsports Hall of Fame at Talladega.
After the disappointing finish in the World 600, Elliott rebounded with a 6th place finish at Riverside. He would then go on a tear during the summer months of 1985, first winning back-to-back races, his 6th and 7th of the season, at Pocono and Michigan. Elliott would then lead the most laps, 103 of 160 laps, and finish 2nd in the Pepsi Firecracker 400 at Daytona to Greg Sacks. He followed that up with his 8th win of the season at Pocono, then leading 100 of 188 laps at Talladega and finishing 4th, and then leading 90 of 200 laps and winning at Michigan, his 9th of the season. It was also during this stretch, Elliott would set an unprecedented NASCAR record of winning five consecutive pole qualifying sessions in 1985; the June Pocono race, the Firecracker 400 at Daytona, the July races in Pocono and Talladega, and the August Michigan race. That did not include the June Michigan race where qualifying was rained out, and the July Pocono race pole was where he started second, but further investigation led NASCAR to throw out the winning pole time for illegal fuel additives, retroactively awarding Elliott the pole award, money, and credit towards the season-long award for most poles won.[11]
Bill Elliott's 1985 Southern 500 "Winston Million" winning Ford Thunderbird, on display at the National Motorsports Press Association Hall of Fame at Darlington.
After a 5th place finish at Bristol, Elliott had a chance to clinch the Winston Million Dollar Bonus in the next race, which was the 4th and "final leg" of the Winston Million Dollar promotion: the Southern 500 at Darlington. Multiple media outlets went to cover the race, as Elliott had the chance to collect the million dollar purse which at that time had never been done in stock car racing. Elliott started the race strong, but had to fend off tough competition throughout the race which included serious threats by Harry Gant and Dale Earnhardt, who dominated the early and middle portions of the race. Harry Gant led 84 laps before the engine gave way on his car, and Dale Earnhardt, who dominated most of the race leading 147 of the 367 laps, crashed out at around lap 318. In the final stages of the race, Elliott was leading and had to fend off a hard charging Cale Yarborough who was battling an ill-handling racecar after he broke a power-steering line. None the less, Elliott led 100 of the 367 laps and crossed the finish line first, winning the Southern 500 at Darlington, capturing his 10th win of the season, and winning the first ever Winston Million Dollar Bonus, which at the time was the largest single race payday in motorsports history. After the race, Elliott took a victory lap in a Pontiac Grand Am convertible with the President and CEO of Winston Tobacco Products at the time Gerald H. Long and NASCAR Hall of Famer Ned Jarrett conducting the victory interview. In victory lane, Long presented Elliott with the Winston Million Dollar Bonus while being showered with "Million Dollar Bills", which would then end up being one of Bill Elliott's infamous nicknames he would carry throughout his illustrious career. After the race, Elliott became the second NASCAR driver to be featured on the cover of Sports Illustrated, following Cale Yarborough after his win in the 1977 Daytona 500.
After winning the Southern 500 at Darlington along with the Winston Million, Elliott had built a 206 point lead in the championship standings with eight races to go. However Elliott would lose the point lead after a string of poor finishes, which included a 12th a Richmond, 20th at Dover, 17th at Martinsville, and the transmission failing at North Wilkesboro, finishing 30th. In contrast, Darrell Waltrip won at Richmond, finished 2nd at both Dover and Martinsville, and finished 14th at North Wilkesboro, thus overtaking the points lead over Elliott. Elliott did come within 20 points of the championship lead after his 11th win of the season at Atlanta with one race to go. However in the season finale at Riverside, a 31st place finish due to a broken oil pump and a 7th place finish by Darrell Waltrip ended Elliott's championship hopes, as he finished in 2nd place in the final championship standings, 101 points behind Waltrip. The 1985 season was still historic for Elliott. Along with winning the Winston Million, he set a NASCAR modern-era record of 11 superspeedway victories in one season, and another modern-era record for completing the season sweep at 4 different tracks in one season: Pocono, Michigan, Darlington, and Atlanta. At the end of the season, Elliott was voted the National Motorsports Press Association Driver of the Year for 1985.[12]
The Following 1986 Season
In 1986, Elliott won only two races, both being the Michigan races. With the season sweep at Michigan, Elliott became the first driver in NASCAR history to win 4 straight superspeedway races at one track (the record would later be tied by Dale Earnhardt Jr. at Talladega in 2003). He also won four poles during the season, and he finished 4th in the championship standings. He also won The 1986 Winston All-Star race, held at Atlanta. Ironically, Atlanta is his hometown track, being the closest to Dawsonville in the circuit. Also ironic, is that Elliott would remain the only winner of the All-Star race held somewhere other than Charlotte, until 2020 when his son Chase won his All-Star race at Bristol.
The 1987 Season: Battling Dale Earnhardt, and setting the All-Time Fastest Qualifying Records
In the 1987 season, Elliott won six races, including his second Daytona 500 in dominating fashion, starting from the pole position (his 3rd consecutive Daytona 500 pole position), and leading 104 of the 200 laps. His other victories included the Talladega 500, another win at Michigan, and winning three of the final four races at Charlotte, Rockingham, and Atlanta. Elliott also won eight poles, and finished 2nd in the final point standings again, this time to Dale Earnhardt by 489 points. Elliott and Earnhardt were essentially the only two championship contenders all year in 1987, as both battled and tangled with each other all year. They both combined for winning 17 of the 29 races in 1987 (Earnhardt with 11 wins, Elliott with 6 wins), and finishing 1-2 four times that season, which included Earnhardt beating Elliott on a last lap pass in the spring race at Darlington, the TranSouth 500, when Elliott ran out of gas on the last lap. Elliott beat Earnhardt to the checkered flag three times in 1987 at Michigan, Rockingham, and the season finale at Atlanta. The most infamous moment between Elliott and Earnhardt occurred in The 1987 Winston All-Star race, when Elliott and Earnhardt tangled on the front-stretch at Charlotte, in what has become known in NASCAR lore as "The Pass In The Grass".
Bill Elliott's 1987 Daytona 500 Winning Ford Thunderbird, which also set the all-time fastest qualifying speed at Daytona International Speedway at 210.364 MPH, on display at the Georgia Racing Hall of Fame.
However, Elliott's most lasting accomplishment that year was setting two NASCAR qualifying records, which stand to this day. At Daytona for that year's Daytona 500, he set the NASCAR speed record with an average speed of 210.364 miles per hour (338.548km/h). He broke his own record later that year at Talladega for that year's Winston 500, with an average speed of 212.809 miles per hour (342.483km/h); the previous record he set in 1986 was 209.383 miles per hour (336.969km/h).[13] In both races, he used a Ford Thunderbird which contained an engine built by his brother Ernie Elliott. However, at Talladega, Bobby Allison was spun and went airborne into the catch fence, tearing a large section away and injuring several fans. After this incident, NASCAR mandated the use of restrictor plates at Daytona and Talladega. As a result, Elliott's speed records will likely never be broken.
The 1988 Winston Cup Championship Season
In 1988, Elliott had one of the greatest seasons of his career when he captured his first and only Winston Cup Championship in NASCAR. In 29 races, Elliott won another six races, won another six poles, had a string of 16 consecutive Top 10 finishes, and did not have a race where he finished outside the Top 20.
His first win of the season was at Bristol, where he was spun out by Geoff Bodine late in the race, but after pitting made his way back in the final 4 laps and won the race. Elliott won his second race of the season at Dover, leading 203 of 500 laps. In the June race at Pocono, Elliott finished 10th and would begin a string of 16 consecutive finishes inside the Top 10. During that run, Elliott finished runner-up in the first Michigan race, then won back-to-back races in the summer, the first one being his first Pepsi Firecracker 400 win at Daytona, followed by the July race at Pocono. After back-to-back 3rd place finishes at Watkins Glen and Michigan, Elliott overtook the points lead for the first time in the season with a 2nd place finish in the second race at Bristol. Elliott followed up taking the points lead after Bristol, by winning two of the next three races, both in dominating fashion; the first being his second Southern 500 victory at Darlington leading 154 of 367 laps, and then leading 392 of 500 laps completing the season sweep at Dover.
Going into the season finale, Elliott looked to win his first NASCAR Winston Cup championship at his home track of Atlanta. His only threat to the championship was Rusty Wallace, who entered the race winning three of the last four races and was 79 points behind Elliott. Elliott started 29th, but needed to finish 18th or better to clinch the championship regardless of what Rusty Wallace did in the race. Rusty dominated the race, starting on the pole, leading 166 of the 325 laps, and winning the race. Elliott drove careful and conservatively through the field and finished 11th to claim the 1988 Winston Cup Championship by 24 points over Rusty Wallace. Elliott finished the season with six wins, six poles, 15 Top 5s, 22 Top 10s (including at one point 16 in a row), and an average finish of 6.6.
The Final Years at Melling Racing
Following his championship season, Elliott broke his wrist in a crash during testing at Daytona and required relief by Jody Ridley during several races in the first part of the 1989 season. Elliott won two poles and three races, at Michigan, Pocono, and Phoenix, and finished 6th in the championship standings.
In 1990, Elliott won one race, at Dover, and two poles and finished 4th in the championship standings. In the 1990 race at Atlanta, Elliott's rear tire changer Mike Rich was killed when Ricky Rudd lost control of his car, spun, and slammed the crew member between his car and Elliott's. As a result, NASCAR restricted the cars' speed on pit road.
The 1991 season saw Elliott's sponsorship change to Coors Light and the familiar red on the car was replaced with blue. Elliott would only win once that year in the Pepsi 400 at Daytona and won two poles. After a year of struggle, Elliott finished a disappointing 11th in the championship standings, causing him and Coors to part ways with the Mellings. That lone win in 1991 would be the only time in his career that Elliott won in a car that was not painted red.
Overall, in 10 seasons from 1982-1991, Melling Racing set several NASCAR records, winning the Winston Million in 1985, winning the 1988 Winston Cup Championship, and winning a total of 34 career races, all of these accomplishments with only Elliott. The success of Melling Racing may have come to an end after Elliott left at the end of 1991, but Elliott would be more successful in the years to come.
Junior Johnson and Associates
Elliott's 1994 Ford Thunderbird
The 1992 Season and the Hooters 500 Season Finale
Elliott left Melling to join Junior Johnson & Associates in 1992, replacing Geoffrey Bodine in the No. 11 Budweiser-sponsored Ford. Elliott would find success almost immediately in 1992. After a disappointing 27th place finish in the Daytona 500, Elliott would then win the next four consecutive races at Rockingham, Richmond, Atlanta, and Darlington. Elliott's strong season would continue, which included a 2nd place finish at Talladega, leading the most laps at Sonoma finishing 5th, leading the most laps at the second Michigan race finishing 3rd, and leading the most laps, 261 of 500 laps, in the fall race at Dover and finishing 2nd.
After the fall Dover race, Elliott found himself with a 154 point lead in the championship standings with six races remaining. However, much like the ending of the 1985 season, Elliott would lose the point lead after a string of poor finishes. Elliott's lead disappeared thanks to a batch of poor finishes, which included mechanical problems beginning with an engine failure at Martinsville leading to a 30th place finish, a 26th place finish at North Wilkesboro, a broken sway bar while running in the Top 5 with less than 40 laps to go at Charlotte leading to a 30th place finish, and a cracked cylinder head leading to another engine failure at Phoenix, finishing 31st. The string of poor finishes dropped Elliott out of the points lead to 3rd place, 40 points behind 1st place Davey Allison and 10 points behind 2nd place Alan Kulwicki, with one race to go.
The season finale in 1992 was the Hooters 500 at Atlanta, and is regarded by many as one of the greatest races in NASCAR history. It was the final career race for NASCAR legend Richard Petty, while future NASCAR legend Jeff Gordon was making his first career start. Six drivers had a mathematical shot to win the championship, with the points leader Davey Allison, Alan Kulwicki, and Bill Elliott being the primary contenders. Harry Gant, Kyle Petty, and Mark Martin also had long shots to win the championship. After Davey Allison crashed out late in the race, the championship came down to Elliott and Kulwicki who ran 1-2 together throughout the later stages of the race. The championship would be determined between the two, by whoever picked up the five extra bonus points for leading the most laps in the race. Elliott would go on to win the race leading 102 of the 325 laps, while Alan Kulwicki finished 2nd to Elliott, leading 103 of the 325 laps. Kulwicki picked up the five point bonus for leading one single lap more than Elliott, and by finishing 2nd was able to maintain and keep his 10 point cushion on Elliott to win the 1992 Winston Cup Championship. Had Kulwicki not led the most laps, Elliott would have finished tied with him for the points lead and would have been awarded the championship on a tiebreaker due to him having more wins in 1992 (Elliott had won five races that year, to Kulwicki's two).[14] Elliott finished the 1992 season with five wins, three poles, 14 Top 5s, 17 Top 10s, and finishing 2nd in the final championship standings for a 3rd time, this time by only a mere 10 points which remained the closet margin in NASCAR history until 2004, and eventually the 2011 season.
The Final Years at Junior Johnson & Associates
Elliott went winless for the first time in 10 years during the 1993 season and finished 8th in the standings. Elliott did however pick up his first, and one lone career win in the Xfinity Series (formerly known at the time, as the Busch Grand National Series) in 1993, at the road course of Watkins Glen.
Elliott scored just one win the following season in 1994; his 3rd win in the Mountain Dew Southern 500 at Darlington. It was the 40th win of Elliott's career, and would be the last win Elliott would capture in NASCAR until 2001, more than six years later. It also eventually became the final win for the team of Junior Johnson & Associates. Elliott finished the 1994 season finishing 10th in the championship standings. After his Darlington victory, Elliott announced he would be leaving Junior Johnson & Associates, and start his own team with sponsorship from McDonald's (leaving Johnson's other car, the No. 27 of Jimmy Spencer) beginning in 1995.
Driver/Owner
Elliott-Hardy Racing
1997 racecar
After leaving Johnson's team, Elliott fielded his own Winston Cup race team from 1995 to 2000. He used the No. 94 in honor of his nephew, Casey Elliott, who was battling cancer at the time he formed the team and would die in 1996. The team also fielded entries in the Busch Series and Truck Series. Elliott failed to win a race during this time, though he did manage two top-ten finishes in the championship standings, with 8th-place finishes in 1995 and 1997. In 1996, Elliott missed five races to recover from injuring a broken hip at Talladega[15] and was replaced by Dorsey Schroeder and Todd Bodine.
Bill Elliott Racing
In July 1996, the partnership between Elliott and Hardy was dissolved, the team being renamed Bill Elliott Racing. Later in 1996, Elliott suffered effects after an accident at Talladega earlier in the year and, Elliott missed two races and was replaced by Tommy Kendall and Bobby Hillin Jr. Elliott also made his first career start in the Camping World Truck Series driving for Jim Smith's team Ultra Motorsports at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, finishing 2nd.
The 1997 season, was undoubtedly Elliott's best season as a driver/owner statistically. He finished the season with one pole, five Top 5 finishes, 14 Top 10 finishes, and finishing 8th in the final point standings. Elliott did not win any races, but came extremely close on several occasions. He was leading late in the 1997 Daytona 500, leading with less than 10 laps to go, until a late caution came out. On the ensuing restart, he would then get ganged up by the Hendrick Motorsports teammates of eventual winner Jeff Gordon, Terry Labonte, and Ricky Craven, ultimately finishing 4th. Elliott's best finish during his six year run as a driver/owner was at Michigan in 1997, finishing 2nd to Ernie Irvan. Elliott also dominated that year's Mountain Dew Southern 500 leading 181 of the 367 laps, but finished 4th to eventual winner Jeff Gordon, who ironically, along with winning the race also joined Elliott as the only winners of the Winston Million, as Jeff won the "final running" of the Winston Million promotion in 1997, while Bill won the "initial running" of the promotion in 1985.
In 1998, Elliott teamed up with Dan Marino to form a multi-car team, the team was renamed Elliott-Marino Motorsports, adding the No. 13 and keeping the No. 94, Marino owned the No. 13 while Elliott owned the No. 94. The year was marked with sadness for Elliott when he had to miss the fall Dover race to attend the funeral of his father. Matt Kenseth drove Elliott's No. 94 and finished sixth in his Cup debut.
After a disappointing 1999 season which saw Elliott's multi-car operation dissolve back into No. 94, Elliott announced in early 2000 he was selling his equipment to championship-winning crew chief Ray Evernham to become part of Dodge's return to NASCAR. The team would also switch to No. 9, which was owned by Melling, his championship-winning team. Even though he struggled the entire six years as a driver/owner and did not win a single race, Elliott's fans still voted him as NASCAR's Most Popular Driver. He would hold the record for 10 straight years as a most popular driver from 1991 to 2000, a record that would stand until 2013, when Dale Earnhardt Jr. would win his 11th straight award. Earnhardt would win the award for 15 straight years from 2003 to 2017, a NASCAR record.
Evernham Motorsports
The 2001 Season: Dodge's return to NASCAR and Elliott's first win in 7 years
In 2000, Elliott sold his team to Ray Evernham and began driving the No. 9 Dodge Dealers/UAWDodge Intrepidthe following year. Melling Racing, who ran the No. 9 for Bill Elliott from 1981 to 1991, yielded that number to Ray Evernham for 2001. Elliott asked Evernham to drive that number out of respect for his old team. Elliott and Evernham however found success in its very first race in the No. 9 Dodge, as Elliott won the pole for the 2001 Daytona 500. It would also be the 50th pole of his career. By winning the pole, Bill Elliott would become the first, and as of 2018, the only driver in NASCAR history to score his 50th career pole in the Daytona 500. He would finish the race in the Top 5, bringing home a 5th-place finish, even though the race will forever be remembered for the death of fan-favorite Dale Earnhardt.
Elliott finished his first season with Evernham Motorsports with two poles, five Top 5s, nine Top 10s, and one win in the Pennzoil Freedom 400 at Homestead-Miami from the pole position. Elliott won the race by passing his Evernham Motorsports teammate Casey Atwood with five laps to go. This was his first win since the Southern 500 in 1994, seven years and 226 races. As of 2022, the 226 race winless streak is the longest drought, between wins, in NASCAR history. However, after Melling yielded the No. 9 for 2001, Bill Elliott would win at Homestead driving that number, but this time, with Evernham Motorsports. It was the team's first-ever win. In another ironic twist, Elliott winning at Homestead would be the first time since Melling Racing and Bill Elliott himself at the Pepsi 400 in 1991, that the No. 9 went to victory lane. Elliott finished 15th in the final points standings for 2001. Elliott also withdrew from the ballot as NASCAR's Most Popular Driver, and encouraged his long-time fans to vote for his friend and long-time rival Dale Earnhardt. Earnhardt was posthumously voted as NASCAR's Most Popular Driver for 2001.
The 2002 Season: Back-to-Back Wins at Pocono and Indianapolis
In 2002, Elliott won four poles and went to victory lane twice in memorable back-to-back races. The first of those wins included the Pennsylvania 500 at Pocono, which at the time made Elliott the winningest driver at Pocono Raceway with five career wins (Denny Hamlin and Jeff Gordon have since surpassed him at 6 wins each). A week later, Elliott had one of the most memorable and dominant victories in the history of the Brickyard 400 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. He started on the outside pole, and dominated the race leading 93 of 160 laps. In the closing laps, he and Rusty Wallace battled it out for the lead, with Elliott passing Rusty with 12 laps to go, en route to victory.[16]
After the back-to-back victories at Pocono and Indy, Elliott was 6th in points. Four weeks later after a 3rd place finish in the Southern 500 at Darlington, Elliott then found himself 7th in points with 11 races to go, and on his way to finishing the season in the Top 10 in points for the first time since 1997. After a 5th-place finish at Kansas and a 19th-place finish at Talladega, Elliott was 8th in points with six races to go. However, a string of five consecutive finishes of 30th or worse, which included a 42nd-place finish after a crash at Martinsville, and a bad water pump leading to a 39th-place finish at Rockingham, ultimately dropped Elliott from 8th to finishing a disappointing 13th in the final points standings. Elliott finished the 2002 season with two wins, four poles, six Top 5s, 13 Top 10s, and for the 16th and final time in his career, Elliott was voted as NASCAR's Most Popular Driver.
The 2003 Season: Final Full-Time Season
The 2003 season ultimately became Elliott's final full-time season. It was a struggle through the first 26 races of the season, as Bill only had five Top 10 finishes and was 16th in points. In the final 10 races, Elliott went from 16th in points to finishing 9th in the overall standings, as he finished in the Top 15 in all 10 races, had five Top 5 finishes, seven Top 10 finishes, and led the most laps in three of the final seven races which included Elliott's final victory of his career.
In the final seven races of the season starting at Kansas, Elliott started 8th and led the most laps, 115 of 267 laps, and finished 2nd to Ryan Newman who won on fuel strategy. Elliott followed that up with a 4th-place finish at Charlotte, a 9th-place finish at Martinsville, and a 4th-place finish at Atlanta. Two weeks later, Elliott captured what would be the final win of his career at Rockingham (Ironically enough, at the same track where he made his first career NASCAR start back in 1976). Elliott officially started 5th, but had to start dead last in the back of the field due to an engine change after qualifying. He still managed to climb through the field and lead the most laps of the race, leading 140 of the 393 laps, en route to capturing his 44th and final NASCAR race win over future seven-time NASCAR champion Jimmie Johnson. A week later in the season finale, Elliott came within a lap of winning his final race as a full-time driver in the Ford 400 at Homestead-Miami. Elliott dominated the entire race, leading 189 of the 267 laps and was on his way to victory, but a cut tire on the final lap in turn 2 allowed Bobby Labonte to score the victory (which ended up, being the final win of Bobby's career). Elliott still finished the race in 8th place and maintained his 9th place position in the final points standings, his best points finish since finishing 8th in the 1997 standings.
Elliott officially withdrew from the ballot as NASCAR's Most Popular Driver, giving the award to Dale Earnhardt Jr., who would go on to win for 15 straight years from 2003 to 2017, a NASCAR record. A few weeks later after the 2003 season ended, Elliott announced that he was relinquishing the No. 9 car to Kasey Kahne and switching to a part-time schedule driving R&D cars for Evernham.
Semi-retirement years
Evernham Motorsports
In 2004, Elliott drove the No. 91 Dodge Intrepid for Evernham in three events (along with the Budweiser Shootout). While he only made three starts during his first part-time season with Evernham, he still managed to have some success which included 2nd and 10th-place qualifying efforts at Texas and Las Vegas, and also a 9th-place finish at Indianapolis which ended up being the 320th and final Top 10 finish of his career. He also brought back the Bill Elliott Racing moniker when he drove the 98 car twice in 2004, one with Coke C2 Sponsorship and one with McDonald's. The reason is that Evernham fielded cars with sponsorship with PepsiCo's Mountain Dew. He did also manage a 3rd-place qualifying effort at California.
In 2005, Elliott continued his part-time driving duties which included driving the No. 39 CoorsDodge Charger (in a paint scheme reminiscent of his 1987 Coors Light Ford) for Chip Ganassi Racing in the Budweiser Shootout and the No. 91 Evernham Dodge in several events. Although he made three more starts than the previous season, he did not have the same amount of success. He managed to get an 11th-place finish and a 10th-place qualifying effort at Michigan, along with a 9th-place qualifying effort at Texas. He also competed in select NASCAR Busch Series events for Rusty Wallace and also drove the No. 6 Unilever Dodge Charger in the Busch Series for Evernham at Memphis, which celebrated the 40th anniversary of A Charlie Brown Christmas.
For the 2006 season, the 2005 owners' points for the No. 91 team went to the new No. 10 Evernham team and driver Scott Riggs and the No. 91 team was discontinued.
On August 8, 2006, Evernham Motorsports announced that Elliott would return to the organization for the race at Watkins Glen driving the No. 19 Dodge previously driven by Jeremy Mayfield. The team fell out of the top-35 in owners' points after Indianapolis, leading to the firing of Mayfield, and Evernham assumed that Elliott would guarantee a starting spot in the field by being a past champion. However, since the driver switch was made past the entry deadline, NASCAR said that Elliott was not eligible for the past champions provisional.
Mach 1 Racing
Elliott also drove the No. 98 Dodge Intrepid for Mach 1 Racing in three other events in 2004 because of sponsorship issues between Coca-Cola (Elliott's sponsor) and Pepsi (Evernham's sponsor). But Evernham leased the car to him. Although he only made three starts during his first part-time season as a driver, he still managed to have some success which included a 3rd-place qualifying effort at California respectively.
For the race at Kansas, Elliott teamed up with R&J Racing to drive the No. 37 Dodge. Elliott finished a season-high 16th at the Banquet 400 at Kansas but did not qualify for the Bank of America 500 at Charlotte two weeks later. Elliott was scheduled to be the Team Red Bull entry for Atlanta, but A. J. Allmendinger drove the car instead, Elliott instead drove the No. 37 Dodge at Atlanta, marking the 30th Anniversary of Elliott driving at his hometown track.
Elliott attempted to qualify for the 2007 Daytona 500, but failed to make the race in the No. 37.[17][18]
Wood Brothers Racing
Later that season, Elliott signed to drive the No. 21 for Wood Brothers Racing in 2007,[18] in part due to his championship provisional, which guaranteed to start the race.[19] Since fellow champion Dale Jarrett had used all of his guaranteed starts in his Toyota for Michael Waltrip Racing, Elliott was the only champion eligible for the provisional not guaranteed a spot by being in the Top 35 in owner's points. His first race for the team was the Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte, which he qualified without needing one of his six provisionals.[19] He led the race at one point until he was involved in a wreck around lap 200. At Michigan, Elliott gave the team a much-needed 11th-place finish and was kept in the car until the fall Richmond race. The car then fell out of the top 35 again but at Bristol got back into the Top 35 in points. Ken Schrader returned to the No. 21 replacing Elliott at a testing session at Talladega Superspeedway due to the team being back in the Top 35 in owner's points. He returned for the final four races after the No. 21 fell out of the Top 35 once again.
On September 23, 2007, in an interview with Charlotte Observer, Len Wood the co-owner of the No. 21 said Elliott would have his own sponsor and share a ride with Jon Wood and Marcos Ambrose for 2008.[20][21] Elliott returned to the No. 21 to try to get the car back into the Top 35 points at Lowe's Motor Speedway.[22]
2008 Cup car at Daytona
Elliott qualified for ten races that season, with a best finish of 20th in the Sunoco Presents: The American Red Cross Pennsylvania 500 at Pocono Raceway. At Daytona, Elliott announced that 2008 would be his final season as a Sprint Cup driver. But in an interview on NASCAR Raceday at Kansas, Elliott was asked about him racing and said "We will be at Lowe's, and do a few more races. Then we will see how things go." In 2008, his best starts were 5th at Bristol and 7th at Kansas. His best finish was 12th at Homestead-Miami Speedway.
In 2009, Elliott ran 12 races in the No. 21 Motorcraft Ford for the Wood Brothers, including the Daytona 500.[23] His best finish in 2009 was 15th place at Lowe's Motor Speedway.[23]
On Memorial Day May 25, 2009, Elliott became the 7th member of the "800 club", with his 800th career Sprint Cup start at Lowes Motor Speedway.[24][25]
Elliott ran for the Wood Brothers in 2010. He also drove at Talladega for Latitude 43 Motorsports.
Phoenix Racing
In 2011, Elliott did not return to Wood Brothers Racing, but ran four races for Phoenix Racing in the No. 09 Chevy. Bill stepped out of the ride to assist his son Chase Elliott in the K&N Pro Series East. Landon Cassill would take over the car for the fifth race of the season, which was eventually renumbered to No. 51.
For the 2012 season, Elliott joined Joe Nemechek at NEMCO Motorsports to drive the No. 97 Toyota in the 2012 Daytona 500,[26] but failed to qualify for the race.[27] Elliott successfully qualified for the Sprint Cup race at Talladega driving the No. 97, but finished in 37th.
Turner Motorsports
Elliott made his third start of the 2012 season driving for Turner Motorsports in the July race at Daytona International Speedway, in the No. 50 Walmart 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.[28]
GMS Racing
Elliott racing at Road America in 2018Elliott waves to fans during driver's introductions at Road America in 2018
On August 4, 2018, GMS Racing announced that Elliott would return to NASCAR, driving the No. 23 Chevrolet Camaro at Road America in the Xfinity Series on August 25.[29] It was Elliott's first Xfinity start since 2005 and first National Series start since 2012.[30] He finished in 20th on the lead lap.[30] After the race, he quipped "I feel like I hit everything but the lottery, I mean it was a great day."[30]
Superstar Racing Experience
In 2021, Elliott was a full-time driver at the inaugural season of the Superstar Racing Experience, Tony Stewart's new stock car racing series. His best result was third at the Nashville Fairgrounds Speedway, and he finished 9th in points. Elliott entered two rounds of the 2022 season.
At the time of Elliott's "semi-retirement", he ranked 14th on NASCAR's all-time win list with 44 wins. As of 2022, he ranks 19th on NASCAR's all-time wins list. His 44 career wins does not include six exhibition wins, which include one "Winston All-Star Race" win in 1986, one "Busch Clash" win in 1987, and four Gatorade Twin 125 wins at Daytona in 1985, 1986, 1992, and 2000. He retired with 55 career poles, which ranks 8th on the all-time poles list. Elliott won seven crown jewel races in his career, two in the Daytona 500 (1985, 1987), three in the Southern 500 (1985, 1988, 1994), one in the Winston 500 (1985), and one in the Brickyard 400 (2002). The only crown jewel race Elliott failed to win was the World 600 (he had a pair of second-place finishes in 1982 and 1990).
The majority of Elliott's success came in the 10 seasons from 1982 to 1991 with Melling Racing and owner Harry Melling, along with Bill's two older brothers, crew chief and engine builder Ernie Elliott and transmission specialist Dan Elliott. Together, they won 34 of Bill's 44 race wins, set numerous NASCAR records, won the Winston Million in 1985, and won the NASCAR Winston Cup Championship in 1988. Elliott was one of NASCAR's most endearing and popular drivers in history, as Elliott went on to win NASCAR's Most Popular Driver Award a NASCAR record 16 times (1984-1988, 1991-2000, 2002), a record nearly matched by Dale Earnhardt Jr. who won the award for 15 straight years from 2003 to 2017.
Elliott set numerous NASCAR records throughout his career, many of which still stand to this day. They include the following:
Fastest qualifying speed at Daytona International Speedway; 1987 Daytona 500 - 210.364 MPH (338.548km/h)
Fastest qualifying speed at Talladega Superspeedway; 1987 Winston 500 - 212.809 MPH (342.483km/h)
Modern-era record of 11 superspeedway victories in one season; 11 in 1985
Modern-era record of 4 season sweeps in one season; 1985 - Pocono, Michigan, Darlington, and Atlanta (The next closest is 3 season sweeps by Dale Earnhardt in 1987, at Bristol, Richmond, and Darlington and twice by Jimmie Johnson in 2004 at Charlotte, Darlington, and Atlanta, then once again in 2007 at Atlanta, Martinsville, and Richmond)
4 consecutive wins at one superspeedway; Michigan from 1985-1986 (Tied with Dale Earnhardt Jr. at Talladega from 2001-2003)
Most career pole positions at Talladega Superspeedway; 8 (2×1985, 2×1986, 2×1987, 1990, 1993)
6 consecutive pole positions at Talladega Superspeedway; 1985-1987
Longest winless drought between wins; 226 races (1994 Southern 500 at Darlington - 2001 Pennzoil Freedom 400 at Homestead-Miami)
Bill Elliott is widely considered as one of the greatest and most well-respected racecar drivers, not only in NASCAR history, but in motorsports history as a whole. In 1998, Elliott was selected as one of NASCAR's 50 Greatest Drivers in its history, and has been honored by being inducted into numerous racing and motorsports Halls of Fame. They include:
An inaugural inductee into the Georgia Racing Hall of Fame in 2002 (Along with Elliott, the inaugural Georgia Racing Hall of Fame Class of 2002 also included Red Byron, Tim Flock, Roy Hall, Raymond Parks, Lloyd Seay, Gober Sosebee, and Red Vogt). Elliott's father George (Class of 2011), and his two older brothers Ernie (Class of 2010), and Dan (Class of 2018) would also become inductees into the Georgia Racing Hall of Fame.
Elliott has been honored by the State of Georgia and the city of Dawsonville, Georgia in Dawson County with a number of roads renamed in honor of him and his family, as well as a date named in his honor.
In 2005, the Georgia State Legislature declared October 8 (Elliott's birthday) as Bill Elliott Day in the state of Georgia.[31]
In downtown Dawsonville, East 1st Street N & S (North and South) was renamed "Bill Elliott Street N & S", which is also conveniently, where the famous Dawsonville Pool Room is located (at the address of "9 Bill Elliott Street S"), along with the infamous "siren" that traditionally went off when Bill Elliott won a race. Today, the tradition continues with Bill's son Chase, as the siren goes off every time Chase wins a race.
Ralph Dale Earnhardt was an American professional stock car driver and racing team owner, who raced from 1975 to 2001 in the former NASCAR Winston Cup Series, most notably driving the No.3 Chevrolet for Richard Childress Racing. His aggressive driving style earned him the nicknames "the Intimidator", "the Man in Black" and "Ironhead"; after his son Dale Earnhardt Jr. joined the Cup Series circuit in 1999, Earnhardt was generally known by the retronyms Dale Earnhardt Sr. and Dale Sr. He is regarded as one of the greatest drivers in NASCAR history and named as one of the NASCAR's 50 Greatest Drivers class in 1998.
David Carl Allison was an American NASCAR driver. He was best known for driving the No. 28 Texaco-Havoline Ford for Robert Yates Racing in the NASCAR Cup Series. Born in Hollywood, Florida, he was the oldest of four children born to Bobby and Judy Allison. The family moved to Hueytown, Alabama, and along with Bobby Allison's brother, Donnie, Red Farmer and Neil Bonnett, became known as the Alabama Gang.
Mark Anthony Martin is an American retired stock car racing driver. He has the second most wins all time in what is now the Xfinity Series with 49. He scored 40 Cup Series wins. He finished second in the NASCAR Cup Series standings five times, third in the NASCAR Cup Series standings four times, and has been described by ESPN as "The best driver to never win a championship." Martin also failed to win the Daytona 500 during his career. Martin has five IROC Championships, more than any other driver. Also, during the 2005 season, he took over the all-time record for IROC wins, with 13. Martin is the final driver born in the 1950s to win a NASCAR Cup Series race.
Elliott William Barnes Sadler is an American former professional stock car racing driver. He last competed part-time in the NASCAR Xfinity Series, driving the No. 10 Chevrolet Camaro for Kaulig Racing. Sadler is one of 36 drivers who have at least one win in each of NASCAR's top three series. A native of Emporia, Virginia, he is the younger brother of former NASCAR driver Hermie Sadler.
Terrance Lee Labonte, nicknamed "Texas Terry" or "the Iceman", is an American former stock car driver. He raced from 1978 to 2014 in the former NASCAR Winston Cup and Sprint Cup Series. A two-time Cup Series champion in 1984 and 1996 and the 1989 IROC champion, he is the older brother of 2000 Cup Series champion Bobby Labonte, and the father of former Nationwide Series driver Justin Labonte. He also co-owns a Chevrolet dealership in Greensboro, North Carolina with Rick Hendrick. He appeared on the CBS series The Dukes of Hazzard in 1984, where he played an unnamed pit crew member.
Michael Curtis Waltrip is an American former professional stock car racing driver, racing commentator, racing team owner, amateur ballroom dancing competitor and published author. He is the younger brother of three-time NASCAR champion and racing commentator Darrell Waltrip. Waltrip is a two-time winner of the Daytona 500, having won the race in 2001 and 2003. He is also a pre-race analyst for the NASCAR Cup Series and color commentator for the Xfinity Series and the Craftsman Truck Series broadcasts for Fox Sports. He last raced in the 2017 Daytona 500, driving the No. 15 Toyota Camry for Premium Motorsports. All four of his NASCAR Cup Series wins came on superspeedways driving for Dale Earnhardt Inc.
David Louis Blaney is a semi-retired American professional stock car racing driver. Blaney was a successful sprint car driver before he started racing in NASCAR, competing in both the Sprint Cup Series and Nationwide Series. For many years, he was a regular at Super Dirt Week in Syracuse, New York, although he never won that event. He owns Sharon Speedway in Hartford Township, Trumbull County, Ohio. His brother Dale Blaney is a sprint car driver. His son, Ryan Blaney, is the 2023 NASCAR Cup Series Champion. Dave was also known as the “Buckeye Bullet”.
Casey Lee Atwood is an American former stock car racing driver. A former competitor in NASCAR competition, he is the youngest pole winner in Busch Series history, earning a pole start at the age of 17.
Charles Robert Hamilton Sr. was an American stock car racing driver and racing team owner. A driver and owner in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series circuit and the winner of the 2004 NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series championship, Hamilton owned Bobby Hamilton Racing. Hamilton's son, Bobby Hamilton Jr., was also a NASCAR driver.
Bradley Reed Sorenson is an American former professional stock car racing driver and spotter. He last competed part-time in the NASCAR Cup Series, driving the No. 27 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 1LE for Premium Motorsports, the Nos. 74/77 Camaro for Spire Motorsports, and the No. 7 Camaro for Tommy Baldwin Racing. As of 2024, he works as a spotter for Kaulig Racing's No. 11 of Josh Williams in the NASCAR Xfinity Series. Sorenson began competing in NASCAR in 2004 as a Busch Series driver; he has four wins in the series. His first Cup start came in 2005 before moving to a full schedule the following year.
Stacy Marshall Compton is a NASCAR former team owner and former driver. He is a former co-owner of Bobby Hamilton Racing-Virginia in the Craftsman Truck Series and is a former racing analyst for ESPN full-time. Before he ran in NASCAR, Compton was a successful short track racer in Virginia.
William Brendan Gaughan is an American former professional racing driver who has competed in off-road and stock cars. He is the grandson of Vegas gaming pioneer Jackie Gaughan, and son of Michael Gaughan, a hotel and casino magnate.
The Jack Link's 500 is a NASCAR Cup Series stock car race held at the Talladega Superspeedway in Lincoln, Alabama. The race is usually held in April or May. The 1997 event stands as the fastest NASCAR race to date ever run with an average speed of 188.354 miles per hour (303.126 km/h) and was the first race at Talladega Superspeedway that was not interrupted by a caution period.
Greg Sacks is an American former stock car racing driver. He is married and has three children. He lives in Ormond Beach, Florida. He and his sons are partners in Grand Touring Vodka.
Loy Allen Jr. is a former professional NASCAR Winston Cup, Busch, and ARCA series race car driver, turned real estate developer and Embry-Riddle-trained commercial pilot. On February 12, 1994, he became the youngest and first rookie in NASCAR Winston Cup history to win the Daytona 500 pole.
Philip Barkdoll is a former NASCAR owner/driver from Phoenix, Arizona, who only ran at two tracks in his entire career, racing at Daytona International Speedway and Talladega Superspeedway.
The 2000 NASCAR Winston Cup Series was the 52nd season of professional stock car racing in the United States, and was the 29th modern-era Cup series. The season began on February 13 and ended on November 20. Joe Gibbs Racing driver Bobby Labonte was crowned champion at season's end. The NASCAR Manufacturers' Championship was won by Ford as they captured 14 wins and 234 points to better Pontiac's 11 wins and 213 points. Chevrolet finished third with nine wins and 199 points.
Melling Racing was a Championship-winning NASCAR Winston Cup Series race team owned by Harry Melling and his son Mark Melling. Harry Melling ran the team from its inception in 1982, to mid-1999. When Harry died after a heart attack in mid-1999, his son Mark then took over Melling Racing until the team closed in 2003. The team was most notable for fielding cars for Bill Elliott in the 1980s, where he won the 1985 Southern 500 at Darlington to claim the first ever Winston Million bonus, claiming the fastest qualifying lap in NASCAR history at Talladega Superspeedway with a lap of 212.809 mph in 1987, and winning the 1988 Winston Cup championship. Melling won 34 career NASCAR Winston Cup races, all of them with Bill Elliott.
William Clyde "Chase" Elliott II is an American professional stock car racing driver. He competes full-time in the NASCAR Cup Series, driving the No. 9 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 for Hendrick Motorsports and part-time in the NASCAR Xfinity Series, driving the No. 17 Chevrolet Camaro for the same team. He won the 2014 NASCAR Xfinity Series championship, becoming the first rookie to win a national series championship in NASCAR and the youngest champion in that series.
Dale Earnhardt, Inc. (DEI) is a museum in Mooresville, North Carolina. Formerly a race team founded by Dale Earnhardt and his wife, Teresa Earnhardt, it competed in the NASCAR Cup Series, the highest level of competition for professional stock car racing in the United States, from 1998 to 2009. Earnhardt was a seven-time Winston Cup champion who died in a crash on the final lap of the 2001 Daytona 500. Despite his ownership of the DEI racing team, Earnhardt never drove for his team in the Winston Cup; instead, he raced for his long-time mentor and backer Richard Childress at RCR. In the late-2000s, DEI suffered critical financial difficulties after drivers Dale Earnhardt Jr. and Michael Waltrip, and sponsors Anheuser-Busch, National Automotive Parts Association and United States Army left the team; DEI consequently merged with Chip Ganassi Racing in 2009, moving their equipment into the latter's shop, while the former's closed down. Chip Ganassi Racing's NASCAR operations was subsequently purchased by Trackhouse Racing Team in 2021.
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