Bill Elliot wins

Bill Elliott is a former American stock car racing driver who primarily competed in the NASCAR Cup Series from 1976 to 2012. He raced in 828 events, achieving 44 wins, 55 poles, and 320 Top-10 finishes. Elliott’s most significant accomplishment was winning the 1988 NASCAR Cup Series championship, narrowly defeating legendary drivers Rusty Wallace and Dale Earnhardt.

Elliott's remarkable achievements and fiercely competitive racing style earned him several nicknames from supporters, fans, and critics, including "Awesome Bill from Dawsonville," "Million Dollar Bill," and "Wild Bill." Given his impressive record of over 40 race victories, it would be challenging to detail each one within this article. Therefore, we have highlighted his most remarkable and famous wins.

Bill Elliot's most remarkable and famous wins in the NASCAR Cup Series

After starting 115 races since 1976 and finishing in second place eight times between 1979 and 1983, Elliott finally won his first NASCAR Cup Series race, the Winston Western 500 at Riverside International Raceway. It was the last race of the 1983 season. With his first victory, 12 top-5 finishes, and 22 top-10 finishes, Elliott achieved third place finish in the overall championship.

In the 1984 season, he had a standout year, winning three races: the Michigan 400, the Miller High Life 500 in Charlotte, and the American 500 in Rockingham. Elliott also secured four pole positions and finished third in the final points standings for the second consecutive year.

In 1985, Elliott narrowly lost the championship to Darrell Waltrip. He won 11 races and secured 11 pole positions out of 28 races in that season. His victory in the Southern 500 at Darlington earned him the first Winston Million, making him known as "Million Dollar Bill" and "Awesome Bill From Dawsonville."

Perhaps his most significant achievements in that season were the dominating victory in the Daytona 500 after starting from the pole position and leading 136 of the 200 laps and also winning the Winston 500 at Talladega.

In the 1986 season, Elliott's performance was somewhat underwhelming, with only two wins, both at Michigan International Speedway. However, he still achieved a commendable fourth place in the championship standings.

Elliott's performance on the racetrack got much better in the 1987 season. He kicked off the season with a dominating win at the Daytona 500, starting from the pole position for the third time in a row at Daytona, and led for over half of the race. He also triumphed at the Talladega 500 and Michigan, and scored victories at three out of the last four races in Charlotte, Rockingham, and Atlanta. Elliott also secured eight pole positions. Despite his success, he ended up in second position in the championship standing, trailing behind Dale Earnhardt by 489 points.

Elliott’s moment of clinching the ultimate prize, "The NASCAR Cup Series championship," came in the 1988 season by narrowly defeating Rusty Wallace by 24 points. He won six races, scored six pole positions, and had a streak of finishing in the top-10 in 16 consecutive races that season. Elliott did not finish any race outside of the top 20. The most remarkable win of his career came that season at Bristol, where he was tagged and spun out by Geoff Bodine late in the race. However, after pitting, Elliott climbed up the positions in the final four laps to win the race. It was also his first win of the 1988 season.

Right after winning the 1988 NASCAR Cup Series championship, Elliott's 1989 season was plagued by an early wrist injury, which he suffered during testing in Daytona. Despite that, he had a good set of results in the latter half of the season with victories at Michigan International Speedway, Pocono Raceway, and Phoenix Raceway. Elliott finished a respectable sixth in the championship despite his injury woes.

Though Elliott finished fourth in the championship standings in the 1990 season, thanks to consistent results, he only managed to win once that season at Dover Downs International Speedway. The 1991 season was a lackluster one for him as he only won the Pepsi 400 race at Daytona. His final championship position was 11th.

After switching from the Melling Racing team to the Junior Johnson and Associates team, Elliott got his form back and was a serious championship contender for the 1992 season, alongside Alan Kulwicki. He won five races throughout the season, including the championship showdown race, the Hooters 500 at Atlanta Motor Speedway. Despite winning the final race, Elliott lost the championship to Alan Kulwicki by 10 points.

The following 1993 season was Elliott's first winless season in over 10 years. The drought continued as he had to wait until the 1994 season to collect his first win in over first years, at the Mountain Dew Southern 500 at Darlington Raceway.

Elliott’s form dropped significantly in the following seasons; his next win came almost seven years later in the 2001 season at Pennzoil Freedom 400 at Homestead-Miami, where he won the race from the pole position.

The following season of 2002 was significant for Elliott, as he won two races in a single season for the first time since 1992. This included victories in the Pennsylvania 500 at Pocono and the Brickyard 400 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway.

Elliott's final win of NASCAR Cup Series career came in the following season of 2003 in Pop Secret Microwave Popcorn 400 at Rockingham Speedway. Despite starting fifth officially, he had to start from the back due to an engine change after qualifying. Despite this setback, he showcased his skill by climbing through the field and leading for the majority of the race.