NASCAR HOF Hot Facts: Bill Elliott

Bill Elliott had a pair of impressive runs at Daytona International Speedway in 1978 driving George Elliott’s unsponsored Mercury. Bill was eighth in the Daytona 500 and ninth in the Firecracker 400. Credit: Racing Photo Archives/Getty Images for NASCAR

Hall of Fame inductee Bill Elliott made his premier NASCAR series debut at North Carolina Motor Speedway in 1976. The 20 year-old Elliott drove a Ford fielded by his father George Elliott and crewed by his brothers Ernie and Dan in his first premier series race.  Unfortunately, his performance wasn’t what one might expect: he finished 33rd (out of a field of 36 entries) after succumbing to engine issues before the end of the race. Obviously for Elliott his premier series debut was not telling of his career achievements as he would later earn and live up to his famous moniker “Awesome Bill from Dawsonville”