Sunday, June 16, 1985 at Michigan International Speedway, Brooklyn, MI
200 laps on a 2.000 mile paved track (400.0 miles)

Bill Elliott and the Coors – Melling Team headed into the familiar and friendly confines of Michigan International Speedway as Elliott won his 7^th NASCAR victory of the season. Elliott in his own words said, “I’ve taken a liking to Michigan International Speedway.” Elliott’s team owner Harry Melling lives close to the track at Clark Lake so there are many close ties to MIS. Elliott said, “I have a lot of close friends at Brooklyn, and we stay with friends in Brooklyn when we come here. It just feels like home.”

Elliott started on the pole by being the point’s leader with Darrell Waltrip 2^nd. Qualifying was not run prior to the race because of weather. At the start of the race there were some heated battles on the track between Elliott, Waltrip, Harry Gant, Dale Earnhardt and Geoff Bodine. With limited practice and no qualifying the teams had to rely heavily on their notes for the car set up. That made for an interesting first part of the race with teams adjusting on their cars   The win for Elliott was not an easy one. Elliott had to charge back from 9^th place to overtake Darrell Waltrip before taking the win. Elliott said, “I was surprised how much the race track changed during the race.” Elliott who was running the top grove at the start of the race moved to a lower line on the track as well as making chassis adjustments on the car. Elliott’s car began to handle much better after the changes in the pits and on the track. Elliott started to sail towards the front of the pack and finished with a strong victory of 13.51 seconds over second place Darrell Waltrip. Cale Yarborough finished 3^rd, Tim Richmond 4^th and Dale Earnhardt in 5^th.

After passing Waltrip the only problem he had to overcome was stretching the fuel to the end of the race. After pitting on lap 174, Elliott was forced to draft behind Bobby Allison and Rusty Wallace who were almost a lap down so he could save fuel. After the race Elliott described his fuel supply as, “a close call, awfully close.” Elliott led 66 laps, and there were only 2 cautions. With 19 lead changes it was an action filled race until Elliott took the lead on lap 174 to finish with a commanding lead.

Elliott enjoyed racing Michigan International Speedway and with his smooth driving style, he had some astounding results at this speedway through the years. Complimented by the high HP engines of Ernie Elliott, and the smooth drivelines of Dan Elliott, Bill’s brothers, the Coors Melling Team had some tremendous finishing stats through the years. Elliott ran 61 races at Michigan with 7 wins, 17 top 5’s, 29 top 10’s, and 6 pole positions. Elliott led 1,004 laps of the 11,212 laps he completed on the 2 mile track earning $2,463,235 in total earnings to date. Elliott drove a total of 22,424 miles at Michigan Speedway with an average starting position of 11^th, with an average finish of 14.6.

(Article by Dale Brown)

Sunday, October 21, 1984 at North Carolina Motor Speedway, Rockingham, NC
492 laps on a 1.017 mile paved track (500.4 miles)

Bill Elliott qualified 2nd in the #9 Coors – Melling Ford behind Jeff Bodine in the Rick Hendrick #5 Chevrolet.  Elliott led 133 laps on his way to victory adding 180 Winston Cup Points to his season standings from the race at Rockingham, one of his more successful tracks.  Team Owner Harry Melling collected $30,400 for the victory that day. Elliott won races at Rockingham in 1984, 1987, 1992 and again in 2003 totaling 4 victories at the track, where he made his very first career start.

Some of Elliott’s most impressive stats at Rockingham Motor Speedway; 4 Wins, 12 top 5’s, 21 top 10’s, and 2 poles.  He finished 41 of 48 races at the famous speedway.  He led 1231 total laps of the 19,761 laps run while driving 20,096 miles on the track.  With an average start of 13.2 and an average finish of 15.1 his total winnings at Rockingham were $1,418,732 in his 48 races.  One of the closest race finishes between Bill Elliott and Harry Gant at Rockingham as Bill beat Harry by 1 foot at the line to win the race.

(Article by Dale Brown)

“The leg bothered me from 150 laps on,” Elliott said. “I couldn’t hardly keep it up and it was real hard to mash the brake and the clutch. But I just hung on.”

Elliott’s Ford Thunderbird inherited the lead 54 laps from the end of the 328-lap race at Atlanta International Raceway when the engine in Cale Yarborough’s Ford blew.

Yarborough, who took control of the race from Elliott as the latter’s injury became more painful, said, “We had them covered when the engine went away.

“I was counting laps down, but I felt something in the motor, I thought, so I let off a little bit and then stood on it again–just in case it was my imagination when I was so far ahead,” Yarborough said. “Well, it wasn’t my imagination.”

Elliott, who was at or near the front all day, led five times for a total of 130 laps, while Yarborough led four times for 110 laps.

Geoff Bodine, who was second in a Chevrolet Monte Carlo SS, was hampered in the second half of the race by a skip in the engine that kept him from challenging either Yarborough or Elliott.

“That just shows you how strong the car was, finishing second with a skipping engine,” Bodine said.

Elliott, who had Jody Ridley standing by all day for possible relief, stayed in the car and crossed the finish line 2.64 seconds ahead of Bodine.

Neil Bonnett, who regained a lost lap late in the race, was third–the only other car on the lead lap at the end. Ricky Rudd’s Ford was a lap down in fourth, followed by Bobby Allison’s Buick Regal. Darrell Waltrip was running third when his car’s engine blew on the 315th lap.

Elliott, who suffered a broken bone in his lower left leg two weeks ago in a crash at Rockingham, N.C., told his crew the pain became worse as the race progressed. He fell behind Yarborough after a series of caution flags at midrace, but regained control when Yarborough’s car retired.

He added Sunday’s victory, the sixth of his career, to a season-opening triumph in the Daytona 500. It was a morale-booster for Elliott, who had crashed in each of the two events between his victories.

(Article courtesy of Times Wire Services, 3/18/1985)

The Georgia native was still a new face in NASCAR at the time, having won just four races in the previous two seasons. He was also an outsider, basing his racing business from his hometown garage in Dawsonville when his competition was in the Charlotte area.

Elliott entered the 1985 Coca-Cola 500 at Atlanta International Raceway as another up-and-coming driver, but he left as a hometown hero. “Awesome Bill from Dawsonville” would start from the third position and led a dominant 129 laps, including the final 54, in route to his first win at his home track.

The early season wins marked the beginning of a breakout season for Elliott, who would go on to tally 11-total wins that season to finish second in the points standings. The Georgia native would win eight additional races before returning to Atlanta for the year’s penultimate event, the Atlanta Journal 500.

Elliott again started from the third position in the second Atlanta race and shot to the lead by lap 11. Again proving dominant, Elliott led 175 laps before claiming the 11th victory of his breakout season.

“I guess there is something to be said for home cooking and something to be said for being close to him, which he was, so maybe he felt more comfortable here,” said Furman Bisher, sport editor of The Atlanta Journal at the time. “But he wasn’t just winning here; he was winning all over the place.”

Elliott’s 1985 sweep at Atlanta, only the second in the track’s history, preceded a dominant run by the driver at his hometown track. From 1985 through 1992, Elliott would win six races in Atlanta, tied for third most in Atlanta Motor Speedway’s history. Notable among those victories, Elliott won the 1986 Winston in Atlanta and also took top honors in the fabled 1992 Hooters 500, completing his second season sweep in Atlanta.

“The fan who labored all week could really relate to Elliott. He was a hands-on, blue-collar racer,” said Ed Clark, who became Atlanta Motor Speedway’s general manager during Elliott’s successful run in Atlanta. “He was dominant out of this small shop in Dawsonville and, unlike drivers today, did a great deal of work on the car. He blew away the top teams that had three times as many employees – it was just remarkable. Bill left a bunch of people scratching their heads wondering what they weren’t doing that he was. There was a lot of intelligence and ingenuity in that shop that I’m not sure they ever have received the proper credit for.”

 (Excerpts Courtesy of Atlanta Motor Speedway)

Sunday, March 17, 1985 at Atlanta International Raceway, Hampton, GA
328 laps on a 1.522 mile paved track (499.2 miles)

Elliott always came into Atlanta International Speedway with the home track advantage. At this time no one knew what was in store for Elliott and the entire Coors – Melling Ford Thunderbird team in 1985. Fans would see a season like no other in the history of NASCAR with 11 “Super Speedway” wins as well as collecting the first “Winston Million” for the team based in Dawsonville, GA, just north of Atlanta. During the 1985 season Elliott became known as “Awesome Bill from Dawsonville”.

In the 1985 Coca-Cola 500 Elliott qualified 3^rd and led 129 of the 328 scheduled laps that made up the 500 mile race. The race saw 6 cautions for a total of 31 laps. The lead changed 17 times before Elliott took the lead from Cale Yarborough on lap 273 and never looked back till the checkered flag at lap 328. Geoffrey Bodine finished in 2^nd, in a Hendricks Motorsports Chevrolet, 2.64 seconds behind the dominate Coors – Melling Ford. Owner Harry Melling collected $59,800 dollars that day, and Elliott gained another 185 points.

Elliott was involved in a wreck at Rockinham two weeks earlier and sustained a hairline fracture in his leg. The doctors were able to bandage the broken leg where he was able to drive the car in the Atlanta race. It was a painful day for Elliott, but Victory Circle took all that away with the win. Atlanta was always good to Elliott. In his 62 races at the speedway Elliott had 5 wins, 13 top 5’s, and 19 top 10’s. Bill collected 5 poles while leading 1,017 laps of his total 17,429 laps at the track in competition. Elliott has earned a total of $2,338,048 dollars at Atlanta so far in his career. Elliott had a 15.8 average starting position with an 18.6 average finish while driving an impressive 26,636 miles on his home track.

In order to understand the reason behind restrictor plates, you have to put yourself in Bill France Jr.’s shoes. NASCAR was dominated by mostly General Motors. The Wood Brothers had success in their Mercury, but they were only on a limited schedule.

In 1985, Chevrolet had NASCAR’s biggest car owner, Junior Johnson, and the defending cup champion, Darrell Waltrip.

However, little did they know, there was a young family from Dawsonville, Ga., ready to steal some of Waltrip’s fire.

We first heard of Bill Elliott when he won at Riverside in 1983, and he would win four races in 1984, opening eyes for the first time in his young career.

It was 1985 however, that would put Bill Elliott on the map. He dominated the 1985 season, winning three (Daytona 500, Winston 500, Southern 500) of NASCAR’s big four (Daytona 500, Winston 500, World 600, Southern 500) and winning a million dollars, giving him the nickname “Million Dollar Bill.”

In 1985, Elliott and his No. 9 team would sail to 11 victories in 29 races. It was clear that Bill would be on everyone’s radar for several years to come.

Elliott’s success on superspeedways would continue. Bill’s Brother Ernie would make a very fast engine and added to Bill’s patience, they would be a force to be reckoned with for years to come.

The Harry Melling racing team would dominate the Superspeedway races. Winning 10 poles and four races with 6 top 2 finishes in 12 starts.

However, it was one May afternoon that gave NASCAR a warning that something needed to be done.

Bill Elliott fell two laps down and the whole field thought that Cale Yarborough now had the car to beat. They were right; Cale was fast.

However, Bill showed his skill and his power when he passed the whole field and went one lap down. Surely, no one could come from two laps down to win.

However, when Bill passed the leaders again to get back on the lead lap, people became concerned. Now, the best team had their lap back.

When Bill passed leader Cale Yarborough, people thought he might be making up another lap. That was until they looked up at the leaderboard and saw “9” was in the first position. Awesome Bill had made up two laps under green.

He was down five miles and won.  It was clear to everyone, that Bill Elliott was too good on Superspeedways. When Ernie’s engines would become more durable, no one could stop him.

NASCAR, however, tried to. During several races during that span, NASCAR made Bill and Bill only raise his roof 1/2 inch, trying to slow Bill Elliott down. They made him run a carburetor plate and he’d still win. It was just a matter of time, NASCAR would fix this “problem” they had.

So in 1987, when Bill Elliott set the fastest lap ever created, NASCAR was thinking of a way to change the racing at Talladega and Daytona.

Then, unexpectedly Bobby Allison’s No. 22 Buick went flying into the stands and breaking the catch fence. Fans were injured and NASCAR had an excuse to slow the cars down.

So the next time we came to Talladega, NASCAR issued the whole field to run a smaller carburetor. The speeds were down from 212.809 mph to 203.827 mph. The smaller carburetor worked.

However, the pole sitter and winner did not change. Bill Elliott dominated that event, leading 72 of the day’s 188 laps. The smaller carburetor worked on slowing the speed down, but not Bill Elliott.

So NASCAR created a new idea. In 1988, they issued a restrictor plate to slow the cars down. Since that day, the racing at Daytona and Talladega have been more dangerous then ever before.

(Exerts By Clayton Caldwell, Correspondent – Apr 30, 2009)  

Sunday, February 17, 1985 at Daytona International Speedway, Daytona Beach, FL
200 laps on a 2.500 mile paved track (500.0 miles)

Bill Elliott qualified 1^st in his #9 Coors – Harry Melling Ford Thunderbird at a speed of 205.114 mph shattering the current record set by Cale Yarborough in the 1984 Daytona 500 of 201.848 mph. Yarborough qualified 2^nd in the Harry Renier Hardee’s Ford. Elliott dominated the race leading 136 of the 200 laps at a blistering pace of 172.265 mph with only 18 caution laps during the race. The lead was traded between eight other drivers in the race before Elliott took the final lead from Neil Bonnett on lap 195 to win the 500 mile race by nearly a second in front of the 2^nd place car of Lake Speed. Team Owner Harry Melling collected $185,500 for the dominating victory while Bill gained 185 Winston Cup Points.

During the mid 1980’s Bill Elliott and the Melling Team was constantly setting speed records at Daytona & Talledega, the “Super Speedways”. Between the sleek aerodynamic Ford Thunderbirds and Ernie Elliott horse power engines made the team unstoppable. Elliott also had wins in the 500 in 1985 and 1987, and the Firecracker 400 in 1988 and 1991. Elliott finished 53 of the 60 races he ran at Daytona International Speedway, NASCAR’s most prestigious 2 ½ mile racetrack. Elliott led 616 laps of the 9913 total laps he ran at Daytona, while collecting $5,056,244 in winnings during his career to this point at the famed speedway. Bill drove an astounding 24,782.5 total miles at Daytona with an average start of 17.2, and an average finish of 16.0. After Elliott’s record qualifying speed of 210.364 set for the 1987 Daytona 500 Pole, restrictor plates were added before the next races at Daytona International Speedway and Talledega Speedway and the era of restrictor plate racing at Super Speedways began.

Sunday, June 17, 1984 at Michigan International Speedway, Brooklyn, MI
200 laps on a 2.000 mile paved track (400.0 miles)

Bill Elliott started on the pole at Michigan International Speedway in the Harry Melling / Coors Ford Thunderbird with a record setting speed of 164.339 MPH, beating the old track record set by David Pearson of 164.073 MPH. Car owner Harry Melling lived close by and considered Michigan International Speedway his home track. Elliott was the dominate car all day on the 2 mile oval. Caution came out late in the race when Cale Yarbourgh cut down the R/R tire and spun. As the field pitted Elliott took on four Goodyear tires and made a chassis adjustment to the L/R to loosen the car up for the short run to the end of the race. Elliott lined up 2^nd for the restart on lap 193. With 7 laps to go Bill built up a 12 car length lead while Dale Earnhardt & Darrell Waltrip drafting couldn’t catch Elliott. Elliott took the checkered flag going away for his second win of his career. Finishing 2^nd was Dale Earnhardt 12 car lengths behind. After the race Mike Joy interviewed Bill’s dad George Elliott on Pit road about the impressive victory. Mike Joy remarked that George Elliott could not have a better Father’s Day present then a win for the Coors Melling team at MIS.

Elliott enjoyed racing Michigan International Speedway and had some astounding results at this speedway through the years. Bill always liked the track which suited his smooth driving style. Complimented by the high HP engines of Ernie Elliott, and the smooth drivelines of Dan Elliott, Bill’s brother, the Coors Melling Team had some tremendous finishing stats through the years. Elliott ran 61 races at Michigan with 7 wins, 17 top 5’s, 29 top 10’s, and 6 pole positions. Elliott led 1,004 laps of the 11,212 laps he completed on the 2 mile track earning $2,463,235 in total earnings to date. Elliott drove a total of 22,424 miles at Michigan Speedway with an average starting position of 11^th, with an average finish of 14.6.

(Article by Dale Brown)

Elliott, 32, beat Bobby Allison by over two seconds in winning for the fourth time this season, and solidifying his grasp on second place in the Winston Cup season point standings.

It was Elliott’s second career win at Charlotte Motor Speedway and earned him $74,040.

The Dawsonville, GA, resident, driving a Ford, took the lead for the first time after a pit stop on the final caution periods of the 334-lap, 500-mile race. The caution came out on lap 270 when Larry Pearson spun in the fourth turn.

Allison, 49, was leading the race prior to the final caution, but dropped to fourth on the restart. Allison, in a Buick, moved into second place after two laps under the green flag, but could never pull closer than the final margin of victory.

Sterling Marlin of Columbia, Tenn., was the only other driver to finish on the lead lap. Dale Earnhardt missed an opportunity to officially clinch his second consecutive season championship with his 12^th-place finish. His Chevrolet lost it brakes on lap 193. However, Earnhardt needs to only start in the AC-Delco 500 in Rockingham on Oct. 25^th to win the title.

Earnhardt’s brake problems put the Kannapolis driver six laps down and over-shadowed his earlier effort that saw him make up a three-lap deficit to get back on the lead lap.

Earnhardt lost the three laps after he was caught up in a six car accident on lap 21.

Derrike Cope and Earnhardt collided between the first and second turns to begin the massive pile-up. Jimmy Means, Greg Sacks, Buddy Baker and Cope were eliminated from competition while Ken Schrader missed several laps in the pits.

The early race accident began a series of wrecks and mechanical failures that resulted in only 19 of the 42 starters running at the end. There were seven cautions flags for a total of 60 laps, which slowed the average speed of the race to 128.443 mph.

Neil Bennett of Bessemer, Ala., crashed into the fourth turn wall on lap 56 and suffered a broken hip. He was taken to Cabarus Memorial Hospital where he is scheduled for surgery Monday. He wills remained hospitalized for at least the rest of the week, officials said.

The other serious accident came on lap0 126 when Rick Wilson ran into Geoff Bodine as the two, along with Lake Speed, attempted to go into turn one three abreast. Wilson, Geoff Bodine, Brett Bodine, Alan Kulwicki and Bobby Hillin Jr. were knocked out in the chain reaction wreck. Dave Marcus, of Skyland, and Darrell Waltrip were also involved, but continued to run.

(Courtesy of Associated Press and Citizen Times)