Bill Elliott is a notable figure in American stock car racing, having had a distinguished career primarily in the NASCAR Cup Series from 1976 to 2012. Over his extensive career, Elliott participated in 828 events, securing 44 wins, 55 pole positions, and 320 Top-10 finishes.
One of his most remarkable achievements was winning the NASCAR Cup Series championship in 1988.
Major Bill Elliott sponsors
Bill raced for his father George Elliott's team, Elliott Racing, at the beginning of his NASCAR Cup Series career. From 1976 to 1980, the team struggled to attract sponsorships. However, as Elliott's performance improved and his talent was recognized, the team secured its first sponsorship of $500 from Harry Melling, owner of Melling Tool Company, for the 1980 National 500 race at Charlotte Motor Speedway. Harry further extended his sponsorship contract for 12 races in 1981 and at the end of the season, he bought the team from George and renamed it Melling Racing.
After a stellar 1983 Cup Series season, where Elliott finished third in the championship and won the final race, the Winston 500 at Riverside International Raceway, he secured a major sponsorship deal from Coors Brewing Company for $400,000 starting in 1984. Elliott won the 1988 NASCAR Cup Series championship with Coors as his primary sponsor, garnering significant attention for the company.
The sponsorship deal with Coors ended when Elliott left the Milling Racing team to join Junior Johnson & Associates in 1992. Elliott replaced Geoffrey Bodine in the No. 11 Ford, which was sponsored by Budweiser, another brewing company. Elliott came runners-up in the 1992 NASCAR Cup Series and narrowly missed out on the championship to Alan Kulwicki.
At the end of 1994, Elliott left Junior Johnson & Associates to race for his own team, Elliott-Hardy Racing, which he started in partnership with Charles Hardy. In its first season, the team secured a sponsorship deal from McDonald's for their No. 94 Ford, driven by Elliott. McDonald's sponsored Elliott until the 2000 season, despite the team not achieving major success.
In 2001, Elliott sold his racing team to Ray Evernham, who renamed it Evernham Motorsports. Elliott continued to race for the team, now under Ray Evernham's ownership, who partnered with the American car manufacturer Dodge to race the Dodge Intrepid in the series. As part of the deal, Dodge became the primary sponsor of Elliott's No. 9 car. The partnership began strongly, with Elliott securing the pole position for the 2001 season opener at the legendary Daytona 500 race. Elliott achieved commendable success with the No. 9 Dodge in his twilight years in the NASCAR Cup Series, winning four races in three years. At the end of the 2003 season, he retired full-time from the sport.
FAQ's On Bill Elliott sponsors
A. Bill Elliott’s first sponsor in the NASCAR Cup Series was Harry Melling.
A. Coors reportedly paid $400,000 to Bill Elliott as part of a sponsorship deal.
A. Budweiser sponsored Junior Johnson & Associates No. 11 Ford.
A. McDonalds gave sponsorship to Bill Elliott when he started his own team in 1995.
A. Bill Elliott raced in Dodge Intrepid from 2001 to 2003. Dodge was also the primary sponsor of Elliott’s No.9 car.
