Getting your player ready...
When Bill Elliott first started in what’s now the Sprint Cup in 1976, he and his family struggled to pay the entry fee. Now 33 years, 44 wins, one Cup championship and a couple of cool nicknames later, Elliott is preparing to make his 800th career start today in NASCAR’s top series. “Looking at the whole deal, it seems like yesterday with all that’s happened,” the 53-year-old said. The Dawsonville, Ga., native ran his first full schedule in 1983. He won 11 races in 1985, including a bonus that earned him the nickname “Million Dollar Bill.” He soon was called “Awesome Bill from Dawsonville” as he won the Cup title in 1988. The Associated Press, Getty Images photo
