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A year to remember
Despite that year's success, Melling
could not increase the Elliotts' budget. Like many racers in
1984, the Elliotts ended up being sponsored by a big-time beer
company - in this case, Coors Brewing Company. That season proved
successful, for a few reasons. One was the release of the new,
sleeker Ford Thunderbird. Dan, still meticulous with transmissions
and gears, turned the car into a force to be reckoned with.
On top of that, they expanded their garage and hired some skilled
workers. But this season would just be practice for what was
to come in 1985.
At the end of 1984, series sponsor R.J. Reynolds Tobacco announced that it would not only pay the Winston Cup champion one million dollars, it would also offer a bonus million for anyone who could win three of the four major races. Bill did just that, winning the Daytona 500, the Winston 500 (Talladega, AL) and the Southern 500 (Darlington, SC). Bill claims he didn't exactly strike it rich, though. "The team got a substantial amount, so it was pretty broken up. I probably ended up with like $75,000, and back then I was paying for all the facilities in Dawsonville." The year wasn't perfect, because Bill lost his season-long points lead in the last race of the season. Darrell Waltrip took home the Winston Cup Championship instead.
Along with winning the Winston Million, Elliott's 1985 banner year also included Winston Cup season record of 11 superspeedway wins. For his achievements in 1985, Elliott was featured on the cover of Sports Illustrated. His two nicknames: "Awesome Bill from Dawsonville" and "Million Dollar Bill" also came as a result of his record-setting 1985 season.
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