It is difficult to live in Dawson County and not realize that current reigning NASCAR Cup Series champion Chase Elliott continued in the footsteps of his dad, 1988 Cup Series champion Bill “Awesome Bill from Dawsonville” Elliott.
For the first time in very nearly eight years, both Bill and Chase will take the wheel face off at the Camping World SRX Series season finale on July 17 at the Nashville Fairgrounds Speedway in Tennessee.
“Racing is such a big part of our lives and I’m genuinely excited to compete with my dad in the SRX race at Nashville,” Chase said in a press release on the upcoming race. “We’ve been together at racetracks hundreds of times and only once before have we competed on the same track together. It’s an awesome opportunity and I’m really looking forward to it.”
The lone other time the Elliott boys contended with one another on a similar track was in October 2013, in the Alabama Pro 125 Late Model race at South Alabama Speedway. Chase won the race and Bill completed in fourth.
Both have driven on the Nashville Fairgrounds Speedway previously, yet Bill’s highest career finish was fifth at the Marty Robbins 420 in 1983.
“My experience at Nashville is pretty dusty, so I might have to lean on Chase to give me some pointers from his time there in a Late Model,” Bill said. “It could be a bit of a role reversal with him teaching me.”
“But it truly is a wonderful opportunity to be able to race with my son at Nashville. Obviously, I’m incredibly proud of all that he’s accomplished. For years, he watched me and now I’m watching him. But for one night in Nashville, we’ll both have the same viewpoint.”
Bill has contended in the SRX Series as one of the 10 regular drivers. Elliott worked with Ray Everham, co-founder of the Camping World SRX Series from 2001 through 2005, where the duo won four races.
The matchup will air live on CBS at 8 p.m. on Saturday, July 17, 2021, and will stream live on Paramount+ Premium.
