CONCORD, N.C., May 23 (UPI) -- Bill Elliott drives in his 800th NASCAR race at Sunday's Coca–Cola 600 at the Charlotte Motor Speedway in Concord, N.C.
The CMS will celebrate 50 years of NASCAR racing with the 50th running of the running of the Memorial Day holiday weekend event.
"Awesome Bill" began his Cup career in 1976 and earned his first win in 1983 at Riverside, Calif.
The native of Dawsonville, Ga., a two-time Daytona 500 winner, will begin the "600" in the 10th position.
He is 47th in the latest Sprint Cup standings, and has not won any of the three races he entered this season.
"This is a tough race track to get around and I'm glad for the guys because they need this bad," he told the Charlotte Observer after qualifying in the No. 21 Ford Fusion on Thursday.
Ryan Newman of Stewart-Haas Racing won the pole position.
"(Crew chief) Tony Gibson did a great job with the car," Newman said.
