One of Dale Earnhardt's strongest competitors in the late 1980s was "Awesome Bill from Dawsonville". Bill Elliott won six races driving the number 9 car in 1987, including his second Daytona 500, and the Talladega 500, seven poles, and finished second in the final point standings. In The Winston he tangled with Earnhardt in what has become known as "the Pass In The Grass". However, Elliott's most lasting accomplishment that year was setting two NASCAR qualifying records, which stand to this day. At Daytona, he set the NASCAR speed record with an average speed of 210.364 miles per hour. He broke his own record at Talladega with an average speed of 212.809 miles per hour; the previous record he set in 1986 was 209.383 miles per hour. In both races, he used a Ford Thunderbird which contained an engine built by his brother Ernie. However, at Talladega, Bobby Allison was spun and went airborne into the catch fence, tearing a large section away and injuring several fans. After this incident, NASCAR mandated the use of restrictor plates at Daytona and Talladega. As a result, Elliott's speed records will likely never be broken. In 1988 Elliott won another six races, including the Southern 500 and the Pepsi Firecracker 400, six poles, and his only Winston Cup Championship.
For the 1987 and 1988 seasons, who was Bill Elliott's sponsor on the #9 car?
1. Rust-Eze (N 33 34.122 W 086 04.431)
2. Playtex (N 33 33.807 W 086 02.219)
3. Coors (N 33 34.782 W 086 03.140)