It may as well be billed as an “awesome” weekend.
NASCAR’s Xfinity Series race Saturday on the famed Road America road course will include a current NASCAR Hall of Famer on its grid for the first time, popular driver Bill Elliott, who was nicknamed “Awesome Bill from Dawsonville” during his championship time competing in NASCAR during the 1980s, 90s and 2000s.
MORE: Full weekend schedule | Who is on the Xfinity entry list?
The 1988 Cup champion will steer the No. 23 GMS Racing Chevrolet in Saturday’s Johnsonville 180 (3 p.m. ET on NBCSN, MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio), making his first start in one of NASCAR’s national series in six years and first start in the Xfinity Series since 2005. His only Xfinity Series win came on a road course -- at Watkins Glen in 1993.
Ironically, the Hall of Famer will be considered a “rookie” at the 4-mile Wisconsin road course since he has never competed there before.
“When this opportunity came up from (president of GMS Racing) Mike (Beam), I had to jump on it,” Elliott said in announcing the news earlier this month. “Chase (Elliott) has ran a handful of races for the team so I figured I would give it a shot at Road America. Beam and I have worked together in the past so it will be exciting to get back behind the wheel and bring back some old memories.”
Elliott’s 22-year old son, Chase, who won his first Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series race this month at Watkins Glen, will serve as spotter for his father during this off-week from Cup competition.
MORE: Chase, Blaney to serve as spotters at Road AmericaThere have been eight different winners in as many races on the course, and Xfinity regular Jeremy Clements picked up his first career win last year.
This is also a significant stop in firming up the playoff picture. With four races remaining to establish championship-eligibility, Ross Chastain holds the final playoff position with a 42-point edge over Michael Annett, who was a career best runner-up in this race last season.
The field for the Johnsonville 180 includes a bevy of big names. From Elliott to IMSA road racing stars Andy Lally and Katherine Legge, to IndyCar standouts like James Davison, who led the opening laps of last year’s race at Elkhart Lake to Conor Daly, who is making his NASCAR competition debut. Longtime NASCAR fan favorite Brendan Gaughan is entered, too.