In 1988 Elliott won another six races, including the Southern 500 and the Pepsi Firecracker 400, and six poles. At Bristol, he was spun out by Geoff Bodine late in the race, but after pitting made his way back and won the race, his first of the year. He also won a race at Pocono and swept Dover. Bill Elliott won his first and only Winston Cup Championship. At Atlanta, the last race of the season, he started 29th but needed to finish 18th or better to beat pole winner Rusty Wallace for the Championship, and he finished 11th to claim the title. He finished the season with 15 top 5s, 22 top 10s, and an average finish of 6.6.