List of NASCAR champions
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
This is a list of National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing (NASCAR) champions; that is, a list of all the champions in NASCAR's three major series (Sprint Cup, Nationwide Series, and Craftsman Truck Series).
The NASCAR championships are awarded at the end of each season to the driver who has amassed the most points throughout the season. The point totals are determined each week by the drivers' final positions in a race and the number of laps led by each driver, if any, during the race. The current points system, adopted by NASCAR in 1975, is still used in the Busch Series and the Craftsman Truck series, and was used through 2003 in the Cup Series. Since 2004 the NEXTEL Cup series has implemented slight scoring changes and a ten-race "playoff" format.
Since its founding in 1948, NASCAR has held 92 combined seasons in its three major series with a total of 51 separate champions. The first championship awarded was to Red Byron in 1949. Greg Biffle, Bobby Labonte and Johnny Benson are the only drivers to have won championships in two of the three series during their NASCAR career. Biffle has come the closest to winning all three (past champion of Busch and Craftsman Truck series and runner-up in the 2005 NEXTEL Cup), but this feat has yet to be accomplished.
As of November 22, 2009, the current defending champions are Jimmie Johnson in the Sprint Cup, Kyle Busch in the Nationwide Series, and Ron Hornaday in the Camping World Truck Series.
Contents |
Sprint Cup
1949 known as Strictly Stock; 1950-1971 known as Grand National; 1972-2003 known as Winston Cup; 2004-2007 known as Nextel Cup; 2008- known as Sprint Cup
By season
| Year | Driver (# of Cups won) | Owner(s) | Number | Make | Starts (Total Races) | Wins | Top 10s | Poles | Points (margin) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1949 | Red Byron | Raymond Parks | 22 | Oldsmobile 88 | 6 (8) | 2 | 4 | 1 | 842.5 (117.5) |
| 1950 | Bill Rexford | Julian Buesink | 60 | 17 (19) | 1 | 11 | 0 | 1959 (110.5) | |
| 1951 | Herb Thomas | Self-owned | 92 | Hudson Hornet | 34 (41) | 7 | 18 | 4 | 4208.45 (146.2) |
| 1952 | Tim Flock | Ted Chester | 91 | 33 (34) | 8 | 25 | 4 | 6858.5 (106) | |
| 1953 | Herb Thomas (2) | Self-owned | 92 | 37 (37) | 12 | 31 | 12 | 8460 (646) | |
| 1954 | Lee Petty | 42 | Chrysler New Yorker | 34 (37) | 7 | 32 | 3 | 8649 (283) | |
| 1955 | Tim Flock (2) | Carl Kiekhaefer | 30 | Chrysler 300 | 39 (45) | 18 | 33 | 18 | 9596 (1508) |
| 1956 | Buck Baker | 38 | 48 (56) | 14 | 39 | 12 | 9272 (704) | ||
| 1957 | Buck Baker (2) | Self-owned | 87 | Chevrolet | 40 (53) | 10 | 38 | 6 | 10716 (760) |
| 1958 | Lee Petty (2) | 42 | Oldsmobile | 50 (51) | 7 | 43 | 4 | 12232 (644) | |
| 1959 | Lee Petty (3) | 42 | Plymouth | 42 (44) | 11 | 35 | 2 | 11792 (1830) | |
| 1960 | Rex White | 4 | Chevrolet Impala | 40 (44) | 6 | 35 | 3 | 21164 (3936) | |
| 1961 | Ned Jarrett | W.G. Holloway, Jr. | 11 | 46 (52) | 1 | 34 | 4 | 27272 (830) | |
| 1962 | Joe Weatherly | Bud Moore | 8 | Pontiac | 52 (53) | 9 | 45 | 7 | 30836 (2396) |
| 1963 | Joe Weatherly (2) | 8 | 53 (55) | 3 | 35 | 6 | 33398 (2228) | ||
| 1964 | Richard Petty | Self-owned | 43 | Plymouth Sport Fury | 61 (62) | 9 | 43 | 8 | 40252 (5302) |
| 1965 | Ned Jarrett (2) | Bondy Long | 11 | Ford Galaxie | 54 (55) | 13 | 45 | 9 | 38824 (3034) |
| 1966 | David Pearson | Cotton Owens | 6 | Dodge Charger | 42 (49) | 15 | 33 | 7 | 35638 (1950) |
| 1967 | Richard Petty (2) | Self-owned | 43 | Plymouth Satellite | 48 (49) | 27 | 40 | 18 | 42472 (6028) |
| 1968 | David Pearson (2) | Holman-Moody | 17 | Ford Torino | 48 (49) | 16 | 38 | 12 | 3499 (126) |
| 1969 | David Pearson (3) | 17 | 51 (54) | 11 | 44 | 14 | 4170 (357) | ||
| 1970 | Bobby Isaac | Nord Krauskopf | 71 | Dodge Charger | 47 (48) | 11 | 38 | 13 | 3911 (51) |
| 1971 | Richard Petty (3) | Self-owned | 43 | Plymouth Satellite | 46 (48) | 21 | 41 | 9 | 4435 (364) |
| 1972 | Richard Petty (4) | 43 | 31 (31) | 8 | 28 | 3 | 8701.4 (127.9) | ||
| 1973 | Benny Parsons | L.G. DeWitt | 72 | Chevrolet Chevelle | 28 (28) | 1 | 21 | 0 | 7173.8 (67.15) |
| 1974 | Richard Petty (5) | Self-owned | 43 | Dodge Charger | 30 (30) | 10 | 23 | 7 | 5037.75 (567.45) |
| 1975 | Richard Petty (6) | 43 | Dodge Charger | 30 (30) | 13 | 24 | 3 | 4783 (722) | |
| 1976 | Cale Yarborough | Junior Johnson | 11 | Chevrolet Chevelle | 30 (30) | 9 | 23 | 2 | 4644 (195) |
| 1977 | Cale Yarborough (2) | 11 | Chevrolet Malibu | 30 (30) | 9 | 27 | 3 | 5000 (386) | |
| 1978 | Cale Yarborough (3) | 11 | Oldsmobile Cutlass | 30 (30) | 10 | 24 | 8 | 4841 (474) | |
| 1979 | Richard Petty (7) | Self-owned | 43 | Chevrolet Monte Carlo | 31 (31) | 5 | 27 | 1 | 4830 (11) |
| 1980 | Dale Earnhardt | Rod Osterlund | 2 | Chevrolet Monte Carlo | 31 (31) | 5 | 24 | 0 | 4661 (19) |
| 1981 | Darrell Waltrip | Junior Johnson | 11 | Buick Regal | 31 (31) | 12 | 25 | 11 | 4880 (53) |
| 1982 | Darrell Waltrip (2) | 11 | Buick Regal | 30 (30) | 12 | 20 | 7 | 4489 (72) | |
| 1983 | Bobby Allison | Bill Gardner | 22 | Buick Regal | 30 (30) | 6 | 25 | 0 | 4667 (47) |
| 1984 | Terry Labonte | Billy Hagan | 44 | Chevrolet Monte Carlo | 30 (30) | 2 | 24 | 2 | 4508 (65) |
| 1985 | Darrell Waltrip (3) | Junior Johnson | 11 | Chevrolet Monte Carlo | 28 (28) | 3 | 21 | 4 | 4292 (101) |
| 1986 | Dale Earnhardt (2) | Richard Childress | 3 | Chevrolet Monte Carlo | 29 (29) | 5 | 23 | 1 | 4468 (288) |
| 1987 | Dale Earnhardt (3) | 3 | Chevrolet Monte Carlo | 29 (29) | 11 | 24 | 1 | 4696 (489) | |
| 1988 | Bill Elliott | Harry Melling | 9 | Ford Thunderbird | 29 (29) | 6 | 22 | 6 | 4488 (24) |
| 1989 | Rusty Wallace | Raymond Beadle | 27 | Pontiac Grand Prix | 29 (29) | 6 | 20 | 4 | 4176 (12) |
| 1990 | Dale Earnhardt (4) | Richard Childress | 3 | Chevrolet Lumina | 29 (29) | 9 | 23 | 4 | 4430 (26) |
| 1991 | Dale Earnhardt (5) | 3 | Chevrolet Lumina | 29 (29) | 4 | 21 | 0 | 4287 (195) | |
| 1992 | Alan Kulwicki | Self-owned | 7 | Ford Thunderbird | 29 (29) | 2 | 17 | 6 | 4078 (10) |
| 1993 | Dale Earnhardt (6) | Richard Childress | 3 | Chevrolet Lumina | 30 (30) | 6 | 21 | 2 | 4526 (80) |
| 1994 | Dale Earnhardt (7) | 3 | Chevrolet Lumina | 31 (31) | 4 | 25 | 2 | 4694 (444) | |
| 1995 | Jeff Gordon | Rick Hendrick | 24 | Chevrolet Monte Carlo | 31 (31) | 7 | 23 | 8 | 4614 (34) |
| 1996 | Terry Labonte (2) | Rick Hendrick | 5 | Chevrolet Monte Carlo | 31 (31) | 2 | 24 | 4 | 4657 (37) |
| 1997 | Jeff Gordon (2) | Rick Hendrick | 24 | Chevrolet Monte Carlo | 32 (32) | 10 | 23 | 1 | 4710 (14) |
| 1998 | Jeff Gordon (3) | 24 | Chevrolet Monte Carlo | 33 (33) | 13 | 28 | 7 | 5328 (364) | |
| 1999 | Dale Jarrett | Robert Yates | 88 | Ford Taurus | 34 (34) | 4 | 29 | 0 | 5262 (201) |
| 2000 | Bobby Labonte | Joe Gibbs | 18 | Pontiac Grand Prix | 34 (34) | 4 | 24 | 2 | 5130 (265) |
| 2001 | Jeff Gordon (4) | Rick Hendrick | 24 | Chevrolet Monte Carlo | 36 (36) | 6 | 24 | 6 | 5112 (349) |
| 2002 | Tony Stewart | Joe Gibbs | 20 | Pontiac Grand Prix | 36 (36) | 3 | 21 | 2 | 4800 (63) |
| 2003 | Matt Kenseth | Mark Martin, Jack Roush | 17 | Ford Taurus | 36 (36) | 1 | 25 | 0 | 5022 (90) |
| 2004 | Kurt Busch | Jack Roush | 97 | Ford Taurus | 36 (36) | 3 | 21 | 1 | 6506 (8) |
| 2005 | Tony Stewart (2) | Joe Gibbs | 20 | Chevrolet Monte Carlo | 36 (36) | 5 | 25 | 3 | 6533 (35) |
| 2006 | Jimmie Johnson | Jeff Gordon, Rick Hendrick | 48 | Chevrolet Monte Carlo SS | 36 (36) | 5 | 24 | 1 | 6475 (56) |
| 2007 | Jimmie Johnson (2) | 48 | Chevrolet Monte Carlo SS/Chevrolet Impala SS | 36 (36) | 10 | 24 | 4 | 6723 (77) | |
| 2008 | Jimmie Johnson (3) | 48 | Chevrolet Impala SS | 36 (36) | 7 | 22 | 6 | 6684 (69) | |
| 2009 | Jimmie Johnson (4) | 48 | Chevrolet Impala SS | 36 (36) | 7 | 24 | 4 | 6652 (141) |
By driver
| Driver | Total | Seasons |
|---|---|---|
| Richard Petty | 7 | 1964, 1967, 1971, 1972, 1974, 1975, 1979 |
| Dale Earnhardt | 1980, 1986, 1987, 1990, 1991, 1993, 1994 | |
| Jeff Gordon | 4 | 1995, 1997, 1998, 2001 |
| Jimmie Johnson[1] | 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009 | |
| Lee Petty | 3 | 1954, 1958, 1959 |
| David Pearson | 1966, 1968, 1969 | |
| Cale Yarborough[1] | 1976, 1977, 1978 | |
| Darrell Waltrip | 1981, 1982, 1985 | |
| Herb Thomas | 2 | 1951, 1953 |
| Tim Flock | 1952, 1955 | |
| Buck Baker | 1956, 1957 | |
| Joe Weatherly | 1962, 1963 | |
| Ned Jarrett | 1961, 1965 | |
| Terry Labonte | 1984, 1996 | |
| Tony Stewart | 2002, 2005 | |
| Red Byron | 1 | 1949 |
| Bill Rexford | 1950 | |
| Rex White | 1960 | |
| Bobby Isaac | 1970 | |
| Benny Parsons | 1973 | |
| Bobby Allison | 1983 | |
| Bill Elliott | 1988 | |
| Rusty Wallace | 1989 | |
| Alan Kulwicki | 1992 | |
| Dale Jarrett | 1999 | |
| Bobby Labonte | 2000 | |
| Matt Kenseth | 2003 | |
| Kurt Busch | 2004 |
Nationwide Series
Known as the Busch Series from 1982 - 2007
By season
| Season | Driver | Owner | Number, Make | Starts | Wins | Top Tens | Poles | Points (margin) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1982 | Jack Ingram | Self-owned | #11, Pontiac | 29 (of 29) | 7 | 24 | 1 | 4495 (47) |
| 1983 | Sam Ard | Howard Thomas | #00, Oldsmobile | 35 (of 35) | 10 | 30 | 10 | 5454 (84) |
| 1984 | Sam Ard | Howard Thomas | #00, Oldsmobile | 28 (of 29) | 8 | 26 | 7 | 4552 (426) |
| 1985 | Jack Ingram | Self-owned | #11, Pontiac | 27 (of 27) | 5 | 22 | 2 | 4106 (29) |
| 1986 | Larry Pearson | David Pearson | #21, Pontiac | 31 (of 31) | 1 | 24 | 1 | 4514 (7) |
| 1987 | Larry Pearson | David Pearson | #21, Chevrolet | 27 (of 27) | 6 | 20 | 3 | 3959 (394) |
| 1988 | Tommy Ellis | John Jackson | #99, Buick | 30 (of 30) | 3 | 20 | 5 | 4281 (295) |
| 1989 | Rob Moroso | Dick Moroso | #25, Oldsmobile | 29 (of 29) | 4 | 16 | 7 | 4001 (55) |
| 1990 | Chuck Bown | Hubert Hensley | #63, Pontiac | 31 (of 31) | 6 | 18 | 4 | 4372 (200) |
| 1991 | Bobby Labonte | Self-owned | #44, Oldsmobile | 31 (of 31) | 2 | 21 | 2 | 4264 (74) |
| 1992 | Joe Nemechek | Self-owned | #87, Chevrolet | 31 (of 31) | 2 | 18 | 1 | 4275 (3) |
| 1993 | Steve Grissom | Wayne Grissom | #31, Chevrolet | 28 (of 28) | 2 | 18 | 0 | 3846 (253) |
| 1994 | David Green | Bobby Labonte | #44, Chevrolet | 28 (of 28) | 1 | 14 | 9 | 3725 (46) |
| 1995 | Johnny Benson, Jr. | Bill Baumgardner | #74, Chevrolet | 26 (of 26) | 2 | 19 | 0 | 3688 (404) |
| 1996 | Randy LaJoie | Bill Baumgardner | #74, Chevrolet | 26 (of 26) | 5 | 20 | 2 | 3714 (29) |
| 1997 | Randy LaJoie | Bill Baumgardner | #74, Chevrolet | 30 (of 30) | 5 | 21 | 2 | 4381 (266) |
| 1998 | Dale Earnhardt, Jr. | Dale Earnhardt | #3, Chevrolet | 31 (of 31) | 7 | 22 | 3 | 4469 (48) |
| 1999 | Dale Earnhardt, Jr. | Dale Earnhardt | #3, Chevrolet | 32 (of 32) | 6 | 22 | 3 | 4647 (280) |
| 2000 | Jeff Green | Greg Pollex | #10, Chevrolet | 32 (of 32) | 6 | 27 | 7 | 5005 (616) |
| 2001 | Kevin Harvick | Richard Childress | #2, Chevrolet | 33 (of 33) | 5 | 24 | 4 | 4813 (124) |
| 2002 | Greg Biffle | Jack Roush | #60, Ford | 34 (of 34) | 4 | 25 | 5 | 4924 (280) |
| 2003 | Brian Vickers | Ricky Hendrick | #5, Chevrolet | 34 (of 34) | 3 | 21 | 1 | 4637 (14) |
| 2004 | Martin Truex Jr. | Dale Earnhardt, Jr. | #8, Chevrolet | 34 (of 34) | 6 | 26 | 7 | 5173 (230) |
| 2005 | Martin Truex Jr. | Dale Earnhardt, Jr. | #8, Chevrolet | 35 (of 35) | 6 | 22 | 3 | 4937 (68) |
| 2006 | Kevin Harvick | Richard Childress, self-owned [2] | #21, #33 Chevrolet | 35 (of 35) | 9 | 32 | 1 | 5648 (824) |
| 2007 | Carl Edwards | Jack Roush | #60, Ford | 35 (of 35) | 4 | 21 | 0 | 4805 (618) |
| 2008 | Clint Bowyer | Richard Childress | #2, Chevrolet | 35 (of 35) | 1 | 29 | 0 | 5132 (21) |
| 2009 | Kyle Busch | Joe Gibbs | #18, Toyota | 35 (of 35) | 9 | 30 | 3 | 5682 (210) |
By driver
Camping World Truck Series
Known as the Craftsman Truck Series from 1995 - 2008
By season
| Season | Driver | Owner | Number, Make | Starts | Wins | Top Tens | Poles | Points (margin) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1995 | Mike Skinner | Richard Childress | #3, Chevrolet | 20 (of 20) | 8 | 18 | 7 | 3224 (126) |
| 1996 | Ron Hornaday, Jr. | Dale Earnhardt | #16, Chevrolet | 24 (of 24) | 4 | 23 | 2 | 3831 (53) |
| 1997 | Jack Sprague | Rick Hendrick | #24, Chevrolet | 26 (of 26) | 3 | 23 | 5 | 3969 (232) |
| 1998 | Ron Hornaday, Jr. | Dale Earnhardt | #16, Chevrolet | 27 (of 27) | 6 | 22 | 2 | 4072 (3) |
| 1999 | Jack Sprague | Rick Hendrick | #24, Chevrolet | 25 (of 25) | 3 | 19 | 1 | 3747 (8) |
| 2000 | Greg Biffle | Jack Roush | #50, Ford | 24 (of 24) | 5 | 18 | 4 | 3826 (230) |
| 2001 | Jack Sprague | Rick Hendrick | #24, Chevrolet | 24 (of 24) | 4 | 17 | 7 | 3670 (73) |
| 2002 | Mike Bliss | Steve Coulter | #16, Chevrolet | 22 (of 22) | 5 | 18 | 4 | 3359 (46) |
| 2003 | Travis Kvapil | Steve Coulter | #16, Chevrolet | 25 (of 25) | 1 | 22 | 0 | 3837 (9) |
| 2004 | Bobby Hamilton | Self-owned | #4, Dodge | 25 (of 25) | 4 | 16 | 0 | 3624 (46) |
| 2005 | Ted Musgrave | Jim Smith | #1, Dodge | 25 (of 25) | 1 | 15 | 1 | 3535 (55) |
| 2006 | Todd Bodine | Stephen Germain | #30, Toyota | 25 (of 25) | 3 | 16 | 1 | 3666 (127) |
| 2007 | Ron Hornaday, Jr. | Kevin Harvick | #33, Chevrolet | 25 (of 25) | 4 | 22 | 1 | 3982 (54) |
| 2008 | Johnny Benson | Bill Davis | #23, Toyota | 25 (of 25) | 5 | 18 | 3 | 3725 (7) |
| 2009 | Ron Hornaday, Jr. | Kevin Harvick | #33, Chevrolet | 25 (of 25) | 6 | 20 | 4 | 3959 (187) |
By driver
| Driver | Total | Seasons |
|---|---|---|
| Ron Hornaday, Jr. | 4 | 1996, 1998, 2007, 2009 |
| Jack Sprague | 3 | 1997, 1999, 2001 |
| Mike Skinner | 1 | 1995 |
| Greg Biffle | 2000 | |
| Mike Bliss | 2002 | |
| Travis Kvapil | 2003 | |
| Bobby Hamilton | 2004 | |
| Ted Musgrave | 2005 | |
| Todd Bodine | 2006 | |
| Johnny Benson | 2008 |
Other NASCAR series
See also
External References
- NASCAR Champions / NEXTEL Cup - MotorSports etc.
- NASCAR - MotorSM.com
- Racing-Reference.info links for NEXTEL Cup, Busch, and Craftsman Truck Series Champions.
- List of All Time NASCAR Cup winners - jayski.com
- ^ a b Yarborough and Johnson are only two drivers to win three consecutive Championships
- ^ Harvick drove four races and clinched the championship in his self-owned #33 Chevrolet.
