Only four drivers remain for the NASCAR Cup championship heading into Sunday’s race at Phoenix Raceway.
Joey Logano is aiming for his third Cup title. Team Penske teammate Ryan Blaney is looking to win back-to-back crowns.
23XI Racing’s Tyler Reddick and Hendrick Motorsports’ William Byron each embark on their first Cup championship.
Here’s a look at the Cup champions in sports history:
All-time NASCAR Cup Series champions and runners-up (1949-2023)
|
Champion |
Finalist |
Point margin |
|
|
1949 |
Red Byron |
Lee Petty |
117.5 |
|
1950 |
Bill Rexford |
Fireball Roberts |
110.5 |
|
1951 |
Herb Thomas |
Fonty herd |
146.2 |
|
1952 |
Tim Flocking |
Herb Thomas |
106 |
|
1953 |
Herb Thomas |
Lee Petty |
646 |
|
1954 |
Lee Petty |
Herb Thomas |
283 |
|
1955 |
Tim Flocking |
Buck Baker |
508 |
|
1956 |
Buck Baker |
Herb Thomas |
686 |
|
1957 |
Buck Baker |
Marvin Panch |
760 |
|
1958 |
Lee Petty |
Buck Baker |
644 |
|
1959 |
Lee Petty |
Owens Cotton |
1830 |
|
1960 |
White Rex |
Richard Petit |
3936 |
|
1961 |
Ned Jarrett |
White Rex |
830 |
|
1962 |
Joe Weatherly |
Richard Petit |
2396 |
|
1963 |
Joe Weatherly |
Richard Petit |
2228 |
|
1964 |
Richard Petit |
Ned Jarrett |
5302 |
|
1965 |
Ned Jarrett |
Dick Hutcherson |
3034 |
|
1966 |
David Pearson |
James Hylton |
1950 |
|
1967 |
Richard Petit |
James Hylton |
6028 |
|
1968 |
David Pearson |
Bobby Isaac |
126 |
|
1969 |
David Pearson |
Richard Petit |
357 |
|
1970 |
Bobby Isaac |
Bobby Allison |
51 |
|
1971 |
Richard Petit |
James Hylton |
364 |
|
1972 |
Richard Petit |
Bobby Allison |
127.9 |
|
1973 |
Benny Parsons |
Cale Yarborough |
67.2 |
|
1974 |
Richard Petit |
Cale Yarborough |
567.5 |
|
1975 |
Richard Petit |
Dave Marcis |
722 |
|
1976 |
Cale Yarborough |
Richard Petit |
195 |
|
1977 |
Cale Yarborough |
Richard Petit |
386 |
|
1978 |
Cale Yarborough |
Bobby Allison |
474 |
|
1979 |
Richard Petit |
Darrell Waltrip |
11 |
|
1980 |
Dale Earnhardt |
Cale Yarborough |
19 |
|
1981 |
Darrell Waltrip |
Bobby Allison |
53 |
|
1982 |
Darrell Waltrip |
Bobby Allison |
72 |
|
1983 |
Bobby Allison |
Darrell Waltrip |
47 |
|
1984 |
Terry Labonté |
Harry Gant |
65 |
|
1985 |
Darrell Waltrip |
Bill Elliott |
101 |
|
1986 |
Dale Earnhardt |
Darrell Waltrip |
288 |
|
1987 |
Dale Earnhardt |
Bill Elliott |
489 |
|
1988 |
Bill Elliott |
Rusty Wallace |
24 |
|
1989 |
Rusty Wallace |
Dale Earnhardt |
12 |
|
1990 |
Dale Earnhardt |
Marc Martin |
26 |
|
1991 |
Dale Earnhardt |
Ricky Rudd |
195 |
|
1992 |
Alan Kulwicki |
Bill Elliott |
10 |
|
1993 |
Dale Earnhardt |
Rusty Wallace |
80 |
|
1994 |
Dale Earnhardt |
Marc Martin |
444 |
|
1995 |
Jeff Gordon |
Dale Earnhardt |
34 |
|
1996 |
Terry Labonté |
Jeff Gordon |
37 |
|
1997 |
Jeff Gordon |
Dale Jarrett |
14 |
|
1998 |
Jeff Gordon |
Marc Martin |
364 |
|
1999 |
Dale Jarrett |
Bobby Labonte |
201 |
|
2000 |
Bobby Labonté |
Dale Earnhardt |
265 |
|
2001 |
Jeff Gordon |
Tony Stewart |
349 |
|
2002 |
Tony Stewart |
Marc Martin |
38 |
|
2003 |
Matt Kenseth |
Jimmy Johnson |
90 |
|
2004 |
Kurt Busch |
Jimmy Johnson |
8 |
|
2005 |
Tony Stewart |
Greg Biffle |
35 |
|
2006 |
Jimmy Johnson |
Matt Kenseth |
56 |
|
2007 |
Jimmy Johnson |
Jeff Gordon |
77 |
|
2008 |
Jimmy Johnson |
Carl Edwards |
69 |
|
2009 |
Jimmy Johnson |
Marc Martin |
141 |
|
2010 |
Jimmy Johnson |
Denis Hamlin |
39 |
|
2011 |
Tony Stewart |
Carl Edwards |
0* |
|
2012 |
Brad Keselowski |
Clint Bowyer |
39 |
|
2013 |
Jimmy Johnson |
Matt Kenseth |
19 |
|
2014 |
Kevin Harvick |
Ryan Newman |
1 |
|
2015 |
Kyle Busch |
Kevin Harvick |
1 |
|
2016 |
Jimmy Johnson |
Joey Logano |
3 |
|
2017 |
Martin Truex Jr. |
Kyle Busch |
5 |
|
2018 |
Joey Logano |
Martin Truex Jr. |
5 |
|
2019 |
Kyle Busch |
Martin Truex Jr. |
5 |
|
2020 |
Chase Elliott |
Brad Keselowski |
5 |
|
2021 |
Kyle Larson |
Martin Truex Jr. |
5 |
|
2022 |
Joey Logano |
Ross Chastain |
6 |
|
2023 |
Ryan Blaney |
Kyle Larson |
1 |
|
* – In 2011, Stewart won the tiebreaker, via his five victories to that of Edwards. |
|||
NASCAR Cup drivers with multiple championships (1949–2023)
|
Number of titles |
Driver |
Years |
|
|
1 |
7 |
Jimmy Johnson |
2016, ’13, ’10, ’09, ’08, ’07, ’06 |
|
Dale Earnhardt |
1994, ’93, ’91, ’90, ’87, ’86, ’80 |
||
|
Richard Petit |
1979, ’75, ’74, ’72, ’71, ’67, ’64 |
||
|
4 |
4 |
Jeff Gordon |
2001, ’98, ’97, ’95 |
|
5 |
3 |
Darrell Waltrip |
1985, ’82, ’81 |
|
Cale Yarborough |
1978, ’77, ’76 |
||
|
David Pearson |
1969, 68, 66 |
||
|
Lee Petty |
1959, ’58, ’54 |
||
|
Tony Stewart |
2011, ’05, ’02 |
||
|
10 |
2 |
Joey Logano |
2022, ’18 |
|
Kyle Busch |
2019, ’15 |
||
|
Terry Labonté |
1996, ’84 |
||
|
Ned Jarrett |
1965, ’61 |
||
|
Joe Weatherly |
1963, ’62 |
||
|
Buck Baker |
1957, ’56 |
||
|
Tim Flocking |
1955, ’52 |
||
|
Herb Thomas |
1953, ’51 |
NASCAR Cup Series Drivers’ Championship Breakdown by Organization
|
Organizations |
Driver titles |
Seasons |
|
|
1 |
Hendrick Motorsports |
14 |
2021, ’20, ’16, ’13, ’10, ’09, ’08, ’07, ’06, ’01, ’98, ’97, ’96, ’95 |
|
2 |
Small businesses |
10 |
1979, ’75, ’74, ’72, ’71, ’67, ’64, ’59, ’58, ’54* |
|
3 |
Richard Childress Racing |
6 |
1994, ’93, ’91, ’90, ’87, ’86 |
|
4 |
Junior Johnson & Assoc. |
6 |
1985, ’82, ’81, ’78, ’77, ’76 |
|
5 |
Joe Gibbs Racing |
5 |
2019, ’15, ’05, ’02, ’00 |
|
6 |
Team Penske |
4 |
2023, ’22, ’18, ’12 |
|
7 |
Stewart-Haas Racing |
2 |
2014, ’11 |
|
8 |
RFK Racing |
2 |
2004, ’03 |
|
9 |
Holman Moody |
2 |
1969, ’68 |
|
10 |
Bud Moore |
2 |
1963*, ’62 |
|
11 |
Carl Kiekhafer |
2 |
1956, ’57 |
|
12 |
Herb Thomas Racing |
2 |
1953, ’51 |
|
13 |
Furniture Row Race |
1 |
2017 |
|
14 |
Yates Racing |
1 |
1999 |
|
15 |
Kulwicki Racing |
1 |
1992 |
|
16 |
Raymond Beadle |
1 |
1989 |
|
17 |
Melling Race |
1 |
1988 |
|
18 |
Billy Hagan |
1 |
1984 |
|
19 |
Bill Gardner |
1 |
1983 |
|
20 |
Rod Osterlund |
1 |
1980 |
|
21 |
LG DeWitt |
1 |
1973 |
|
22 |
North Krauskopf |
1 |
1970 |
|
23 |
Owens Cotton |
1 |
1966 |
|
24 |
Bondy Long |
1 |
1965 |
|
25 |
WG Holloway Jr. |
1 |
1961 |
|
26 |
White Rex |
1 |
1960 |
|
27 |
Buck Baker Race |
1 |
1957 |
|
28 |
Ted Chester |
1 |
1952 |
|
29 |
Julien Buesnik |
1 |
1950 |
|
30 |
Raymond Parks |
1 |
1949 |
|
Total |
75 |
||
|
Note: Seasons with a |
|||
The symbol indicates a shared driver/owner championship (1954, 1963).
