by Gauk
Thu, Nov 24, 2016 2:34 AM

The NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Drivers' Championship is awarded by the chairman of NASCAR to the most successful Sprint Cup Series racing car driver over a season, as determined by a points system based on race results.

The Drivers' Championship was first awarded in 1949 to Red Byron. The first driver to win multiple Championships was Herb Thomas in 1951 and 1953. The current Drivers' Champion is Jimmie Johnson, along with Richard Petty and Dale Earnhardt, have won 7 each.

The NASCAR points system has undergone several incarnations since its initial implementation. Originally, races awarded points by a complicated system based upon final positioning and weighted by prize money purses, such that higher-paying events gave more points. Soon after the advent of the modern era in 1972, the championship was decided by a more basic cumulative point total based solely upon a driver's finishing position in each race. In order to reduce the possibility of a driver clinching before the final event, NASCAR implemented the "Chase for the Cup" in 2004 which, with minor modification from 2004 to 2013 and more radical changes in 2014, stands as the current format. Before the final ten races, 16 drivers, chosen primarily on race wins, are reset to an equal amount of points, with bonus points awarded to a driver for each win prior to the reset. With these changes, the last Drivers' Champion to clinch before the final race was Matt Kenseth in 2003.

Overall, thirty-one different drivers have won the Championship, with Richard Petty, Dale Earnhardt, and Jimmie Johnson holding the record for most titles at seven. Johnson has the record for most consecutive Drivers' Championships, winning five from 2006 to 2010. Thus far, every champion has originated from the United States.

By season

Season Driver Owner(s) No.(s) Man.(s) St P Ws TT Pts Gap Ref(s)
1949 Red Byron Raymond Parks 22 Oldsmobile 6 1 2 4 842.5 117.5  
1950 Bill Rexford Julian Buesink 8
20
59
60
62
80		 Oldsmobile 17 0 1 11 1,959 110.5  
1951 Herb Thomas Herb Thomas 92 Plymouth
Hudson
Oldsmobile		 34 4 7 18 4,208.45 146.2  
Marshall Teague 6
Leonard Tippett 99
Hubert Westmoreland 2
1952 Tim Flock Ted Chester 91 Hudson 33 4 8 25 6,858.5 106  
1953 Herb Thomas Herb Thomas 92 Hudson 37 12 12 31 8,460 646  
1954 Lee Petty Petty Enterprises 42 Chrysler
Dodge		 34 3 7 32 8,649 283  
Gary Drake 100 Oldsmobile
1955 Tim Flock Carl Kiekhaefer 300
301		 Chrysler 39 18 18 33 9,596 1,508  
Hubert Westmoreland 2 Chevrolet
1956 Buck Baker Carl Kiekhaefer 00
87
300
300C
301
500B
502		 Chrysler
Dodge		 48 12 14 39 9,272 704  
James Satcher 87 Ford
John Whitford 31
1957 Buck Baker Buck Baker 87 Chevrolet 40 6 10 38 10,716 760  
Hugh Babb
1958 Lee Petty Petty Enterprises 42 Oldsmobile 50 4 7 43 12,232 644  
1959 Lee Petty Petty Enterprises 42
43		 Oldsmobile
Plymouth		 42 2 11 35 11,792 1,830  
1960 Rex White Rex White 4 Chevrolet 40 3 6 35 21,164 3,936  
L.D. Austin 74
Beau Morgan 15 Ford
Scotty Cain 41
1961 Ned Jarrett Ned Jarrett 11 Ford
Chevrolet		 46 4 1 34 27,272 830  
B.G. Holloway
1962 Joe Weatherly Bud Moore 8 Pontiac 52 7 9 45 30,836 2,396  
Fred Harb 17 Ford
1963 Joe Weatherly Bud Moore 8 Mercury
Pontiac		 53 6 3 35 33,398 2,228  
Floyd Powell 17 Pontiac
Pete Stewart 57
Cliff Stewart 2
Possum Jones 05
Worth McMillion 83
Major Melton 88 Chrysler
Petty Enterprises 41 Plymouth
Wade Younts 36
361		 Dodge
1964 Richard Petty Petty Enterprises 41
42
43		 Plymouth 61 8 9 43 40,252 5,302  
1965 Ned Jarrett Bondy Long 11 Ford 54 9 13 45 38,824 3,034  
Jabe Thomas 25
1966 David Pearson Cotton Owens 6 Dodge 42 7 15 33 35,638 1,950  
1967 Richard Petty Petty Enterprises 43 Plymouth 48 18 27 40 42,472 6,028  
1968 David Pearson Holman Moody 17 Ford 48 12 16 38 3,499 126  
Roy Trantham 84
1969 David Pearson Holman Moody 17 Ford 51 13 11 44 4,170 357  
1970 Bobby Isaac Nord Krauskopf 71 Dodge 47 13 11 38 3,911 51  
1971 Richard Petty Petty Enterprises 43 Plymouth 46 9 21 41 4,435 364  
1972 Richard Petty Petty Enterprises 43 Dodge
Plymouth		 31 3 8 28 8,701.4 127.9  
1973 Benny Parsons L.G. DeWitt 72 Chevrolet
Mercury		 28 0 1 21 7,173.8 67.15  
1974 Richard Petty Petty Enterprises 43 Dodge 30 7 10 23 5,037.75 567.45  
1975 Richard Petty Petty Enterprises 43 Dodge 30 3 13 24 4,783 722  
1976 Cale Yarborough Junior Johnson 11 Chevrolet 30 2 9 23 4,644 195  
1977 Cale Yarborough Junior Johnson 11 Chevrolet 30 3 9 27 5,000 386  
1978 Cale Yarborough Junior Johnson 11 Oldsmobile 30 8 10 24 4,841 474  
1979 Richard Petty Petty Enterprises 43 Chevrolet
Oldsmobile		 31 1 5 27 4,830 11  
1980 Dale Earnhardt Rod Osterlund 2 Chevrolet
Oldsmobile		 31 0 5 24 4,661 19  
1981 Darrell Waltrip Junior Johnson 11 Chevrolet
Buick		 31 11 12 25 4,880 53  
1982 Darrell Waltrip Junior Johnson 11 Buick 30 7 12 20 4,489 72  
1983 Bobby Allison Bill Gardner 22 Chevrolet
Buick		 30 0 6 25 4,667 47  
1984 Terry Labonte Billy Hagan 44 Chevrolet 30 2 2 24 4,508 65  
1985 Darrell Waltrip Junior Johnson 11 Chevrolet 28 4 3 21 4,292 101  
1986 Dale Earnhardt Richard Childress 3 Chevrolet 29 1 5 23 4,468 288  
1987 Dale Earnhardt Richard Childress 3 Chevrolet 29 1 11 24 4,696 489  
1988 Bill Elliott Harry Melling 9 Ford 29 6 6 22 4,488 24  
1989 Rusty Wallace Raymond Beadle 27 Pontiac 29 4 6 20 4,176 12  
1990 Dale Earnhardt Richard Childress 3 Chevrolet 29 4 9 23 4,430 26  
1991 Dale Earnhardt Richard Childress 3 Chevrolet 29 0 4 21 4,287 195  
1992 Alan Kulwicki Alan Kulwicki 7 Ford 29 6 2 17 4,078 10  
1993 Dale Earnhardt Richard Childress 3 Chevrolet 30 2 6 21 4,526 80  
1994 Dale Earnhardt Richard Childress 3 Chevrolet 31 2 4 25 4,694 444  
1995 Jeff Gordon Rick Hendrick 24 Chevrolet 31 8 7 23 4,614 34  
1996 Terry Labonte Rick Hendrick 5 Chevrolet 31 4 2 24 4,657 37  
1997 Jeff Gordon Rick Hendrick 24 Chevrolet 32 1 10 23 4,710 14  
1998 Jeff Gordon Rick Hendrick 24 Chevrolet 33 7 13 28 5,328 364  
1999 Dale Jarrett Robert Yates 88 Ford 34 0 4 29 5,262 201  
2000 Bobby Labonte Joe Gibbs 18 Pontiac 34 2 4 24 5,130 265  
2001 Jeff Gordon Rick Hendrick 24 Chevrolet 36 6 6 24 5,112 349  
2002 Tony Stewart Joe Gibbs 20 Pontiac 36 2 3 21 4,800 38  
2003 Matt Kenseth Jack Roush 17 Ford 36 0 1 25 5,022 90  
2004 Kurt Busch Jack Roush 97 Ford 36 1 3 21 6,506 8  
2005 Tony Stewart Joe Gibbs 20 Chevrolet 36 3 5 25 6,533 35  
2006 Jimmie Johnson Rick Hendrick 48 Chevrolet 36 1 5 24 6,475 56  
2007 Jimmie Johnson Rick Hendrick 48 Chevrolet 36 4 10 24 6,723 77  
2008 Jimmie Johnson Rick Hendrick 48 Chevrolet 36 6 7 22 6,684 69  
2009 Jimmie Johnson Rick Hendrick 48 Chevrolet 36 4 7 24 6,652 141  
2010 Jimmie Johnson Rick Hendrick 48 Chevrolet 36 2 6 23 6,622 39  
2011 Tony Stewart Stewart-Haas Racing 14 Chevrolet 36 1 5 19 2,403 01  
2012 Brad Keselowski Roger Penske 2 Dodge 36 0 5 23 2,400 39  
2013 Jimmie Johnson Rick Hendrick 48 Chevrolet 36 4 6 24 2,419 19  
2014 Kevin Harvick Stewart-Haas Racing 4 Chevrolet 36 8 5 20 5,043 1  
2015 Kyle Busch Joe Gibbs 18 Toyota 252 1 5 16 5,043 1  
2016 Jimmie Johnson Rick Hendrick 48 Chevrolet 36 1 5 16 5,040 3  
Notes
^1  — Stewart and Carl Edwards tied in the final standings. The championship was awarded to Stewart based upon most wins (five to Edwards' one).
^2  — Kyle Busch missed the first eleven races of the season because of an injury sustained at Daytona International Speedway during the Alert Today Florida 300.

By drivers

Driver Total Seasons
Richard Petty 7 1964, 1967, 1971, 1972, 1974, 1975, 1979
Dale Earnhardt 1980, 1986, 1987, 1990, 1991, 1993, 1994
Jimmie Johnson 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2013, 2016
Jeff Gordon 4 1995, 1997, 1998, 2001
Lee Petty 3 1954, 1958, 1959
David Pearson 1966, 1968, 1969
Cale Yarborough 1976, 1977, 1978
Darrell Waltrip 1981, 1982, 1985
Tony Stewart 2002, 2005, 2011
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
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
Brad Keselowski 2012
Kevin Harvick 2014
Kyle Busch 2015

Records

Consecutive Drivers' Championships

Ten drivers have achieved consecutive wins in the Sprint Cup Series Drivers' Championship.

Championships Driver Seasons
5 Jimmie Johnson 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010
3 Cale Yarborough 1976, 1977, 1978
2 Buck Baker 1956, 1957
Lee Petty 1958, 1959
Joe Weatherly 1962, 1963
Richard Petty 1971, 1972,
1974, 1975
Darrell Waltrip 1981, 1982
David Pearson 1968, 1969
Dale Earnhardt 1986, 1987,
1990, 1991,
1993, 1994
Jeff Gordon 1997, 1998
published by Gauk