NASCAR champs and championships: Some history, from Dale Earnhardt to Ryan Blaney

Prior to this past decade, some NASCAR Cup Series championships were nail-biters, while many were decided the week or weeks before the season finale. 

NASCAR attempted to remedy the occasional lack of drama in 2004 with the advent of a 10-race postseason format. But even then, some of the title chases lacked drama on the final Sunday.

The ultimate remedy came in 2014, when the current format was introduced: After nine playoff races, four championship finalists qualify for the season-ending championship race. Highest finisher among the four is the champ.

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While there has yet to be a side-by-side, door-banging dash to the checkers, there’s been the drama guaranteed by the knowledge that one slip by the leader could upend best-laid plans.

This weekend, Phoenix is host of the final race for the fifth straight year. By nightfall, there will be a 2024 Cup champ.

Let’s roll out some history and records before adding a new (or old) name to some of these lists below.

NASCAR champs: 7-timers (Richard Petty) and 1-hit wonders (Bill Elliott)

7: Richard Petty, Dale Earnhardt, Jimmie Johnson

4: Jeff Gordon

3: Lee Petty, David Pearson, Cale Yarborough, Darrell Waltrip, Tony Stewart

2: Herb Thomas, Tim Flock, Buck Baker, Joe Weatherly, Ned Jarrett, Terry Labonte, Kyle Bush, Joey Logano

1: Red Byron, Bill Rexford, Rex White, Bobby Isaac, Benny Parsons, Bobby Allison, Bill Elliott, Rusty Wallace, Alan Kulwicki, Dale Jarrett, Bobby Labonte, Matt Kenseth, Kurt Busch, Brad Keselowski, Kevin Harvick, Martin Truex Jr., Chase Elliott, Kyle Larson, Ryan Blaney

Over and over again

Cup champs who have won consecutive titles:

5: Jimmie Johnson (2006-2010)

3: Cale Yarborough (1976-78)

2: Buck Baker (1956-57), Lee Petty (1958-59), Joe Weatherly (1962-63), David Pearson (1968-69), Richard Petty, twice (1971-72, 1974-75), Darrell Waltrip (1981-82), Dale Earnhardt, three times (1986-87, 1990-91, 1993-94), Jeff Gordon (1997-98).

Can Tyler Reddick sweep the season?

Since NASCAR started rewarding a regular-season championship in 2017, three of the seven champs have swept both titles (in bold):

2017: Martin Truex Jr.

2018: Kyle Busch

2019: Kyle Busch

2020: Kevin Harvick

2021: Kyle Larson

2022: Chase Elliott

2023: Martin Truex Jr.

Some close, some not

Margins of championship victory since the current format was adopted in 2014:

2014: Kevin Harvick won by a half-second over runner-up Ryan Newman

2015: Kyle Busch finished 1.5 seconds over runner-up Kevin Harvick

2016: Jimmie Johnson won, closest championship competitor was Joey Logano, who finished fourth

2017: Martin Truex beat runner-up Kyle Busch by .681 seconds

2018: Joey Logano finished 1.7 seconds over runner-up Martin Truex. Championship competitors Kevin Harvick and Kyle Busch rounded out the top 4

2019: Kyle Busch beat runner-up Martin Truex by 4.5 seconds

2020: Chase Elliott beat runner-up Brad Keselowski by 2.7 seconds. Contenders Joey Logano and Denny Hamlin rounded out the top 4

2021: Kyle Larson finished four seconds ahead of runner-up Martin Truex

2022: Winner Joey Logano’s closest championship competitor was Ross Chastain, who finished third

2023: Ross Chastain became first non-championship finalist to win the final race. Ryan Blaney finished second, 2.4 seconds ahead of third-place Kyle Larson, to win the championship

NASCAR finale wasn’t always in Phoenix

Since NASCAR’s “modern era” began in 1972, several speedways have served as the season capper:

1972: Texas World Speedway in College Station

1973: Rockingham (N.C.) Speedway

1974-80: Ontario (Calif.) Motor Speedway

1981-86: Riverside (Calif.) Raceway

1987-2000: Atlanta Motor Speedway

2001: New Hampshire Speedway (due to rescheduling after the Sept. 11 terror attacks)

2002-19: Homestead-Miami Speedway

2020-23: Phoenix Raceway

This article originally appeared on The Daytona Beach News-Journal: Champs and championships: NASCAR playoffs finale through the decades