NASCAR champions: Complete list of Cup Series winners by yearnews24

SPORTS

February 19, 2025

Welcome to the storied history of the NASCAR Cup Series Drivers’ Championship, which has crowned the top driver of the season since 1949. This championship is determined through a points system based on race results, which has seen several evolutions from its complex early days to the straightforward method adopted in 1972.

In 2004, NASCAR introduced the “Chase for the Cup,” revamping the format to keep the championship competitive until the season’s final race. Over the years, 36 drivers have won the championship. Keep reading for a list of every NASCAR Cup Series National Champion since 1949.

NASCAR Champions

2024: Joey Logano (Team Penske)
2023: Ryan Blaney (Team Penske)
2022: Joey Logano (Team Penske)
2021: Kyle Larson (Hendrick Motorsports)
2020: Chase Elliott (Hendrick Motorsports)
2019: Kyle Busch (Joe Gibbs Racing)
2018: Joey Logano (Team Penske)
2017: Martin Truex Jr. (Furniture Row Racing)
2016: Jimmie Johnson (Hendrick Motorsports)
2015: Kyle Busch (Joe Gibbs Racing)
2014: Kevin Harvick (Stewart-Haas Racing)
2013: Jimmie Johnson (Hendrick Motorsports)
2012: Brad Keselowski (Penske Racing)
2011: Tony Stewart (Stewart-Haas Racing)
2010: Jimmie Johnson (Hendrick Motorsports)
2009: Jimmie Johnson (Hendrick Motorsports)
2008: Jimmie Johnson (Hendrick Motorsports)
2007: Jimmie Johnson (Hendrick Motorsports)
2006: Jimmie Johnson (Hendrick Motorsports)

Kevin Harvick GOES DRIFTING for the first time ever w/ Alex Bowman! (You Won’t Believe His Reaction)

2005: Tony Stewart (Stewart-Haas Racing)
2004: Kurt Busch (Roush Racing)
2003: Matt Kenseth (Roush Racing)
2002: Tony Stewart (Stewart-Haas Racing)
2001: Jeff Gordon (Hendrick Motorsports)
2000: Bobby Labonte (Joe Gibbs Racing)
1999: Dale Jarrett (Robert Yates Racing)
1998: Jeff Gordon (Hendrick Motorsports)
1997: Jeff Gordon (Hendrick Motorsports)
1996: Terry Labonte (Hendrick Motorsports)
1995: Jeff Gordon (Hendrick Motorsports)
1994: Dale Earnhardt (Richard Childress Racing)
1993: Dale Earnhardt (Richard Childress Racing)
1992: Alan Kulwicki (AK Racing)
1991: Dale Earnhardt (Richard Childress Racing)
1990: Dale Earnhardt (Richard Childress Racing)
1989: Rusty Wallace (Blue Max Racing)
1988: Bill Elliott (Melling Racing)
1987: Dale Earnhardt (Richard Childress Racing)
1986: Dale Earnhardt (Richard Childress Racing)
1985: Darrell Waltrip (Junior Johnson & Associates)
1984: Terry Labonte (Hagan Racing)
1983: Bobby Allison (DiGard Motorsports)
1982: Darrell Waltrip (Junior Johnson & Associates)
1981: Darrell Waltrip (Junior Johnson & Associates)
1980: Dale Earnhardt (Osterlund Racing)
1979: Richard Petty (Petty Enterprises)
1978: Cale Yarborough (Junior Johnson & Associates)
1977: Cale Yarborough (Junior Johnson & Associates)
1976: Cale Yarborough (Junior Johnson & Associates)
1975: Richard Petty (Petty Enterprises)
1974: Richard Petty (Petty Enterprises)
1973: Benny Parsons (L.G. DeWitt)
1972: Richard Petty (Petty Enterprises)
1971: Richard Petty (Petty Enterprises)
1970: Bobby Isaac (Nord Krauskopf)
1969: David Pearson (Holman-Moody)
1968: David Pearson (Holman-Moody, Roy Trantham)
1967: Richard Petty (Petty Enterprises)
1966: David Pearson (Cotton Owens)
1965: Ned Jarrett (Bondy Long, Jabe Thomas)
1964: Richard Petty (Petty Enterprises)
1963: Joe Weatherly (Bud Moore, Petty Enterprises)
1962: Joe Weatherly (Bud Moore, Fred Harb)
1961: Ned Jarrett (Ned Jarrett, B.G. Holloway)
1960: Rex White (Rex White, L.D. Austin, Beau Morgan, Scotty Cain)
1959: Lee Petty (Petty Enterprises)
1958: Lee Petty (Petty Enterprises)
1957: Buck Baker (Buck Baker, Hugh Babb)
1956: Buck Baker (Carl Hiekhaefer, James Satcher, John Whitford)
1955: Tim Flock (Carl Hiekhaefer, Hubert Westmoreland)
1954: Lee Petty (Petty Enterprises, Gary Drake)
1953: Herb Thomas (Herb Thomas)
1952: Tim Flock (Ted Chester)
1951: Herb Thomas (Herb Thomas, Marshall Teague, Leonard Tippett, Hubert Westmoreland)
1950: Bill Rexford (Julian Buesink)
1949: Red Byron (Raymond Parks)