NASCAR Championship
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The NASCAR Championship is the championship held in NASCAR's top stock car racing series. The championship is currently known as the NEXTEL Cup. From 1972 through 2003, it was called the Winston Cup; before 1972, it was known as the Grand National. In 2007, it will become known as the Sprint Cup.
Previous NASCAR season champions and earnings (USD):
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Grand National
- 1949 - Red Byron - $5,800 - #22 Oldsmobile
- 1950 - Bill Rexford - $6,175 - #60 Oldsmobile
- 1951 - Herb Thomas - $18,200 - #92 Hudson
- 1952 - Tim Flock - $20,210 - #91 Hudson
- 1953 - Herb Thomas - $27,300 - #92 Hudson
- 1954 - Lee Petty - $26,706 - #42 Chrysler
- 1955 - Tim Flock - $33,750 - #300 Chrysler
- 1956 - Buck Baker - $29,790 - #300B Chrysler
- 1957 - Buck Baker - $24,712 - #87 Chevrolet
- 1958 - Lee Petty - $20,600 - #42 Oldsmobile
- 1959 - Lee Petty - $45,570 - #42 Plymouth
- 1960 - Rex White - $45,260 - #4 Chevrolet
- 1961 - Ned Jarrett - $27,285 - #11 Chevrolet
- 1962 - Joe Weatherly - $56,110 - #8 Pontiac
- 1963 - Joe Weatherly - $58,110 - #8 Mercury
- 1964 - Richard Petty - $98,810 - #43 Plymouth
- 1965 - Ned Jarrett - $77,966 - #11 Ford
- 1966 - David Pearson - $59,205 - #6 Dodge
- 1967 - Richard Petty - $130,275 - #43 Plymouth
- 1968 - David Pearson - $118,842 - #17 Ford
- 1969 - David Pearson - $183,700 - #17 Ford
- 1970 - Bobby Isaac - $121,470 - #71 Dodge
- 1971 - Richard Petty - $309,225 - #43 Plymouth
Winston Cup
- 1972 - Richard Petty - $227,015 - #43 Plymouth
- 1973 - Benny Parsons - $114,345 - #72 Chevrolet
- 1974 - Richard Petty - $299,175 - #43 Dodge
- 1975 - Richard Petty - $378,865 - #43 Dodge
- 1976 - Cale Yarborough - $387,173 - #11 Chevrolet
- 1977 - Cale Yarborough - $387,173 - #11 Chevrolet
- 1978 - Cale Yarborough - $530,751 - #11 Oldsmobile
- 1979 - Richard Petty - $588,926 - #43 Chevrolet
- 1980 - Dale Earnhardt - $588,926 - #2 Chevrolet
- 1981 - Darrell Waltrip - $588,926 - #11 Buick
- 1982 - Darrell Waltrip - $873,118 - #11 Buick
- 1983 - Bobby Allison - $828,355 - #22 Buick
- 1984 - Terry Labonte - $713,010 - #44 Chevrolet
- 1985 - Darrell Waltrip - $1,318,735 - #11 Chevrolet
- 1986 - Dale Earnhardt - $1,783,880 - #3 Chevrolet
- 1987 - Dale Earnhardt - $2,099,243 - #3 Chevrolet
- 1988 - Bill Elliott - $1,574,639 - #9 Ford
- 1989 - Rusty Wallace - $2,247,950 - #27 Pontiac
- 1990 - Dale Earnhardt - $3,083,056 - #3 Chevrolet
- 1991 - Dale Earnhardt - $2,396,685 - #3 Chevrolet
- 1992 - Alan Kulwicki - $2,322,561 - #7 Ford
- 1993 - Dale Earnhardt - $3,353,789 - #3 Chevrolet
- 1994 - Dale Earnhardt - $3,400,733 - #3 Chevrolet
- 1995 - Jeff Gordon - $2,430,480 - #24 Chevrolet
- 1996 - Terry Labonte - $4,030,648 - #5 Chevrolet
- 1997 - Jeff Gordon - $4,201,227 - #24 Chevrolet
- 1998 - Jeff Gordon - $6,175,867 - #24 Chevrolet
- 1999 - Dale Jarrett - $3,608,829 - #88 Ford
- 2000 - Bobby Labonte - $4,041,750 - #18 Pontiac
- 2001 - Jeff Gordon - $6,649,080 - #24 Chevrolet
- 2002 - Tony Stewart - $4,695,150 - #20 Pontiac
- 2003 - Matt Kenseth - $4,038,120 - #17 Ford
NEXTEL Cup
Prior to the 2004 season, a series of rules and scoring changes resulted in a new formula for declaring a series champion. After 26 races, the top 10 drivers in points (plus any driver within 400 points of the leader who may be outside the top 10) are placed in the Chase for the Championship. Eligible drivers' points are elevated to a level mathematically unattainable by anyone outside this field. Points are also bunched together in 5-point increments so the leader is 45 points ahead of 10th place. Race layouts remain the same and points are scored the same way in the final 10 races. Whoever leads in points after the 36th race is declared the NEXTEL Cup champion.
- 2004 - Kurt Busch - $4,200,330 - #97 Ford
As a result of the Sprint/NEXTEL merger, the division will once again change its name, being known as the Sprint Cup beginning in 2007.
Championships Won
- 7 - Richard Petty, Dale Earnhardt
- 4 - Jeff Gordon
- 3 - Lee Petty, David Pearson, Cale Yarborough, Darrell Waltrip
- 2 - Herb Thomas, Tim Flock, Buck Baker, Ned Jarrett, Joe Weatherly, Terry Labonte
- 1 - Red Byron, Bill Rexford, Rex White, Bobby Isaac, Benny Parsons, Bobby Allison, Bill Elliott, Rusty Wallace, Alan Kulwicki, Dale Jarrett, Bobby Labonte, Tony Stewart, Matt Kenseth, Kurt Busch