ALL TIMES TOP 10 FINISHES
ALL TIME CUP CHAMPS THRU 2005
and some notes and facts
Updated 4-26-2006
Compiled from UMI Publications Press Guide and other sources:
SOME PAST CHAMPIONSHIP NOTES
One win and a championship? with one wins and a heavy duty points lead, one asks....when was the last time a driver won the Winston Cup Drivers Championship with only one win [none have won it with no wins]?
1973 Benny Parsons; David Pearson led with 11 wins (28 race season)
1961 Ned Jarrett; Rex White had 7 wins (47 races)
1950 Bill Rexford; Curtis Turner had 4 wins (17 races)
Only Parson's was in the modern era [1972-present] and NONE using the current points system [1975 to present]. Richard Petty has the most wins in a season without winning the championship with 18 wins in 1970, Booby Issac won the championship and had a 11 victories. 2002 Winston Cup Updates Book - see my Racing Bookstore for info and check out a CNNSI column with a good chart: One for history: Kenseth next on cusp to win Winston Cup with fewest victories.(10-14-2003)
Did Ya Know? using the present points systerm [1975 to now], that in 18 seasons the championship was not settled until the final race. The most was in 1975 when Richard Petty won the championship with four races to go. Never has been won with three races to go. It was been won with two races to go four times: 1977, 1978, 1987, 1994. And with one race to go in: 1986, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002 Winston Cup Updates Book - see my Racing Bookstore for info.(10-14-2003)
Top 10 Championship Comebacks: #17-Matt Kenseth enters Saturday night's Sharpie 500 at Bristol Motor Speedway with a 329-point cushion in his pursuit of the NASCAR Winston Cup Series title. It can safely be considered a comfortable lead, but it cannot be characterized as insurmountable judging from some of the dramatic comebacks that have been staged since the current point system was instituted in 1975. A maximum of 151 points can be made up in a single race -- a race win with a maximum of 10 bonus points versus a last-place finish -- so even the largest of leads can uickly evaporate with some misfortune and the pursuers going on a tear. Darrell Waltrip is a testament to that, rebounding from a 341-point deficit in the final 17 races to claim the 1981 NASCAR Winston Cup championship and pace the NASCAR Top 10 for the largest comeback under the current point system [This list was compiled by NASCAR, NOT Jayski, all compaints can be directed to them, see my Racing FAQ for contact info]. His other two championship runs also rank in the NASCAR Top 10, giving him three of the top-10 comebacks and making him one of two drivers on the list with more than one.
The List:
No. 1 -- Darrell Waltrip, 1981, 341 points: Waltrip claimed his first of three NASCAR Winston Cup championships in dramatic fashion. Following the 14th event of the 31-race season at Texas World Speedway, Waltrip was third in the championship hunt and trailing leader Bobby Allison by 341 points.
No. 2 -- Tony Stewart, 2002, 301 points: After a last-place finish in the Daytona 500, Stewart had an uphill battle for the 2002 championship from the outset. After 10 races, he found himself 301 points behind leader Sterling Marlin. With 10 races left, he was still 118 points behind but made his breakthrough at Talladega in early October.
No. 3 -- Alan Kulwicki, 1992, 278 points: This is perhaps the most dramatic comeback under the current point system considering the amount of points Kulwicki made up in such a short period of time and the thrilling finale. Kulwicki overcame a 278-point deficit in the final six races to earn the 1992 title. During that span, he made up an average of just over 48 points a race to nip Bill Elliott in the closest NASCAR Winston Cup championship finish.
No. 4 -- Jeff Gordon, 1995, 251 points: Gordon, like Stewart in 2002, needed the final 26 races of the season to earn his first NASCAR Winston Cup championship. Gordon was eighth in the championship and trailed Dale Earnhardt by 251 points after five races, but four races later he had tied Earnhardt for the lead.
No. 5 -- Richard Petty, 1979, 229 points: Petty rallied in the final 11 races to make up 229 points and capture his seventh NASCAR Winston Cup championship in the second-closest title race in NASCAR Winston Cup history.
No. 6 -- Terry Labonte, 1996, 211 points: Labonte struggled in the first three races of the season to fall to 16th in the championship -- 211 points behind leader Dale Jarrett -- but by the 16th event of the 31-race season he had bounced back to take the lead.
No. 7 -- Darrell Waltrip, 1982, 210 points: Waltrip's second NASCAR Winston Cup title in 1982 was not as dramatic as his first, but once again he needed a second-half surge. He was trailing Terry Labonte by 210 points with 16 races remaining, but by the end it was another battle with Bobby Allison for the championship. Waltrip was 101 points behind with six races to go.
No. 8 -- Darrell Waltrip, 1985, 206 points: All three of Waltrip's NASCAR Winston Cup championships reuired a late-season tear, and the 1985 run was another classic. Waltrip was 206 points down to leader Bill Elliott with eight races remaining and wound up winning the title by 101 points.
No. 9 -- Rusty Wallace, 1989, 190 points: Wallace rebounded from a 190-point deficit with 16 races remaining to claim the only NASCAR Winston Cup championship of his career. Wallace had been chasing Dale Earnhardt and still found himself trailing by 102 points with just six races remaining.
No. 10 -- Jeff Gordon, 1997, 184 points [after 6 races]: Gordon joined Darrell Waltrip as the only drivers to own more than one championship comeback in the NASCAR Top 10. Gordon, who also has the fourth-largest comeback, came back from a 184-point deficit in 1997 to capture the second of his four NASCAR Winston Cup titles.(NASCAR PR, can be seen in whole on NASCAR.com)(8-21-2003)
A Championship Outlook: Only five times in the modern era (1972-present) has the eventual champion not won in the first six races. The winners in the first 6 races of 2003: #15-Michael Waltrip, #88-Dale Jarrett, #17-Matt Kenseth, #18-Bobby Labonte, #32-Ricky Craven and #97-Kurt Busch. When did a driver win the Championship and not win a race in the first six? 1973-Benny Parsons; 1984 and 1996-Terry Labonte; 1985-Darrell Waltrip; and 1999-Dale Jarrett(3-23-2002)
Some Stats - Youngest Top 10 in last 14 years: this year's group of top 10 drivers in the final points standings is the youngest by average age since 1988. Based on what a driver's age was AT THE TIME THE SEASON ENDED. 2002 (driver's age at the time the season ended in parentheses): Tony Stewart (31); Mark Martin (43); Kurt Busch (24); Jeff Gordon (31); Jimmie Johnson (27); Ryan Newman (24); Rusty Wallace (46); Matt Kenseth (30); Dale Jarrett (45); Ricky Rudd (46) 2002 Average Age: 34.7 2001: Jeff Gordon (30); Tony Stewart (30); Sterling Marlin (44); Ricky Rudd (45); Dale Jarrett (44); Bobby Labonte (37); Rusty Wallace (45); Dale Earnhardt Junior (27); Kevin Harvick (25); Jeff Burton (34). 2001 Average Age: 36.1 2000: Bobby Labonte (36); Dale Earnhardt (49); Jeff Burton (33); Dale Jarrett (43); Ricky Rudd (44); Tony Stewart (29); Rusty Wallace (44); Mark Martin (41); Jeff Gordon (29); Ward Burton (39). 2000 Average Age: 38.7 1999: Dale Jarrett (42); Bobby Labonte (35); Mark Martin (40); Tony Stewart (28); Jeff Burton (32); Jeff Gordon (28); Dale Earnhardt (48); Rusty Wallace (43); Ward Burton (38); Mike Skinner (42). 1999 Average Age: 37.6 1998: Jeff Gordon (27); Mark Martin (39); Dale Jarrett (41); Rusty Wallace (42); Jeff Burton (31); Bobby Labonte (34); Jeremy Mayfield (29); Dale Earnhardt (47); Terry Labonte (41); Bobby Hamilton (41). 1998 Average Age: 37.2 1997: Jeff Gordon (26); Dale Jarrett (40); Mark Martin (38); Jeff Burton (30); Dale Earnhardt (46); Terry Labonte (41); Bobby Labonte (33); Bill Elliott (42); Rusty Wallace (41); Ken Schrader (42). 1997 Average Age: 37.9 1996: Terry Labonte (39); Jeff Gordon (25); Dale Jarrett (39); Dale Earnhardt (45); Mark Martin (37); Ricky Rudd (40); Rusty Wallace (40); Sterling Marlin (39); Bobby Hamilton (39); Ernie Irvan (37). 1996 Average Age: 38.0 1995: Jeff Gordon (24); Dale Earnhardt (44); Sterling Marlin (38); Mark Martin (36); Rusty Wallace (39); Terry Labonte (38); Ted Musgrave (39); Bill Elliott (40); Ricky Rudd (39); Bobby Labonte (31). 1995 Average Age: 36.8 1994: Dale Earnhardt (43); Mark Martin (35); Rusty Wallace (38); Ken Schrader (39); Ricky Rudd (38); Morgan Shepherd (53); Terry Labonte (37); Jeff Gordon (23); Darrell Waltrip (47); Bill Elliott (39). 1994 Average Age: 39.2 1993: Dale Earnhardt (42); Rusty Wallace (37); Mark Martin (34); Dale Jarrett (36); Kyle Petty (33); Ernie Irvan (34); Morgan Shepherd (52); Bill Elliott (38); Ken Schrader (38); Ricky Rudd (37). 1993 Average Age: 38.1 1992: Alan Kulwicki (37); Bill Elliott (37); Davey Allison (31); Harry Gant (52); Kyle Petty (32); Mark Martin (33); Ricky Rudd (36); Terry Labonte (35); Darrell Waltrip (45); Sterling Marlin (35). 1992 Average Age: 37.3 1991: Dale Earnhardt (40); Ricky Rudd (35); Davey Allison (30); Harry Gant (51); Ernie Irvan (32); Mark Martin (32); Sterling Marlin (34); Darrell Waltrip (44); Ken Schrader (36); Rusty Wallace (35). 1991 Average Age: 36.9 1990: Dale Earnhardt (39); Mark Martin (31); Geoff Bodine (41); Bill Elliott (35); Morgan Shepherd (49); Rusty Wallace (34); Ricky Rudd (34); Alan Kulwicki (35); Ernie Irvan (31); Ken Schrader (35). 1990 Average Age: 36.4 1989: Rusty Wallace (33); Dale Earnhardt (38); Mark Martin (30); Darrell Waltrip (42); Ken Schrader (34); Bill Elliott (34); Harry Gant (49); Ricky Rudd (33); Geoff Bodine (40); Terry Labonte (33). 1989 Average Age: 36.6 1988: Bill Elliott (33); Rusty Wallace (32); Dale Earnhardt (37); Terry Labonte (32); Ken Schrader (33); Geoff Bodine (39); Darrell Waltrip (41); Davey Allison (27); Phil Parsons (31); Sterling Marlin (31). 1988 Average Age: 33.6.
(11-19-2002)
Championship and no poles? ever happen? Yep, six times, most recently, in 1999 when Dale Jarrett won the Winston Cup Championship with four wins and NO poles. It also happened in 1991-Dale Earnhardt; 1983-Bobby Allison; 1980-Earnhardt; 1973-Benny Parsons; and 1950-Bill Rexford.(The Stock Car Racing Encyclodepia)(11-10-2002)
Been Asked - Has a team ever won a Owners Championship when the Driver did not won the Driver Championship: Last time was 1963 when Joe Weatherly won the Drivers Championship (driving for 9 different teams) and the #21 Wood Brothers team (with 6 different drivers in 23 of the 53 races) won the Owners Championship.(thanks to Jeff Hammond for the heads up on Weds Totally NASCAR). Why do folks ask? Because the #40 Chip Ganassi with Felix Sabates team is 4th in Owners points...and yes they could win the Owner's Championship while another driver wins the Drivers Championship, but the top 10 in DRIVERS points would be the drivers you see on stage at the Winston Cup Banquet.(10-17-2002)
Did ya know? When Bobby Labonte won the 2000 Winston Cup Championship, he and his brother Terry, who won it in 1984 and 1996, have become the first brothers to do so in Winston Cup history. There have been two father-son pairs; Lee and Richard Petty, and Ned and Dale Jarrett AND Bobby Labonte is the first former BGN champ(since the series began in 1982, not counting the old Sportsman division) to win the Winston Cup championship(11-12-2000)
Only Top Four Left? Matt Kenseth holds a 160-point lead on Earnhardt Jr., while Gordon is 216 points back and Busch is 224 points behind Kenseth heading into this weekend's race at Dover. No driver in the past 20 seasons has come back from a deficit of more than 231 points at this time in the season and won the championship. Stewart was 231 points back last year and won. Before him, the most an eventual champion trailed after 12 races was 136 points when Dale Earnhardt rallied from that deficit in 1990 and Terry Labonte overcame that same gap in 1996. Eight times during the past 20 years, the leader after 12 races won the title. That's a good sign for Kenseth, who has been as consistent as rain with 10 top-10 finishes so far.(Roanoke Times)(5-28-2003)
Last Daytona 500 winner to win the Cup: The winner of the Daytona 500 has gone on to win the Winston Cup championship in the same season just once since 1979, when Jeff Gordon did it in 1997. Three others who won both in the same year are Lee Petty (1959), Richard Petty (1964, '71, '74 and '79) and Cale Yarborough (1977).(St Petersburg Times)(2-18-2003)
How does the Nextel Cup award points to drivers and owners?
SINCE 1975: Each driver who competes in a Cup race is awarded points in the following manner: starting at 185 [was 175 points, until 2004 when a win was worth 180, then until 2007 a win is worth 185pts], dropping to 170 for 2nd then dropping 5 points from spots 2-6, 4 points from 7-11 and 3 points from 12th and lower. 43rd is worth 34 points. Bonus points are giving to any driver who leads a lap and to the driver that leads the most laps is awarded an additional 5 bonus points(in a case of a tie, both drivers get the extra points). Owners are awarded points in the same manner, PLUS they get points for attempting a race, where as drivers do not. All teams who pass inspection and fail to make the race get owner points that descend in the order of quickest non-qualifier to the slowest. Those teams earn the position/points immediately below the last car in the field. So if a team misses the race but was the fastest non qualifier the owners would get 31 points and an other drivers would follow the 3 point drop scale, down to a minimum of 1 point. See chart
Before 1975? there many points systems used, some allowed drivers to gain points by miles or laps raced, finishing position and changed many times from 1949 thru 1974.
HOW NEXTEL CUP POINTS ARE AWARDED
NOTE: Driver Leads a Lap (under Green or Yellow Flag) gets 5 Bonus Points
Driver who leads the most laps gets 5 Bonus Points
(in a tie for most laps led, both drivers get the extraa points)
Finishing Spot
Points
1
185
2
170
3
165
4
160
5
155
6
150
7
146
8
142
9
138
10
134
11
130
12
127
13
124
14
121
15
118
16
115
17
112
18
109
19
106
20
103
21
100
22
97
23
94
24
91
25
88
26
85
27
82
28
79
29
76
30
73
31
70
32
67
33
64
34
61
35
58
36
55
37
52
38
49
39
46
40
43
41
40
42
37
43
34
44
31
45
28
46
25
47
22
48
19
49
16
50
13
51
10
52
7
53
4
54
1
Spots 44 thru 54 are used to award Owners Points
to those teams who do not make a race. After 54, teams get 1 point
