The season’s most successful is often not NASCAR’s champion

In 1949, Red Byron and Bob Flock each won two of the eight races run that inaugural NASCAR season. Bryon had more points, so he was the champion. The next year they ran 19 events with Curtis Turner winning four, Dick Linder had three, but one race winner Bill Rexford was king, and so it began.

While the fans revered the winners, winning never seemed that big a deal to NASCAR. Under the modern era’s first points system, a win might move the victor almost two full positions up on the runner-up. The present system could be worth up to six spots. In essence, wins contributed to the points total, but not by any great amount over those who followed behind.

That changes this year, where wins trump points. While they still do not shakeup the points total, a win puts one in the Chase and a win keeps one in the Chase.  Points still have meaning, as they can get a winless driver into the Chase, enough can keep a winless driver in the Chase, and most points earned among the final four at Homestead will win a championship. Still, for the first time, wins trump points.

Of the 65 annual champions declared since 1949, a majority of our champions also claimed the most wins that season.  Barely. 52% have been the most successful and won the title the same season.  However, in seven of those seasons, the gap in victories between the champion and the winningest driver has been seven or more. In 2003, Ryan Newman won eight but still lost the crown to single race winner Matt Kenseth. Still, even that pales compared to 1963 where Richard Petty won 14, but it was three race winner Joe Weatherly with the trophy.  Points were king, as they certainly have been in ten of the past 15 years, and in six of the past ten since the advent of the Chase.

Some might argue that a big jump in points for a victory might have been a solution, but there is no arguing that winning now definitely has its benefits.  As I have mentioned before, the most successful driver in a race is the one who crosses the line first. It goes to reason that the most successful driver in a season has done the same more times than anyone else. Here is a look at those who have been the most successful in doing so each season since 1949.

Year

Most Wins

Victories

Runner-up

Victories

Season Champion

Victories

1949

Red Byron

2

Bob Flock

2

Red Byron

2

1950

Curtis Turner

4

Dick Linder

3

Bill Rexford

1

1951

Fonty Flock

8

Herb Thomas

7

Herb Thomas

7

1952

Tim Flock

8

Herb Thomas

8

Tim Flock

8

1953

Herb Thomas

12

Lee Petty

5

Herb Thomas

12

1954

Herb Thomas

12

Lee Petty

7

Lee Petty

7

1955

Tim Flock

18

Lee Petty

6

Tim Flock

18

1956

Buck Baker

14

Speedy Thompson

8

Buck Baker

14

1957

Buck Baker

10

Fireball Roberts

8

Buck Baker

10

1958

Lee Petty

7

Junior Johnson

6

Lee Petty

7

1959

Lee Petty

11

Rex White

5

Lee Petty

11

1960

Rex White

6

Ned Jarrett

5

Rex White

6

1961

Joe Weatherly

9

Rex White

7

Ned Jarrett

1

1962

Joe Weatherly

9

Richard Petty

8

Joe Weatherly

9

1963

Richard Petty

14

Ned Jarrett

8

Joe Weatherly

3

1964

Ned Jarrett

15

Richard Petty

9

Richard Petty

9

1965

Ned Jarrett

13

Junior Johnson

13

Ned Jarrett

13

1966

David Pearson

15

Richard Petty

8

David Pearson

15

1967

Richard Petty

27

Bobby Allison

6

Richard Petty

27

1968

David Pearson

16

Richard Petty

16

David Pearson

16

1969

Bobby Isaac

17

David Pearson

11

David Pearson

11

1970

Richard Petty

18

Bobby Isaac

11

Bobby Isaac

11

1971

Richard Petty

21

Bobby Allison

11

Richard Petty

21

1972

Bobby Allison

10

Richard Petty

8

Richard Petty

8

1973

David Pearson

11

Richard Petty

6

Benny Parsons

1

1974

Richard Petty

10

Cale Yarborough

10

Richard Petty

10

1975

Richard Petty

13

Buddy Baker

4

Richard Petty

13

1976

David Pearson

10

Cale Yarborough

9

Cale Yarborough

9

1977

Cale Yarborough

9

Darrell Waltrip

6

Cale Yarborough

9

1978

Cale Yarborough

10

Darrell Waltrip

6

Cale Yarborough

10

1979

Darrell Waltrip

7

Richard Petty

5

Richard Petty

5

1980

Cale Yarborough

6

Dale Earnhardt

5

Dale Earnhardt

5

1981

Darrell Waltrip

12

Bobby Allison

5

Darrell Waltrip

12

1982

Darrell Waltrip

12

Bobby Allison

8

Darrell Waltrip

12

1983

Bobby Allison

6

Darrell Waltrip

6

Bobby Allison

6

1984

Darrell Waltrip

7

Harry Gant

3

Terry Labonte

2

1985

Bill Elliott

11

Dale Earnhardt

4

Darrell Waltrip

3

1986

Tim Richmond

7

Dale Earnhardt

5

Dale Earnhardt

5

1987

Dale Earnhardt

11

Bill Elliott

6

Dale Earnhardt

11

1988

Bill Elliott

6

Rusty Wallace

6

Bill Elliott

6

1989

Rusty Wallace

6

Darrell Waltrip

6

Rusty Wallace

6

1990

Dale Earnhardt

9

Mark Martin

3

Dale Earnhardt

9

1991

Davey Allison

5

Harry Gant

5

Dale Earnhardt

4

1992

Bill Elliott

5

Davey Allison

5

Alan Kulwicki

2

1993

Rusty Wallace

10

Dale Earnhardt

6

Dale Earnhardt

6

1994

Rusty Wallace

8

Dale Earnhardt

4

Dale Earnhardt

4

1995

Jeff Gordon

7

Dale Earnhardt

5

Jeff Gordon

7

1996

Jeff Gordon

10

Rusty Wallace

5

Terry Labonte

2

1997

Jeff Gordon

10

Dale Jarrett

7

Jeff Gordon

10

1998

Jeff Gordon

13

Mark Martin

7

Jeff Gordon

13

1999

Jeff Gordon

7

Jeff Burton

6

Dale Jarrett

4

2000

Tony Stewart

6

Bobby Labonte

4

Bobby Labonte

4

2001

Jeff Gordon

6

Dale Jarrett

4

Jeff Gordon

6

2002

Matt Kenseth

5

Kurt Busch

4

Tony Stewart

3

2003

Ryan Newman

8

Kurt Busch

4

Matt Kenseth

1

2004

Jimmie Johnson

8

Dale Earnhardt Jr

6

Kurt Busch

3

2005

Greg Biffle

6

Tony Stewart

5

Tony Stewart

5

2006

Kasey Kahne

6

Jimmie Johnson

5

Jimmie Johnson

5

2007

Jimmie Johnson

10

Jeff Gordon

6

Jimmie Johnson

10

2008

Carl Edwards

9

Kyle Busch

8

Jimmie Johnson

7

2009

Jimmie Johnson

7

Mark Martin

5

Jimmie Johnson

7

2010

Denny Hamlin

8

Jimmie Johnson

6

Jimmie Johnson

6

2011

Tony Stewart

5

Kevin Harvick

4

Tony Stewart

5

2012

Brad Keselowski

5

Jimmie Johnson

5

Brad Keselowski

5

2013

Matt Kenseth

7

Jimmie Johnson

6

Jimmie Johnson

6

The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of SpeedwayMedia.com

Ron Thornton
Ron Thornton
A former radio and television broadcaster, newspaper columnist, Little League baseball coach, Ron Thornton has been following NASCAR on this site since 2004. While his focus may have changed over recent years, he continues to make periodic appearances only when he has something to say. That makes him a rather unique journalist.

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