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.

Previous NASCAR season champions and earnings (USD):

Grand National

• 1949 - Red Byron - $5,800
• 1950 - Bill Rexford - $6,175
• 1951 - Herb Thomas - $18,200
• 1952 - Tim Flock - $20,210
• 1953 - Herb Thomas - $27,300
• 1954 - Lee Petty - $26,706
• 1955 - Tim Flock - $33,750
• 1956 - Buck Baker - $29,790
• 1957 - Buck Baker - $24,712
• 1958 - Lee Petty - $20,600
• 1959 - Lee Petty - $45,570
• 1960 - Rex White - $45,260
• 1961 - Ned Jarrett - $27,285
• 1962 - Joe Weatherly - $56,110
• 1963 - Joe Weatherly - $58,110
• 1964 - Richard Petty - $98,810
• 1965 - Ned Jarrett - $77,966
• 1966 - David Pearson - $59,205
• 1967 - Richard Petty - $130,275
• 1968 - David Pearson - $118,842
• 1969 - David Pearson - $183,700
• 1970 - Bobby Isaac - $121,470
• 1971 - Richard Petty - $309,225

Winston Cup

• 1972 - Richard Petty - $227,015
• 1973 - Benny Parsons - $114,345
• 1974 - Richard Petty - $299,175
• 1975 - Richard Petty - $378,865
• 1976 - Cale Yarborough - $387,173
• 1977 - Cale Yarborough - $387,173
• 1978 - Cale Yarborough - $530,751
• 1979 - Richard Petty - $588,926
• 1980 - Dale Earnhardt - $588,926
• 1981 - Darrell Waltrip - $588,926
• 1982 - Darrell Waltrip - $873,118
• 1983 - Bobby Allison - $828,355
• 1984 - Terry Labonte - $713,010
• 1985 - Darrell Waltrip - $1,318,735
• 1986 - Dale Earnhardt - $1,783,880
• 1987 - Dale Earnhardt - $2,099,243
• 1988 - Bill Elliott - $1,574,639
• 1989 - Rusty Wallace - $2,247,950
• 1990 - Dale Earnhardt - $3,083,056
• 1991 - Dale Earnhardt - $2,396,685
• 1992 - Alan Kulwicki - $2,322,561
• 1993 - Dale Earnhardt - $3,353,789
• 1994 - Dale Earnhardt - $3,400,733
• 1995 - Jeff Gordon - $2,430,480
• 1996 - Terry Labonte - $4,030,648
• 1997 - Jeff Gordon - $4,201,227
• 1998 - Jeff Gordon - $6,175,867
• 1999 - Dale Jarrett - $3,608,829
• 2000 - Bobby Labonte - $4,041,750
• 2001 - Jeff Gordon - $6,649,080
• 2002 - Tony Stewart - $4,695,150
• 2003 - Matt Kenseth - $4,038,120

Nextel Cup

• 2004 - Kurt Busch - $4,200,330

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

See Also

• List of famous NASCAR drivers
• List of NASCAR race tracks
• Stock car racing
• Busch Series
• Craftsman Truck Series