It is down to four driver for the NASCAR Cup championship heading into Sunday’s race at Phoenix Raceway.
Joey Logano seeks his third Cup title. Team Penske teammate Ryan Blaney looks to win back-to-back crowns.
23XI Racing’s Tyler Reddick and Hendrick Motorsports’ William Byron each go for their first Cup championship.
Here is a look the Cup champions in the sport’s history:
All-Time NASCAR Cup Series Champions and Runner-Ups (1949-2023)
| Champion | Runner-Up | Points Margin | |
| 1949 | Red Byron | Lee Petty | 117.5 |
| 1950 | Bill Rexford | Fireball Roberts | 110.5 |
| 1951 | Herb Thomas | Fonty Flock | 146.2 |
| 1952 | Tim Flock | Herb Thomas | 106 |
| 1953 | Herb Thomas | Lee Petty | 646 |
| 1954 | Lee Petty | Herb Thomas | 283 |
| 1955 | Tim Flock | Buck Baker | 508 |
| 1956 | Buck Baker | Herb Thomas | 686 |
| 1957 | Buck Baker | Marvin Panch | 760 |
| 1958 | Lee Petty | Buck Baker | 644 |
| 1959 | Lee Petty | Cotton Owens | 1830 |
| 1960 | Rex White | Richard Petty | 3936 |
| 1961 | Ned Jarrett | Rex White | 830 |
| 1962 | Joe Weatherly | Richard Petty | 2396 |
| 1963 | Joe Weatherly | Richard Petty | 2228 |
| 1964 | Richard Petty | Ned Jarrett | 5302 |
| 1965 | Ned Jarrett | Dick Hutcherson | 3034 |
| 1966 | David Pearson | James Hylton | 1950 |
| 1967 | Richard Petty | James Hylton | 6028 |
| 1968 | David Pearson | Bobby Isaac | 126 |
| 1969 | David Pearson | Richard Petty | 357 |
| 1970 | Bobby Isaac | Bobby Allison | 51 |
| 1971 | Richard Petty | James Hylton | 364 |
| 1972 | Richard Petty | Bobby Allison | 127.9 |
| 1973 | Benny Parsons | Cale Yarborough | 67.2 |
| 1974 | Richard Petty | Cale Yarborough | 567.5 |
| 1975 | Richard Petty | Dave Marcis | 722 |
| 1976 | Cale Yarborough | Richard Petty | 195 |
| 1977 | Cale Yarborough | Richard Petty | 386 |
| 1978 | Cale Yarborough | Bobby Allison | 474 |
| 1979 | Richard Petty | Darrell Waltrip | 11 |
| 1980 | Dale Earnhardt | Cale Yarborough | 19 |
| 1981 | Darrell Waltrip | Bobby Allison | 53 |
| 1982 | Darrell Waltrip | Bobby Allison | 72 |
| 1983 | Bobby Allison | Darrell Waltrip | 47 |
| 1984 | Terry Labonte | Harry Gant | 65 |
| 1985 | Darrell Waltrip | Bill Elliott | 101 |
| 1986 | Dale Earnhardt | Darrell Waltrip | 288 |
| 1987 | Dale Earnhardt | Bill Elliott | 489 |
| 1988 | Bill Elliott | Rusty Wallace | 24 |
| 1989 | Rusty Wallace | Dale Earnhardt | 12 |
| 1990 | Dale Earnhardt | Mark Martin | 26 |
| 1991 | Dale Earnhardt | Ricky Rudd | 195 |
| 1992 | Alan Kulwicki | Bill Elliott | 10 |
| 1993 | Dale Earnhardt | Rusty Wallace | 80 |
| 1994 | Dale Earnhardt | Mark Martin | 444 |
| 1995 | Jeff Gordon | Dale Earnhardt | 34 |
| 1996 | Terry Labonte | Jeff Gordon | 37 |
| 1997 | Jeff Gordon | Dale Jarrett | 14 |
| 1998 | Jeff Gordon | Mark Martin | 364 |
| 1999 | Dale Jarrett | Bobby Labonte | 201 |
| 2000 | Bobby Labonte | Dale Earnhardt | 265 |
| 2001 | Jeff Gordon | Tony Stewart | 349 |
| 2002 | Tony Stewart | Mark Martin | 38 |
| 2003 | Matt Kenseth | Jimmie Johnson | 90 |
| 2004 | Kurt Busch | Jimmie Johnson | 8 |
| 2005 | Tony Stewart | Greg Biffle | 35 |
| 2006 | Jimmie Johnson | Matt Kenseth | 56 |
| 2007 | Jimmie Johnson | Jeff Gordon | 77 |
| 2008 | Jimmie Johnson | Carl Edwards | 69 |
| 2009 | Jimmie Johnson | Mark Martin | 141 |
| 2010 | Jimmie Johnson | Denny Hamlin | 39 |
| 2011 | Tony Stewart | Carl Edwards | 0* |
| 2012 | Brad Keselowski | Clint Bowyer | 39 |
| 2013 | Jimmie Johnson | Matt Kenseth | 19 |
| 2014 | Kevin Harvick | Ryan Newman | 1 |
| 2015 | Kyle Busch | Kevin Harvick | 1 |
| 2016 | Jimmie Johnson | Joey Logano | 3 |
| 2017 | Martin Truex Jr. | Kyle Busch | 5 |
| 2018 | Joey Logano | Martin Truex Jr. | 5 |
| 2019 | Kyle Busch | Martin Truex Jr. | 5 |
| 2020 | Chase Elliott | Brad Keselowski | 5 |
| 2021 | Kyle Larson | Martin Truex Jr. | 5 |
| 2022 | Joey Logano | Ross Chastain | 6 |
| 2023 | Ryan Blaney | Kyle Larson | 1 |
| * – In 2011, Stewart won tiebreaker, via his five wins to Edwards’ one. | |||
NASCAR Cup Drivers with Multiple Championships (1949-2023)
| No. of Titles | Driver | Years | |
| 1 | 7 | Jimmie Johnson | 2016, ‘13, ’10, ‘09, ‘08, ‘07, ‘06 |
| Dale Earnhardt | 1994, ’93, ‘91, ‘90, ‘87, ‘86, ‘80 | ||
| Richard Petty | 1979, ‘75, ‘74, ‘72, ‘71, ‘67, ‘64 | ||
| 4 | 4 | Jeff Gordon | 2001, ‘98, ‘97, ‘95 |
| 5 | 3 | Darrell Waltrip | 1985, ‘82, ‘81 |
| Cale Yarborough | 1978, ‘77, ‘76 | ||
| David Pearson | 1969, ‘68, ‘66 | ||
| Lee Petty | 1959, ‘58, ‘54 | ||
| Tony Stewart | 2011, ‘05, ‘02 | ||
| 10 | 2 | Joey Logano | 2022, ’18 |
| Kyle Busch | 2019, ’15 | ||
| Terry Labonte | 1996, ‘84 | ||
| Ned Jarrett | 1965, ‘61 | ||
| Joe Weatherly | 1963, ‘62 | ||
| Buck Baker | 1957, ‘56 | ||
| Tim Flock | 1955, ‘52 | ||
| Herb Thomas | 1953, ‘51 |
NASCAR Cup Series Driver Championship Breakdown By Organization
| Organizations | Driver Titles | Seasons | |
| 1 | Hendrick Motorsports | 14 | 2021, ’20, ’16, ’13, ’10, ’09, ’08, ’07, ’06, ’01, ’98, ’97, ’96, ’95 |
| 2 | Petty Enterprises | 10 | 1979, ’75, ’74, ’72, ’71, ’67, ’64, ’59, ’58, ’54* |
| 3 | Richard Childress Racing | 6 | 1994, ’93, ’91, ’90, ’87, ’86 |
| 4 | Junior Johnson & Assoc. | 6 | 1985, ’82, ’81, ’78, ’77, ’76 |
| 5 | Joe Gibbs Racing | 5 | 2019, ’15, ’05, ’02, ’00 |
| 6 | Team Penske | 4 | 2023, ‘22, ’18, ’12 |
| 7 | Stewart-Haas Racing | 2 | 2014, ’11 |
| 8 | RFK Racing | 2 | 2004, ’03 |
| 9 | Holman-Moody | 2 | 1969, ’68 |
| 10 | Bud Moore | 2 | 1963*, ’62 |
| 11 | Carl Kiekhaefer | 2 | 1956, ’57 |
| 12 | Herb Thomas Racing | 2 | 1953, ’51 |
| 13 | Furniture Row Racing | 1 | 2017 |
| 14 | Yates Racing | 1 | 1999 |
| 15 | Kulwicki Racing | 1 | 1992 |
| 16 | Raymond Beadle | 1 | 1989 |
| 17 | Melling Racing | 1 | 1988 |
| 18 | Billy Hagan | 1 | 1984 |
| 19 | Bill Gardner | 1 | 1983 |
| 20 | Rod Osterlund | 1 | 1980 |
| 21 | L.G. DeWitt | 1 | 1973 |
| 22 | Nord Krauskopf | 1 | 1970 |
| 23 | Cotton Owens | 1 | 1966 |
| 24 | Bondy Long | 1 | 1965 |
| 25 | W.G. Holloway Jr. | 1 | 1961 |
| 26 | Rex White | 1 | 1960 |
| 27 | Buck Baker Racing | 1 | 1957 |
| 28 | Ted Chester | 1 | 1952 |
| 29 | Julian Buesnik | 1 | 1950 |
| 30 | Raymond Parks | 1 | 1949 |
| Total | 75 | ||
| Note: Seasons with a (*) symbol indicate a split driver/owner championship (1954, 1963). | |||
