NASCAR Cup Series Champions
See a complete list of NASCAR Cup Series Champions. Kyle Larson won the 2026 NASCAR Cup Series championship, earning his third career title and his second consecutive championship.
The NASCAR Cup Series championship is awarded to the driver who wins the season-long title, which is not necessarily the winner of the final race. In 2026, Kyle Larson secured his third championship at Homestead-Miami Speedway, while Ryan Blaney won the season finale.
Fast Facts:
- The NASCAR Cup Series is NASCAR’s highest-level national racing series and has crowned a drivers champion every season since 1949.
- In 2011, Tony Stewart and Carl Edwards finished tied in championship points. Stewart claimed his third NASCAR Cup Series championship on a tiebreaker after recording five race victories to Edwards’ one.
- Kyle Larson is the 2026 NASCAR Cup Series Champion, winning his third career championship and his second consecutive title.
- Richard Petty, Dale Earnhardt and Jimmie Johnson share the record for the most NASCAR Cup Series championships with seven each.
- Jimmie Johnson holds the record for most consecutive Cup Series championships, winning five straight from 2006 through 2010.
- The series was known as the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series from 2008 through 2016 before becoming the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series from 2017 through 2019 and the NASCAR Cup Series beginning in 2020.
- For winners of NASCAR’s national truck racing championship, see our NASCAR Truck Series Champions list.
NASCAR Sprint Cup Series champions
| Year | Champion | Manufacturer |
| 2026 | Kyle Larson (3) | Chevrolet |
| 2025 | Kyle Larson (2) | Chevrolet |
| 2024 | Joey Logano (3) | Ford |
| 2023 | Ryan Blaney | Ford |
| 2022 | Joey Logano (2) | Ford |
| 2021 | Kyle Larson | Chevrolet |
| 2020 | Chase Elliott | Chevrolet |
| 2019 | Kyle Busch (2) | Toyota |
| 2018 | Joey Logano | Ford |
| 2017 | Martin Truex Jr. | Toyota |
| 2016 | Jimmie Johnson (7) | Chevrolet |
| 2015 | Kyle Busch | Toyota |
| 2014 | Kevin Harvick | Chevrolet |
| 2013 | Jimmie Johnson (6) | Chevrolet |
| 2012 | Brad Keselowski | Dodge |
| 2011 | Tony Stewart (3) | Chevrolet |
| 2010 | Jimmie Johnson (5) | Chevrolet |
| 2009 | Jimmie Johnson (4) | Chevrolet |
| 2008 | Jimmie Johnson (3) | Chevrolet |
| 2007 | Jimmie Johnson (2) | Chevrolet |
| 2006 | Jimmie Johnson | Chevrolet |
| 2005 | Tony Stewart (2) | Chevrolet |
| 2004 | Kurt Busch | Ford |
| 2003 | Matt Kenseth | Ford |
| 2002 | Tony Stewart | Pontiac |
| 2001 | Jeff Gordon (4) | Chevrolet |
| 2000 | Bobby Labonte | Pontiac |
| 1999 | Dale Jarrett | Ford |
| 1998 | Jeff Gordon (3) | Chevrolet |
| 1997 | Jeff Gordon (2) | Chevrolet |
| 1996 | Terry Labonte (2) | Chevrolet |
| 1995 | Jeff Gordon | Chevrolet |
| 1994 | Dale Earnhardt (7) | Chevrolet |
| 1993 | Dale Earnhardt (6) | Chevrolet |
| 1992 | Alan Kulwicki | Ford |
| 1991 | Dale Earnhardt (5) | Chevrolet |
| 1990 | Dale Earnhardt (4) | Chevrolet |
| 1989 | Rusty Wallace | Pontiac |
| 1988 | Bill Elliott | Ford |
| 1987 | Dale Earnhardt (3) | Chevrolet |
| 1986 | Dale Earnhardt (2) | Chevrolet |
| 1985 | Darrell Waltrip (3) | Chevrolet |
| 1984 | Terry Labonte | Chevrolet |
| 1983 | Bobby Allison | Buick |
| 1982 | Darrell Waltrip (2) | Buick |
| 1981 | Darrell Waltrip | Buick |
| 1980 | Dale Earnhardt | Chevrolet |
| 1979 | Richard Petty (7) | Chevrolet |
| 1978 | Cale Yarborough (3) | Oldsmobile |
| 1977 | Cale Yarborough (2) | Chevrolet |
| 1976 | Cale Yarborough | Chevrolet |
| 1975 | Richard Petty (6) | Dodge |
| 1974 | Richard Petty (5) | Dodge |
| 1973 | Benny Parsons | Chevrolet |
| 1972 | Richard Petty (4) | Plymouth |
| 1971 | Richard Petty (3) | Plymouth |
| 1970 | Bobby Isaac | Dodge |
| 1969 | David Pearson (3) | Ford |
| 1968 | David Pearson (2) | Ford |
| 1967 | Richard Petty (2) | Plymouth |
| 1966 | David Pearson | Dodge |
| 1965 | Ned Jarrett (2) | Ford |
| 1964 | Richard Petty | Plymouth |
| 1963 | Joe Weatherly (2) | Pontiac |
| 1962 | Joe Weatherly | Pontiac |
| 1961 | Ned Jarrett | Chevrolet |
| 1960 | Rex White | Chevrolet |
| 1959 | Lee Petty (3) | Plymouth |
| 1958 | Lee Petty (2) | Oldsmobile |
| 1957 | Buck Baker (2) | Chevrolet |
| 1956 | Buck Baker | Chrysler |
| 1955 | Tim Flock (2) | Chrysler |
| 1954 | Lee Petty | Chrysler |
| 1953 | Herb Thomas (2) | Hudson |
| 1952 | Tim Flock | Hudson |
| 1951 | Herb Thomas | Hudson |
| 1950 | Bill Rexford | Oldsmobile |
| 1949 | Red Byron | Oldsmobile |
Note: Numbers in parentheses indicate the driver’s total NASCAR Cup Series championships through that season. Manufacturer refers to the championship-winning car’s brand.
Most NASCAR Cup Series Championships
| Driver | Championships | Championship Years |
| Richard Petty | 7 | 1964, 1967, 1971, 1972, 1974, 1975, 1979 |
| Dale Earnhardt | 7 | 1980, 1986, 1987, 1990, 1991, 1993, 1994 |
| Jimmie Johnson | 7 | 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2013, 2016 |
| Jeff Gordon | 4 | 1995, 1997, 1998, 2001 |
| Lee Petty | 3 | 1954, 1958, 1959 |
| David Pearson | 3 | 1966, 1968, 1969 |
| Cale Yarborough | 3 | 1976, 1977, 1978 |
| Darrell Waltrip | 3 | 1981, 1982, 1985 |
| Tony Stewart | 3 | 2002, 2005, 2011 |
| Joey Logano | 3 | 2018, 2022, 2024 |
| Kyle Larson | 3 | 2021, 2025, 2026 |
