So another set of champions. Like I said before, a Cup Championship puts you on the list of the great driver & your name will forever be remembered. But the team behind it are just as worthy as the driver, but the drivers are popular since..well they're racing in the car lol. Much like how the actors are popular on screen but the directors/producers aren't as popular. No difference there.
So I'm going to share the drivers who won only one championship. Red Byron won the inaugural championship way back in 1949, Bill Rexford followed in 1950. Rex White in 1960, Bobby Isaac in 1970, Benny Parsons in 1973, Bobby Allison in 1983(He's also the one who has 84 wins tied with Darrell Waltrip, but only one championship). Then we got Bill Elliott/Rusty Wallace back to back in '88 & '89 with Alan Kulwicki in 1992 (He died following year in 1993, after 3rd race, & an Allison died that year too so two racers were lost, first of two most saddest years in NASCAR history) From 1986 to 1991, Dale Earnhardt won a span of 6 championships, 3 of them back to back. He won his first in 1980, of course. In his 2nd full time season! One of two drivers to ever win a Cup before his 4th full year. (Jeff Gordon the other, 3rd year). Terry Labonte has the longest years between two championships, he won one in 1984 for Billy Hagan, but then won his 2nd in 1996 during the years Jeff Gordon dominated. But the catch? Terry Labonte was Jeff Gordon's teammate (Yep, Hendrick Motorsports!).
Between Jeff Gordon's 3rd & 4th championship seasons, Dale Jarrett won the 1999 championship while Terry's brother, Bobby Labonte, won the 2000 championship. You see Dale Jarrett on screen too. The Labontes are the only brothers to have won a championship. They may have company soon in that category however. Kurt Busch has a 2004 championship, the inaugural chase (& the only driver not named Jimmie or Tony to win a Chase either). Matt Kenseth won 2003, like I mentioned in the last post. But he only won 1 race that year, the 3rd of 36 race. The rest of the races he didn't even try to win, he just ran 6-10th most of the year while everyone else had problems. So as you see it, Matt's basically the reason the chase exists today. When I said the next brothers to win a championship? Well Kyle Busch will, no doubt, win one before he retires. He's got so much talent, but when he ease down on his attitude, which he has ease down a bit this year on, he can do it. Its only a matter of time of when he'll get his act together. Then all the hype about the Dillons, Austin & Ty Dillon. But to be honest, I don't ever see them winning one. Win a lot of races yes, but championship, no. They're only Nationwide/Truck caliber in my opinion.
So I'm going to share the drivers who won only one championship. Red Byron won the inaugural championship way back in 1949, Bill Rexford followed in 1950. Rex White in 1960, Bobby Isaac in 1970, Benny Parsons in 1973, Bobby Allison in 1983(He's also the one who has 84 wins tied with Darrell Waltrip, but only one championship). Then we got Bill Elliott/Rusty Wallace back to back in '88 & '89 with Alan Kulwicki in 1992 (He died following year in 1993, after 3rd race, & an Allison died that year too so two racers were lost, first of two most saddest years in NASCAR history) From 1986 to 1991, Dale Earnhardt won a span of 6 championships, 3 of them back to back. He won his first in 1980, of course. In his 2nd full time season! One of two drivers to ever win a Cup before his 4th full year. (Jeff Gordon the other, 3rd year). Terry Labonte has the longest years between two championships, he won one in 1984 for Billy Hagan, but then won his 2nd in 1996 during the years Jeff Gordon dominated. But the catch? Terry Labonte was Jeff Gordon's teammate (Yep, Hendrick Motorsports!).
Between Jeff Gordon's 3rd & 4th championship seasons, Dale Jarrett won the 1999 championship while Terry's brother, Bobby Labonte, won the 2000 championship. You see Dale Jarrett on screen too. The Labontes are the only brothers to have won a championship. They may have company soon in that category however. Kurt Busch has a 2004 championship, the inaugural chase (& the only driver not named Jimmie or Tony to win a Chase either). Matt Kenseth won 2003, like I mentioned in the last post. But he only won 1 race that year, the 3rd of 36 race. The rest of the races he didn't even try to win, he just ran 6-10th most of the year while everyone else had problems. So as you see it, Matt's basically the reason the chase exists today. When I said the next brothers to win a championship? Well Kyle Busch will, no doubt, win one before he retires. He's got so much talent, but when he ease down on his attitude, which he has ease down a bit this year on, he can do it. Its only a matter of time of when he'll get his act together. Then all the hype about the Dillons, Austin & Ty Dillon. But to be honest, I don't ever see them winning one. Win a lot of races yes, but championship, no. They're only Nationwide/Truck caliber in my opinion.
