Each of NASCAR's 5-Year Anniversary Champions

By: Tom Luttermoser

NASCAR is celebrating its diamond anniversary in 2023. That's 75 years of, in my opinion, the greatest sport on earth. NASCAR has had a ton of champions in its 75 year history, the first being Red Byron in his #22 Oldsmobile with 2 wins in 1949 and the most recent being Joey Logano in his (ironically) #22 Ford in 2022. We've only ever seen 17 muti-time champions in the sports series, Joey and Kyle Busch being the most recent.

But here are each of the 5 year anniversary champions in NASCAR's long and storied history.

5 Year Anniversary of NASCAR: Champion, Herb Thomas

Herb Thomas in 1953. Credit: Unknown

Herb Thomas was NASCAR's first multi-time champion and his 1953 championship was his second after winning the title in 1951 and he won both times in the "Fabulous" #92 Hudson Hornet. 1953 Herb won 11 times winning the title by 646 points over Lee Petty. Herb would go on to win 48 times in his career giving him the highest win percentage of any driver in history with more than 100 starts and was inducted into the NASCAR Hall of Fame in 2013.

10 Year Anniversary of NASCAR 1958: Champion, Lee Petty

Lee Petty battling Bob Welborn 1958 at Martinsville Credit: Unknown

In 1958, Lee Petty, father of the King himself, won his second NASCAR Grand National Series title. He won this title in the #2 & #42 Oldsmobile following his 1954 title in a Chrysler by winning 7 times in the 1958 season. He would win the title by 644 points over defending champ Buck Baker and earned a whopping $26,565 while doing so. Lee would go on to win a 3rd title the following year after winning the inaugural Daytona 500 and end his GNS career in 1961 with 54 wins being inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2011.

15 Year Anniversary of NASCAR 1963: Champion, Joe Weatherly

Joe Weatherly and his red and black #8 Pontiac in 1963 Photo Credit: ISC Archives. CQ-Roll Call Group

In 1963 Joe Weatherly became the 3rd driver in the sports history to win back to back Grand National Series Championships in his #8 Pontiac an eventually a Mercury by 2228 points over Richard Petty. Joe won 3 times in 1963 racing for Bud Moore. Joe would lose his life the following year on January 19th at the Motor Trend 500 at Riverside after sustaining a head injury in the race. His career would end with 25 GNS victories and 12 Convertible Series victories and inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2015 

20th Anniversary of NASCAR 1968: Champion, David Pearson

Pearson's Championship 1968 Ford Torino at the HoF Photo Credit: Jamie Price/ nascarhall.com

David Pearson is arguably the greatest driver in the history of the sport and after winning a career high of 16 times in 1968 on his way to his second Grand National Series title helped prove that. David won the title by 126 points over Bobby Isaac in his famous #17 Ford Torino. He would go on to win 105 GNS races locking himself in as the 2nd winningest Series winner in the history of the sport with 3 titles. He was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2011.

25 Year Anniversary of NASCAR 1973: Champion, Benny Parsons

Parsons 1973 Championship winning car at Darlington in 2018(?) Credit: Mecum Auction

in 1973, Benny Parsons became the first Winston Cup Series champion on this list by 67.15 points over Cale Yarborough and he did it only winning a single race at Bristol out of the 28 events that season in his #72 Chevrolet Chevelle. Benny had an incredibly consistent season in '68 and used that to lock himself in as the champ. He would finish his career 15 years later in 1988 with 21 WCS victories and was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2017.

30 Year Anniversary of NASCAR 1978: Champion, Cale Yarborough 

Cale Yarborough and his infamous #11 Olds Credit: NASCAR Archives & Research Center

Cale Yarborough became a 3 time Winston Cup Series champion in 1978 with 10 wins to his credit. Even more impressive, he won them in a row from 1976-1978. He beat Bobby Allison's #15 Ford by 474 points with his infamous #11 Oldsmobile making him wait another 5 years for his title. Cale would go on to end his career in 1988 with 83 WCS wins leaving him currently 7th all time. He was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2011.

35 Year Anniversary of NASCAR 1983: Champion, Bobby Allison 

Allison's #22 Miller High Life Chevrolet Monte Carlo at Daytona Credit: unknown

It took Bobby Allison 22 years to win his first and only Winston Cup title, but in 1983, he did it by a tiny 47 point margin over defending champ Darrell Waltrip. Bobby would win 6 times that year, 1 in his #22 Pontiac and 5 more in a Chevrolet including 3 in a row at Darlington, Richmond and Dover later in the summer. Retiring with 85 WCS victories in 1988 putting him tied for 4th all time with Waltrip, he was later inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2011. 

40 Year Anniversary of NASCAR 1988: Champion, Bill Elliott

Bill Elliott's #9 Coors Ford Thunderbird Credit: MRN.com Original unknown

1988 marked Awesome Bill from Dawsonville's First and only Winston Cup title but he did so in style. He was 1988's Most Popular Driver and won 6 times that year winning the title by a mere 24 points over Rusty Wallace making it the second smallest margin on this list (Pre-Elimination Playoffs). Bill followed his 1987 qualifying record in the updated #9 Melling Racing Ford with a title, and you cannot get much better than that. He finally retired from full time racing after a 20 year career in 2003 and would end his career with 44 WCS victories and was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2015. 

45 Year Anniversary of NASCAR 1993: Champion, Dale Earnhardt

Dale Celebrates his 1993 Coke 600 Victory Credit: Dave Martin

1993 marked the 6th title for the Man in Black. Dale Earnhardt would go on to win 6 times in '93 and win the Winston Cup title by 80 points over Rusty Wallace in the infamous #3 Chevrolet Lumina. Dale would finish outside the top 15 only 6 times that season. Dale would lose his life less than 10 years later at Daytona in front of millions of fans around the world. He will be remembered with 76 WCS victories spanning from 1979-2000 and was inducted into the Hall of Fame in the inaugural 2010 Class. 

50 Year Anniversary of NASCAR 1998: Champion Jeff Gordon

Gordon posing in 1998 with all 3 of his Title trophies Credit: nascarhall.com

In 1998 arch rival and great friend of Dale Earnhardt won his 3rd of 4 Winston Cup Series Championships. Jeff beat Roush powerhouse driver Mark Martin in his legendary #24 Chevrolet Monte Carlo by 364 points with an insane 13 wins that season (a modern era record tied with Petty '75 yet to be broken). Gordon would go on to become the 3rd winningest driver in Cup Series history with 93, the last double digit winner on the list, 1 more title in 2001 and be inducted into the NASCAR Hall of Fame in 2019. 

55 Year Anniversary of NASCAR 2003: Champion: Matt Kenseth 

2003 Champion Matt Kenseth at Homestead Credit: Nigel Kinrade/ NKP

Matt Kenseth became not only one of the most controversial champions in NASCAR history by winning only a single race in his #17 Ford Taurus, but also the last Full Season champion in the history of the sport and the last Winston Cup Champion. Kenseth won the title by 90 points over Jimmie Johnson who had 3 victories. Kenseth would have a successful career with Roush & Joe Gibbs Racing scoring a total of 39 Cup Series wins and being inducted into this years 2023 Hall of Fame Class.

60 Year Anniversary of NASCAR 2008: Champion: Jimmie Johnson

Speedweeks 2008 Jimmie Johnson Credit: The Daredevil at Daytona

2008 marked Jimmie Johnson's 3rd career Sprint Cup Series title and the first on this list to win under the new Chase format. Johnson beat out Roush driver Carl Edwards by 69 points by the end of the Homestead race that year. Johnson followed up his record 10 win season in 2007 with another 7 wins in 2008 along with 6 pole awards in his #48 Lowes Chevrolet Impala. Johnson is the first driver on this list to not yet be inducted into the NASCAR Hall of Fame though he will be a first ballot nominee. 

65 Year Anniversary of NASCAR 2013: Champion: Jimmie Johnson

Johnson wins the 2013 Party in the Poconos 400 Credit: Jared C. Tilton

Jimmie Johnson is the only repeat driver on this list and did so by winning his 6th Sprint Cup Series championship by 19 points, the smallest margin on this list (pre-elimination format) over Matt Kenseth. Johnson would win 6 times in 2013 and would go on to announce his retirement from the sport in 2020 (although he will come back part time in 2023). Johnson would end his full time Cup career in '20 with a record tying 7 championships and 83 race wins tied with Cale Yarborough for 6th all time... so far. 

70 Year Anniversary of NASCAR 2018: Champion: Joey Logano

In 2018 Joey Logano "Won the damn war" over defending Monster Energy Cup Series champion Martin Truex Jr becoming the only elimination format champ on this list with one of the most daring restarts seen in recent history. Joey won 3 times in 2018 and solidified himself a few years later in 2022 as a future hall of famer becoming one of 17 drivers in the sports history with more than 1 title. Logano will be in this sport for a long time but as of now holds 31 Cup Series victories with many more to come.