Repeat Champions in the Playoff/Chase Era

By: Tom Luttermoser   Image: NBCsports

Since the implementation of the Chase for the Cup in 2004, there has only been 1 back to back Champion. NASCAR Legend Jimmie Johnson won 5 Championships in a row from 2006-2010. Since it's implementation, There have only been 3 repeat champions in Tony Stewart (2005 & 2011), Jimmie Johnson (2006, 07, 08, 09, 10, 13 & 16), and Kyle Busch (2015 & 2019). Kyle Busch being the only repeat champion of the elimination Playoffs starting in 2014.

Prior to it's introduction in '04, NASCAR had seen numerous back to back or repeat champions in the decades before. Earnhardt back to back 3x 86-87, 90-91 & 93-94 only to be replaced in dominance by Gordon winning in 95, 97-98 & 01 and Texas Terry Labonte in 84 & again in 96 being the most recent drivers to repeat.

Last season in 2021, Kyle Larson had the most dominant season in over a decade scoring 10 victories and gliding through to his first Cup Series Championship with relative ease along side his new #5 team at Hendrick Motorsports. With such a dominant display in '21, many thought he was destined to at least compete for the opportunity to add his name to that short list and repeat in 2022. But after a lackluster season scoring 2 wins and only 14 Playoff Points to this point in the season (In comparison, teammate Chase Elliott in Second has scored 31 Playoff Points), Kyle Larson had an early exit in the Round of 12 after contact with the wall broke his rear suspension at the ROVAL set him back 2 points behind SHR driver Chase Briscoe. Christopher Bell winning from the 11th seed changed up the entire Playoff field locking himself into the Round of 8. 

Like the elimination format or not, it has thus far proven to be one of the more difficult championships to win in the history of the sport giving us 7 different champions in 8 seasons. If not the more difficult, then by far the most varied. NASCAR hasn't seen that much Championship parody since before the creation of the super teams we see today, the closest being 6 different champions in 8 years in the early 80's. 

Now with only 8 drivers remaining, there is only a 25% chance NASCAR gets another repeat champion as the Top-2 in the standings, Chase Elliott (2020) and Joey Logano (2018) are the only remaining champions in the Playoffs. The odds are against them to repeat with hungry first timers such as Ross Chastain, William Byron, Denny Hamlin and Christopher Bell look to get their first titles while performing pretty well this late in the season. 

What do you think? Do we get a repeat champ or does 2022 continue it's parody into the Title race at Phoenix?