NASCAR Drivers Most Cup Series Championship Wins

At the end of the NASCAR regular season, the top 16 drivers in points compete in the NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs. The playoffs feature four elimination rounds, culminating in a race between the four remaining drivers, with the top finisher taking home the NASCAR Cup Series Championship title. Prior to the adoption of the playoff format in 2004, the driver with the most race wins won the championship. Keep reading below to learn which drivers have won the most Cup Series titles.

What NASCAR Drivers Have the Most Cup Series Championships?

• Richard Petty - 7 wins
• Jimmie Johnson - 7 wins
• Dale Earnhardt - 7 wins
• Jeff Gordon - 4 wins
• David Pearson - 3 wins

Richard Petty - 7 wins

Richard Petty won seven Cup Series Championship titles in his career, tied for the most ever, and he also owns the most NASCAR wins in history with 200. These accomplishments, among others, make him the most successful NASCAR driver in the history of the sport. He won his first two titles in 1964 and 1967, then proceeded to win five titles between 1971 and 1979, one of the best stretches of driving fans have ever seen.

Jimmie Johnson - 7 wins

One other man who can rival Petty’s seven titles is Jimmie Johnson, who has seven of his own. Johnson was the best driver of the modern era before retiring in 2020, but he left with a tremendous legacy. He won five-straight Cup Series Championships from 2006 to 2010 and added two more championships in 2013 and 2016. Johnson is also sixth all-time in NASCAR wins with 83.

Dale Earnhardt - 7 wins

Earnhardt is one of three men with seven Cup Series Championship titles, and he was by far the best driver in the sport during the 1990s. He won his first title in 1980, but it was six years before he won again in 1986. Earnhardt added a third title in 1987 before going on to become a monster in the next decade, winning championships in 1990, 1991, 1993, and 1994.

Jeff Gordon - 4 wins

Gordon had his share of success in the Cup Series, winning four titles in his career. His first came the year after Earnhardt’s last in 1995. Gordon would go on to win back-to-back titles in 1997 and 1998 before capturing his fourth and final championship in 2001. He is also third all-time in NASCAR with 93 wins.

David Pearson - 3 wins

Though David Pearson is tied with four other drivers at three Cup Series titles, his resume is just a little better than the rest. He is second all-time in NASCAR wins with 105, behind only Petty. Don’t get it wrong, though; Pearson was more than able to compete with NASCAR’s greatest driver. He won championships in 1966, 1968, and 1969, all during Petty’s prime, and will go down with Petty as one of the greatest to ever get behind the wheel.

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