How many NASCAR Championships has Jeff Gordon won? All you need to know
Jeff Gordon is arguably one of the greatest drivers in NASCAR history. Between 93 Cup Series victories and three Daytoa 500 wins, the California native has written his own chapter in the record books.
Gordon was a championship contender all throughout his career, even making the Championship 4 race in his last full-time season of competition in 2015. When it comes to championships, the 53-year-old is part of an elite company in NASCAR. Here, we'll take a look at how many championships Gordon won over his illustrious NASCAR career.
Jeff Gordon won four Cup Series championships between 1995-2001
Jeff Gordon is one of only four drivers to claim four Cup Series titles and stands alone as NASCAR's only four-time champion. The only drivers with more than Gordon are Richard Petty, the late Dale Earnhardt, and Jimmie Johnson, who all won seven each, the most all-time.
Gordon claimed his first championship in 1995, just his third season of full-time Cup Series racing. Gordon won seven races, posted 17 top-fives and 23 top-10s, and held off runner-up Earnhardt and third-place finisher Sterling Marlin to win the title. Gordon led 2,600 laps that season, nearly double of any other driver.
After failing to defend his title the following year in 1996, Gordon made it back to the pinnacle of the Cup Series in 1997 and claimed his second career championship. This time, Gordon won 10 races, registered 22 top-fives and 23 top-10s, and held off Dale Jarrett and Mark Martin, who finished second and third in the final standings.
Gordon proceeded to win a second straight championship in 1998 to notch his third career title. It was a record-breaking season for the driver of the #24 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet as he won 13 races, which still stands today as the record for the most wins in a single season. Gordon also tallied 26 top-fives and 28 top-10s. He held off Martin to claim the championship, who finished second in the final standings.
All four of Jeff Gordon's championships came while wheeling the #24 HMS DuPont machine, but there was a key difference in his fourth championship in 2001. Ray Evernham was Gordon's crew chief from the beginning, and the duo won three championships together. However, in 2000, Gordon had a new crew chief in Robbie Loomis.
In just their second season together, Gordon won his fourth and final championship in 2001 with Loomis, winning six races and posting 18 top-fives and 24 top-10s.
Over the remainder of his career, Gordon came close to snagging that elusive fifth championship, including finishing third in the final standings in 2004, second in 2007, and third in 2009. In his final season in 2015, Gordon qualified for the Championship 4 race after a win at Martinsville in the Round of 8. However, he fell short to champion Kyle Busch and runner-up Kevin Harvick.
Despite not winning another championship after 2001, Jeff Gordon is still widely regarding as one of the best drivers in NASCAR.