Year Winner Points Margin Runner-up
---- ------ ------------- ---------
2016 Jimmie Johnson 3 Joey Logano
2015 Kyle Busch 1 Kevin Harvick
2014 Kevin Harvick 1 Ryan Newman
2013 Jimmie Johnson 19 Matt Kenseth
2012 Brad Keselowski 39 Clint Bowyer
2011 Tony Stewart 0 Carl Edwards
2010 Jimmie Johnson 39 Denny Hamlin
2009 Jimmie Johnson 141 Mark Martin
2008 Jimmie Johnson 69 Carl Edwards
2007 Jimmie Johnson 77 Jeff Gordon
2006 Jimmie Johnson 56 Matt Kenseth
2005 Tony Stewart 35 Greg Biffle
2004 Kurt Busch 8 Jimmie Johnson
2003 Matt Kenseth 90 Jimmie Johnson
2002 Tony Stewart 38 Mark Martin
2001 Jeff Gordon 349 Tony Stewart
2000 Bobby Labonte 265 Dale Earnhardt
1999 Dale Jarrett 201 Bobby Labonte
1998 Jeff Gordon 364 Mark Martin
1997 Jeff Gordon 14 Dale Jarrett
1996 Terry Labonte 37 Jeff Gordon
1995 Jeff Gordon 34 Dale Earnhardt
1994 Dale Earnhardt 444 Mark Martin
1993 Dale Earnhardt 80 Rusty Wallace
1992 Alan Kulwicki 10 Bill Elliott
1991 Dale Earnhardt 195 Ricky Rudd
1990 Dale Earnhardt 26 Mark Martin
1989 Rusty Wallace 12 Dale Earnhardt
1988 Bill Elliott 24 Rusty Wallace
1987 Dale Earnhardt 489 Bill Elliott
1986 Dale Earnhardt 288 Darrell Waltrip
1985 Darrell Waltrip 101 Bill Elliott
1984 Terry Labonte 65 Harry Gant
1983 Bobby Allison 47 Darrell Waltrip
1982 Darrell Waltrip 72 Bobby Allison
1981 Darrell Waltrip 53 Bobby Allison
1980 Dale Earnhardt 19 Cale Yarborough
1979 Richard Petty 11 Darrell Waltrip
1978 Cale Yarborough 474 Bobby Allison
1977 Cale Yarborough 386 Richard Petty
1976 Cale Yarborough 195 Richard Petty
1975 Richard Petty 722 Dave Marcis
1974 Richard Petty n/a+ Cale Yarborough
1973 Benny Parsons n/a Cale Yarborough
1972 Richard Petty n/a Bobby Allison
1971 Richard Petty n/a James Hylton
1970 Bobby Isaac n/a Bobby Allison
1969 David Pearson n/a Richard Petty
1968 David Pearson n/a Bobby Isaac
1967 Richard Petty n/a James Hylton
1966 David Pearson n/a James Hylton
1965 Ned Jarrett n/a Dick Hutcherson
1964 Richard Petty n/a Ned Jarrett
1963 Joe Weatherly n/a Richard Petty
1962 Joe Weatherly n/a Richard Petty
1961 Ned Jarrett n/a Rex White
1960 Rex White n/a Richard Petty
1959 Lee Petty n/a Cotton Owens
1958 Lee Petty n/a Buck Baker
1957 Buck Baker n/a Marvin Panch
1956 Buck Baker n/a Herb Thomas
1955 Tim Flock n/a Buck Baker
1954 Lee Petty n/a Herb Thomas
1953 Herb Thomas n/a Lee Petty
1952 Tim Flock n/a Herb Thomas
1951 Herb Thomas n/a Fonty Flock
1950 Bill Rexford n/a Fireball Roberts
1949 Red Byron n/a Lee Petty
+ - The current Winston Cup points system has been in
effect since 1975. Previous championships were
decided by systems that varied greatly.