Recently we had a discussion about the competition level in NASCAR. We wondered why NASCAR racing was starting to get a little on the boring side. But we have all been told over the past few years that the competition in the Cup series has been getting better. With the trend of racing organizations growing to 4 race teams and the implementation of the COT we were curious if the competition was actually getting better. So we took the race results over the past 31 years and after looking at the data we may have found that NASCAR reached a peak moment a few years ago but since the implementation of the COT this trend has started to back off. Granted, every year for 31 years there have been multiple winners. The difference over the years is the amount of different winners. You'll notice that in the late 70's and early 80’s the same names kept popping up. This trend even continued into the late 90's when the trend began to change a bit.
The sport did have some real competitive years between 1986 and 1991 when we found a lot of different winners but you’ll notice that it was still the same names. In 2008 the competition level seemed to drop significantly off. So what was the cause of this major shift in the amount of winners? Well we saw the COT become the car of the full season. Some teams may have been behind in development. In the beginning of the the year it was mainly Roush and Gibbs that dominated the series but that leveled off a little once Hendrick and Johnson starting winning more.
After 7 races in 2009 we have had 5 different winners giving us a 71% chance of a different winner each week. There was a similar trend in 2007 until the end of the year when Johnson started winning everything. It is hard to say whether this year will be more competitive like it was just a few years ago but we hope that with every race in the COT the teams will learn more to make them handle better. We have decided to give this chart life so make sure to keep checking back to follow the competition level trend throughout the years.
| Previous Winners 1977-20078 | |||||
| Year | Races | Different Winners | % Different Winners | Top Winner | Other Winners |
| 1977 | 30 | 7 | 23% | Cale Yarborough (9 wins) |
D. Waltrip (6), Petty (5), Parsons (4), Pearson (2), Donnie Allison (2), Bonnett (2) |
| 1978 | 30 | 6 | 20% | Cale Yarborough (10 wins) |
B. Allison (6), D. Waltrip (6), Pearson (4), Parsons (3), Lennie Pond (1) |
| 1979 | 31 | 9 | 29% | Darrell Waltrip (7 wins) |
B. Allison (5), R. Petty (4), Yarborough (4), Baker (3), Bonnett (3), Parsons (2), Earnhardt* (1), Pearson (1) |
| 1980 | 31 | 10 | 32% | Cale Yarborough (6 wins) |
D. Waltrip (5), Earnhardt (5), B. Allison (4), Parsons (3), Baker (2), Petty (2), Bonnett (2), Pearson (1), Labonte (1) |
| 1981 | 31 | 9 | 29% | Darrell Waltrip (12 wins) |
B. Allison (5), R. Petty (3), Parsons (3), Bonnett (3), Yarborough (2), Morgan Shepherd (1), Jody Ridley (1), Ron Bouchard (1) |
| 1982 | 30 | 8 | 27% | Darrell Waltrip (12 wins) |
B. Allison (8), Yarborough (3), Gant (2), Richmond (2), Dave Marcis (1), Earnhardt (1), Bonnett (1) |
| 1983 | 30 | 12 | 40% | Bobby Allison (7 wins) |
D. Waltrip (6), Yarborough (4), R. Petty (3), Bonnett (2), Rudd (2), Gant (1), Baker (1), Earnhardt (1), Richmond (1), T. Labonte (1), Elliott (1) |
| 1984 | 30 | 12 | 40% | Darrell Waltrip (7 wins) |
Yarborough (3), G. Bodine (3), Elliott (3), Gant (3), B. Allison (2), R. Petty (2), T. Labonte (2), Earnhardt (2), Rudd (1), Parsons (1), Richmond (1) |
| 1985 | 28 | 9 | 32% | Bill Elliott (11 wins) |
Earnhardt (4), Gant (3), D. Watrip (3), Bonnett (2), Yarborough (2), T. Labonte (1), Greg Sacks (1), Rudd (1) |
| 1986 | 29 | 15 | 52% | Tim Richmond (7 wins) |
Earnhardt (5), D. Waltrip (3), G. Bodine (2), Elliott (2), K. Petty (1), T. Labonte (1), M. Shepherd (1), Wallace (1), Rudd (1), B. Allison (1), Hillin Jr. (1), Rudd (1), Wallace (1), Bonnett (1) |
| 1987 | 29 | 10 | 34% | Dale Earnhardt (11 wins) |
Elliott (5), Wallace (3), Rudd (2), Davey Allison* (2), Richmond (2), K. Petty (1), B. Allison (1), D. Waltrip (1), T. Labonte (1) |
| 1988 | 29 | 14 | 48% | Bill Elliott, Rusty Wallce (6 wins each) |
Bonnett (2), Earnhardt (2), D. Waltrip (2), B. Allison (1), D. Allison (1), Lake Speed (1), T. Labonte (1), Phil Parson (1), G. Bodine (1), Schrader (1), Rudd (1), Kulwicki (1) |
| 1989 | 29 | 11 | 38% | Rusty Wallace, D. Waltrip (6 wins each) |
Earnhardt (5), Elliott (3), D. Allison (2), T. Labonte (2), Schrader (1), Gant (1), Rudd (1), G. Bodine (1), Martin (1) |
| 1990 | 29 | 14 | 48% | Dale Earnhardt (9 wins) |
Martin (3), G. Bodine (3), Cope (2), D. Allison (2), Wallace (2), K. Petty (1), B. Bodine (1), Gant (1), Rudd (1), Irvan (1), Elliott (1), Kulwicki (1), Shepherd (1) |
| 1991 | 29 | 14 | 48% | Davey Allison, Harry Gant (5 wins each) |
Earnhardt (4), Irvan (2), Schrader (2), Wallace (2), D. Waltrip (2), K. Petty (1), Rudd (1), Elliott (1), Jarrett (1), Kulwicki (1), Bodine (1), Martin (1) |
| 1992 | 29 | 12 | 41% | Davey Allison, Bill Elliott (5 wins each) |
Irvan (3), D. Waltrip (3), Kulwicki (2), Martin (2), Gant (2), K. Petty (2), G. Bodine (2), Earnhardt (1), Wallace (1), Rudd (1) |
| 1993 | 30 | 10 | 33% | Rusty Wallace (10 wins) |
Earnhardt (6), Martin (5), Irvan (3), Jarrett (1), D. Allison (1), Shepherd (1), G. Bodine (1), K. Petty (1), Rudd (1) |
| 1994 | 31 | 13 | 42% | Rusty Wallce (8 wins) |
Earnhardt (4), Irvan (3), T. Labonte (3), G. Bodine (3), J. Gordon (2), Spencer (2), Martin (2), Marlin (1), Rudd (1), Elliott (1), Jarrett (1) |
| 1995 | 31 | 11 | 35% | Jeff Gordon (7 wins) |
Earnhardt (5), Martin (4), Marlin (3), T. Labonte (3), B. Labonte (3), Wallce (2), K. Petty (1), Jarrett (1), W. Burton (1), Rudd (1) |
| 1996 | 31 | 10 | 32% | Jeff Gordon (10 wins) |
Wallace (5), Jarrett (4), Earnhardt (2), T. Labonte (2), B. Labonte (2), Marlin (2), Irvan (2), G. Bodine (1), Rudd (1) |
| 1997 | 32 | 11 | 34% | Jeff Gordon (10 wins) |
Jarrett (7), Martin (4), J. Burton (3), Rudd (2), Wallce (1), Irvan (1), J. Andretti (1), T. Labonte (1), B. Labonte (1), Hamilton (1) |
| 1998 | 33 | 11 | 33% | Jeff Gordon (13 wins) |
Martin (7), Jarrett (3), B. Labonte (2), J. Burton (2), Earnhardt (1), Hamilton (1), T. Labonte (1), Mayfield (1), Rudd (1), Wallace (1) |
| 1999 | 34 | 11 | 32% | Jeff Gordon (7 wins) |
J. Burton (6), B. Labonte (5), Jarrett (4), Earnhardt (3), Stewart* (3), Martin (2), T. Labonte (1), Wallace (1), J. Andretti (1), Nemechek (1) |
| 2000 | 34 | 14 | 41% | B. Labonte, Tony Stewart (5 wins each) |
J. Burton (4), Wallace (4), Gordon (3), Jarrett (2), Earnhardt (2), Earnhardt Jr* (2), Mayfield (2), W. Burton (1), Martin (1), Kenseth* (1), Park (1), Nadeau (1) |
| 2001 | 36 | 19 | 53% | Jeff Gordon (6 wins) |
Jarrett (4), Stewart (3), Earnhardt Jr. (3), Harvick* (2), J. Burton (2), B. Labonte (2), Marlin (2), Rudd (2), M. Waltrip (1), Park (1), Sadler (1), Hamilton (1), Wallace (1),R. Gordon (1), (Elliott (1), W. Burton (1), Nemechek (1), Craven (1) |
| 2002 | 36 | 18 | 50% | Matt Kenseth (5 wins) |
Ku. Busch (4), Stewart (3), Johnson* (3), Gordon (3), W. Burton (2), Marlin (2), Earnhardt Jr (2), Jarrett (2), Elliott (2), B. Labonte (1), Martin (1), Rudd (1), M. Waltrip (1), Harvick (1), Newman* (1), McMurray (1), Benson (1) |
| 2003 | 36 | 17 | 47% | Ryan Newman (8 wins) |
Ku. Busch (4), Gordon (3), Johnson (3), M. Waltrip (2), B. Labonte (2), Earnhardt Jr. (2), Stewart (2), R. Gordon (2), Jarrett (1), Kenseth (1), Craven (1), Nemechek (1), Biffle* (1), Harvick (1), T. Labonte (1), Elliott (1) |
| 2004 | 36 | 13 | 36% | Jimmie Johnson (8 wins) |
Earnhardt Jr (6), Gordon (5), Ku. Busch (3), Kenseth (2), Sadler (2), Newman (2), Stewart (2), Biffle (2), Wallace (1), Martin (1), Mayfield (1), Nemecheck (1) |
| 2005 | 36 | 15 | 42% | Greg Biffle (6 wins) |
Stewart (5), Gordon (4), Johnson (4), Edwards (4), Ku. Busch (3), Ky. Busch* (2), Harvick (1), Kahne (1), Earnhardt Jr (1), Mayfield (1), Kenseth (1), Newman (1), Jarrett (1), Martin (1) |
| 2006 | 36 | 13 | 36% | Kasey Kahne (6 wins) |
Johnson (5), Stewart (5), Harvick (5), Kenseth (4), Biffle (2), Hamlin* (2), Gordon (2), Ku. Busch (1), Earnhardt Jr (1), Ky. Busch (1), J. Burton (1), Vickers (1) |
| 2007 | 36 | 16 | 44% | Jimmie Johnson (10 Wins) |
Gordon (6), Edwards (3), Stewart (3), Ku. Busch (2), Kenseth (2), Harvick (1), Ky. Busch (1), Burton (1), Mears (1), Truex (1), Montoya* (1), Hamlin (1), McMurray (1), Bowyer (1), Biffle (1) |
| 2008 | 36 | 11 | 33% | Carl Edwards (9 Wins) |
Ky Busch (8), Johnson (7), Biffle (2), Burton (2), Kahne (2), Bowyer (1), Ku Busch (1), Earnhardt Jr. (1), Hamlin (1), Newman (1), Stewart (1) |
| 2009 | 7 | 5 | 77% | Matt Kenseth, Kyle Busch (2 wins each) |
Ku Busch (1), Gordon (1), Johnson (1) |