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1992
This is the classic. Bill Elliott, Alan Kulwicki and Davey Allison went at it in the final eight races. Kulwicki won on the strength of bonus points earned in the final race. Elliott won the final race, but he led one fewer lap than he needed to get five more bonus points. That 10-point swing would have tied the two in points and Elliott would have won the title by virtue of more race victories.
1990
Some call this the year Mark Martin was cheated out of a championship. After Martin won the second race at Richmond, NASCAR discovered what it ruled to be an illegal part in post-race inspection. A spacer was bolted to the carburetor on Martin's engine. Had the spacer been welded instead of bolted to the carburetor, it would have been legal. As it was, it cost Martin 46 points in penalties. Dale Earnhardt won the championship by 26 points.
1989
Only 79 points separated leader Earnhardt, Rusty Wallace and Martin going into the final race of the season at Atlanta. Earnhardt won that race, leading 294 of 328 laps. Wallace, however, needing to finish 18th or better, struggled to a 15th-place showing and won his only championship. The margin was just 12 points over second-place Earnhardt. Wallace's owner was Raymond Beadle.
1979
Richard Petty trailed Darrell Waltrip by 155 points with 11 races to go. With 10 to go, Petty reduced the margin to 74 by winning at Michigan while Waltrip limped to a 19th-place finish. With one race to go, Waltrip had a two-point lead. But in the season finale, Petty claimed the title by finishing fifth to Waltrip's eighth. The margin of the championship win, which was Petty's seventh, was 11 points. That's the second closest in history.
1977
It wasn't one of the series' closest finishes. Far from it, in fact. But it was memorable for the way Cale Yarborough dominated. Yarborough scored 5,000 points, led 3,200-plus laps, and won 9 times. There were 30 races on the schedule that year and Cale led 28 races and had 26 top-five finishes. Petty finished second -- 386 points behind Yarborough. The championship was the second of three in a row for Yarborough.
This is the classic. Bill Elliott, Alan Kulwicki and Davey Allison went at it in the final eight races. Kulwicki won on the strength of bonus points earned in the final race. Elliott won the final race, but he led one fewer lap than he needed to get five more bonus points. That 10-point swing would have tied the two in points and Elliott would have won the title by virtue of more race victories.
1990
Some call this the year Mark Martin was cheated out of a championship. After Martin won the second race at Richmond, NASCAR discovered what it ruled to be an illegal part in post-race inspection. A spacer was bolted to the carburetor on Martin's engine. Had the spacer been welded instead of bolted to the carburetor, it would have been legal. As it was, it cost Martin 46 points in penalties. Dale Earnhardt won the championship by 26 points.
1989
Only 79 points separated leader Earnhardt, Rusty Wallace and Martin going into the final race of the season at Atlanta. Earnhardt won that race, leading 294 of 328 laps. Wallace, however, needing to finish 18th or better, struggled to a 15th-place showing and won his only championship. The margin was just 12 points over second-place Earnhardt. Wallace's owner was Raymond Beadle.
1979
Richard Petty trailed Darrell Waltrip by 155 points with 11 races to go. With 10 to go, Petty reduced the margin to 74 by winning at Michigan while Waltrip limped to a 19th-place finish. With one race to go, Waltrip had a two-point lead. But in the season finale, Petty claimed the title by finishing fifth to Waltrip's eighth. The margin of the championship win, which was Petty's seventh, was 11 points. That's the second closest in history.
1977
It wasn't one of the series' closest finishes. Far from it, in fact. But it was memorable for the way Cale Yarborough dominated. Yarborough scored 5,000 points, led 3,200-plus laps, and won 9 times. There were 30 races on the schedule that year and Cale led 28 races and had 26 top-five finishes. Petty finished second -- 386 points behind Yarborough. The championship was the second of three in a row for Yarborough.
