Non-Chase System "What If" Champions
- 2004: Jeff Gordon would have his 5th career title and the 6th title for car owner Rick Hendrick.
- 2005: Tony Stewart, first driver in NASCAR history to win both old points format and Chase system, would win either way.
- 2006: Jimmie Johnson would win the title either way in 2006.
- 2007: Jeff Gordon would have won his 6th career title - the 8th title for Hendrick and three of the last four. Wins by over 350 points.
- 2008: Carl Edwards would have dethroned Johnson by 16 points for first title.
- 2009: Jimmie Johnson would get second title beating Gordon by 66 points. 4 of the last 6 for Hendrick.
- 2010: Kevin Harvick dominated the entire season beating Johnson by over 200 points.
- 2011: With the new 2011 season's points format, Carl Edwards takes 2nd title in four seasons after clinching title at Phoenix after finishing 2nd to Kasey Kahne.
- 2012: Brad Keselowski beats Greg Biffle by 19 points, while Jimmie Johnson still finishes third, 28 points behind.
Read more about this topic: Chase For The Sprint Cup
Famous quotes containing the words system and/or champions:
“Fear, coercion, punishment, are the masculine remedies for moral weakness, but statistics show their failure for centuries. Why not change the system and try the education of the moral and intellectual faculties, cheerful surroundings, inspiring influences? Everything in our present system tends to lower the physical vitality, the self-respect, the moral tone, and to harden instead of reforming the criminal.”
—Elizabeth Cady Stanton (1815–1902)
“Myths and legends die hard in America. We love them for the extra dimension they provide, the illusion of near-infinite possibility to erase the narrow confines of most men’s reality. Weird heroes and mould-breaking champions exist as living proof to those who need it that the tyranny of “the rat race” is not yet final.”
—Hunter S. Thompson (b. 1939)