# Who is the most overrated NASCAR champion?

> Every name here has a trophy. Whether the trophy matched the driving is the whole question.

*By YPB Team · Published September 11, 2026 · https://youpick.best/ranking/who-is-the-most-overrated-nascar-champion*

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## Current results (no votes yet)

1. **Joey Logano** — score 1000/1000
   Three titles under a one-race finale that rewards a single good afternoon.
2. **Jimmie Johnson** — score 710/1000
   Seven championships that critics credit to Chad Knaus and the playoff format.
3. **Terry Labonte** — score 624/1000
   Won the 1996 title with two wins to Gordon's ten.
4. **Dale Earnhardt** — score 624/1000
   Seven titles, one Daytona 500, and a legend some say outgrew the record.
5. **Benny Parsons** — score 485/1000
   The 1973 champion with a single win that season.
6. **Jeff Gordon** — score 485/1000
   Four titles, and an argument that the Hendrick equipment did the work.
7. **Kurt Busch** — score 485/1000
   Won the first Chase in 2004 without leading the standings most of the year.
8. **Bill Elliott** — score 397/1000
   One championship from a career better known for speed than titles.
9. **Chase Elliott** — score 397/1000
   A 2020 title won in the finale format, and a fan award every year since.
10. **Bobby Labonte** — score 397/1000
   Won the 2000 title with two wins in the second half of the season.
11. **Matt Kenseth** — score 397/1000
   The 2003 title with one win that prompted NASCAR to invent the Chase.
12. **Dale Jarrett** — score 397/1000
   The 1999 title arrived at 42, after years as a mid-pack driver.
13. **Rusty Wallace** — score 291/1000
   One championship from 55 wins, and a habit of losing the long game.
14. **Brad Keselowski** — score 162/1000
   A 2012 title and a win rate below most champions on this list.
15. **Alan Kulwicki** — score 162/1000
   A beloved 1992 champion whose whole case rests on one season.
16. **Kyle Busch** — score 162/1000
   Two titles for the winningest driver of his era, both in finale formats.

Tags: usa, drivers, nascar, motorsport, champions