10 NASCAR Champions Fans Underrate

NASCAR Champions Fans Underrate

Joey Logano and Brad Keselowski

10. Brad Keselowski

A 2012 champion with 35 Cup wins, six 5+ win seasons, and elite consistency in the playoff era, yet rarely mentioned among the sport’s best modern drivers.

9. Joey Logano

A two-time champion (2018, 2022) with 36 Cup wins, over 230 top-10s, and one of the best clutch résumés in NASCAR’s playoff era.

8. Bobby Labonte

The 2000 champion earned 21 Cup wins in NASCAR’s most competitive era and remains the only driver to win Cup, Xfinity, and IROC titles.

7. Kurt Busch

A 2004 champion with 34 Cup wins across four teams, proving elite adaptability and longevity that often gets overshadowed by early-career controversy.

6. Matt Kenseth

The 2003 champion finished with 39 Cup wins and 25 victories after age 40, making him one of the most statistically consistent drivers ever.

5. Terry Labonte

A two-time champion (1984, 1996) who won titles 12 years apart, showing rare dominance across completely different NASCAR eras.

4. Martin Truex Jr.

The 2017 champion owns 34 Cup wins and led 1,300+ laps in a single season, one of the most dominant stretches in modern NASCAR.

3. Alan Kulwicki

The 1992 champion won just 5 Cup races, but did it as a one-car owner-driver, a feat that may never be repeated.

2. Benny Parsons

The 1973 champion earned 21 Cup wins and a Daytona 500 victory, yet is remembered more for broadcasting than elite driving results.

1. Bill Rexford

The 1950 champion remains NASCAR’s youngest Cup champion at age 23, a record that has stood for over seven decades.