The year 2000 brought in a new millennium and a new NASCAR Winston Cup champion. Bobby Labonte brought in a new chapter of NASCAR history as well. He became the first driver to win both the NASCAR Busch Series championship as well as the NASCAR Winston Cup championship. He also joined two-time champion and brother Terry as the only siblings to win NASCAR's most coveted prize.

NASCAR joined the ranks of the four major professional sports during the 1990's, bringing even more attention to the sport and it's champion. The 1990's will go down in history as one of the most exciting decades the sport has seen. Attendance skyrocketed, TV ratings boomed and some memorable championship moments were forged in our memories. From underdog Alan Kulwicki winning the 1992 title in dramatic fashion to Dale Jarrett joining his father Ned as a NASCAR champion, the 1990's let NASCAR and its stars take advantage of the ever-increasing spotlight. The main topic of debate, however, remains: who is the driver of the decade? Seven-time champion Dale Earnhardt captured four of his titles in the decade and even finished second in the standings in 2000, stretching his legend across the entire decade. But young upstart Jeff Gordon not only launched his career in the early 90's, but closed the lid on three championships and countless victories by the turn of the decade.

The 1980's was the decade of superstars. NASCAR's champions of the Eighties are a bridge between the stars of old and the youthful talent that is chasing championships today. Dale Earnhardt won his first three championships in the decade and sandwiched between his titles were three glorious seasons by Darrell Waltrip. Fan favorite Bill Elliott came across his first and only title in 1988, as did Rusty Wallace in 1989. And perennial points bridesmaid Bobby Allison finally broke through in 1983. Earnhardt, Waltrip, Elliott, Wallace, and Allison raced against drivers named Pearson, Petty and Yarborough, as well as against those named Gordon, Labonte, and Stewart. Three championships in the decade by Waltrip and Earnhardt are also notable as they were bringing attention to the sport through their dominance. This new attention would kick-start the evolution of NASCAR into a mainstream sport.

The Seventies were probably the most historic years in NASCAR history. Cale Yarborough won an unprecedented three consecutive NASCAR Winston Cup championships. Richard Petty won five titles during the decade, including a 722-point margin of victory over the runner-up in 1975. He won back-to-back titles during the 1970's...twice. Underdog Benny Parsons unseated The King in 1973 and gave hopes to every team in the NASCAR garage. The decade was remarkable off the track as well, as the current point system went into use in 1975 and in 1972, the RJ Reynolds Tobacco Company and its Winston brand teamed with NASCAR to build the NASCAR Winston Cup Series into what it is today. 1972 marks the first season in what we refer to as the "Modern Era of NASCAR."

The 1960's served as a stage for some of the biggest names in NASCAR history as they evolved from obscure young drivers to champions and then to superstars. The decade gave birth to seven-time champion Richard Petty, who won his first two championships in the 1960's, and David Pearson, the second-winningest driver in NASCAR Grand National (now the NASCAR Winston Cup Series) history.

Not only did the 1950's mark the first decade in NASCAR's illustrious history, the decade also saw NASCAR's pioneers emerge as champions and then as legends. The point contenders were as every bit as special then as the Jeff Gordons and Dale Jarretts of today; only true contenders found themselves in the thick of the race for the championship at season's end.

The NASCAR Strictly Stock Series (now the NASCAR Winston Cup Series) was born in 1949, and the first in a long line of NASCAR champions emerged. A former World War II aviator has the honor of being known as the first champion of NASCAR's premier division.