The Biggest Championship The Chase Robbed

NASCAR announced the return of the Chase format, with more drivers than in its history. 16 drivers can now compete for a title in the last 10 races of the season. It’s a welcome change for most as NASCAR finally says bye-bye to the hated playoff format.

But let’s not forget the Chase, it had critics and skeptics back then too, and not for no reason. While the two formats differ, they share one very important problem. Both formats struggled to crown the best driver as the champion. And nothing proves that more than the 2007 season and Jeff Gordon’s incredible season.

Heading into 2007

Jeff Gordon‘s drive for five was taking longer than expected, and the Chase was a major reason why. 2001 was the last time the prodigy won a Cup Series title, after he won four in six years. It was a giant adjustment for fans to make.

And it wasn’t the only massive adjustment fans had to make heading into the mid-2000s, as in 2004, the Chase was introduced. The first format wouldn’t be a full-season format and would bring a playoff-type system to a major motorsports series for the first time ever.

And old school Jeff Gordon was still adjusting. And in 2007, he’d double down on Winston-style consistency that spilled into domination.

Jeff Gordon’s Historic 2007 Season

Jeff Gordon started 2007 as red-hot as a driver could be. In the first twelve races of the season, Gordon had ten top tens and a streak of four straight poles in the middle of that run. Along with three wins in four races to earn his very first wins of the season, near the end of the stretch.

Even after he crashed out early in the Coca-Cola 600, he still held a very impressive points lead. Leading his teammate, Jimmie Johnson, who was second in points by 132 points. But none of that would matter come Chase time. As the points would reset when the Chase begins, cutting that lead to 20 points for whoever has it after the 26th race of the year.

The Developing Rivalry Between Jeff Gordon and Jimmie Johnson

While Jeff Gordon’s 2007 was historic, I won’t downplay what Jimmie Johnson did this year either. The defending champion heading into 2007, JJ would, in the coming years, become a seven-time champion, tying with Petty and Earnhardt Sr. for most championships ever. But arguably, 2007 was his career-best year.

It was his only year where he earned double-digit wins, having 10 wins, but where Gordon had him beat was consistency. As Jimmie Johnson had 24 total top tens, Jeff Gordon made history by having 30 top tens, becoming the only driver to ever have 30 top tens in a 36-race season.

And he got wins too, as he got six wins in 2007 and even beat him in poles. As Gordon got seven poles to Jimmie Johnson’s four. But because of JJ’s superior win total as the regular season closed after Richmond, it would be Jimmie Johnson as the points leader in the Chase, with Jeff Gordon 20 points behind him.

Jeff Gordon’s 2007 Chase

Jeff Gordon’s Chase was as spectacular as his regular season. Late into it, he got back-to-back wins at Talladega and Charlotte. And he kept up his legendary consistency in the Chase, having nine top tens in the ten races, and that one race was an eleventh-place finish at Dover. It was a Chase worthy of a champion. But so was Jimmie Johnson’s.

In the ten-race Chase, Jimmie Johnson scored eight top tens, only one behind his teammate, mentor, and championship rival, Jeff Gordon. But like all seasons, the one place Jimmie Johnson beat him was in wins.

Four of his ten wins came during the Chase, and all in a row, too. Tied the record for most wins in a row by one driver. A record that’s been tied before and after but not broken to this day. So, of course, Johnson had one of the best Chases of all time, so he won the 2007 championship.

Conclusion

But that doesn’t mean Jeff Gordon wasn’t the better driver. While Johnson had an impressive average finish of 10.8, Jeff Gordon had a historic 7.3 average finish. The best average finish anyone had in the 2000s. The Chase format is an improvement over the playoffs.

At least Gordon finished second, while Harvick, who had a historic 2020 season, finished fifth in points under the playoffs. But if you want the best driver winning the title, that’s what a full season is best for. Thanks a bunch for reading!