NASCAR's Best Single Seasons of the 1970's

Throughout the history of NASCAR, several drivers had enjoyed dominant seasons. Many NASCAR historians will contend that the 1970's belonged to Richard Petty and Cale Yarborough. However, they were not the only drivers to experience overwhelming success in a season.

Note that this list is based on NASCAR's modern era, which began in 1972. Additionally, David Pearson won 11 races 18 starts in 1973, but this list requires at least 20 starts to a season. Otherwise, Pearson's 1973 season would be on the list.

Richard Petty (1975)

Petty won 13 races in 30 starts in 1975, a modern era record for single-season wins that held until 1998 when Jeff Gordon tied that mark. He began amassing wins as early as the third race of the season at Richmond. Petty's Dodge became a familiar sight in the winner's circle throughout the season, as he and his Petty Enterprises crew assembled one of the best single-season runs in NASCAR history. He won the Winston Cup championship by a convincing 722 points, the largest margin under this championship- scoring format.

30 races; 13 wins; 21 top 5 finishes; 24 top 10 finishes; 3 poles; 3,158 laps led

David Pearson (1976)

Pearson, driving for the Wood Brothers, did not win the championship in 1976, but many will debate that he would have hoisted the Winston Cup trophy had he competed in all 30 events. Pearson only started 22 races, and won a whopping 10 races, a winning percentage of over 45 percent. Pearson earned the highest winning percentage in a single season during the modern era for a driver that competed in over 20 races. Included in his 10 victories were the unforgettable Daytona 500 in which he crossed the finish line at roughly 20 miles per hour after a crash with Petty on the final lap. He also won two additional crown jewel events, the World 600 at Charlotte and the Southern 500 at Darlington. Pearson led the Winston Cup series in average points per race with 158.3. Championship winner Cale Yarborough averaged 154.8 points per race.

22 races; 10 wins; 16 top 5 finishes; 18 top 10 finishes; 8 poles; 1,227 laps led

Cale Yarborough (1977)

Yarborough's championship season included the coveted Daytona 500 trophy. The Great American Race was only one of nine victories for Yarborough and his Junior Johnson-led team. Yarborough was at the top of his game in 1977, as no other driver posed a true threat in the championship race. He clinched his second consecutive championship by scoring 5000 points, the first to reach the number under this scoring format. His season was defined by both wins and consistency, scoring 25 top five finishes throughout the campaign. He won the title by a margin of 376 points over Petty.

30 races; 9 wins; 25 top 5 finishes; 27 top 10 finishes; 3 poles; 3,218 laps led

Cale Yarborough (1978)

Yarborough became the first driver in NASCAR to win three successive championships when he clinched the Winston Cup in 1978. It was clear that Yarborough, not Petty, was now the top dog in the NASCAR garage. He won 10 races and won 8 poles. Yarborough opened the 1978 season by winning the road course event at Riverside. He also won the Southern 500 at Darlington. Yarborough cruised to his third straight NASCAR title by a hefty margin of 486 points over his nearest competitor Bobby Allison.

30 races; 10 wins; 23 top 5 finishes; 24 top 10 finishes; 8 poles; 3,587 laps led

Richard Petty (1972)

Petty's 1972 season consisted of 31 races. He only won eight races that season, but he scored a staggering 28 top 10 finishes, the most in a single season for the decade. Petty also notched 25 top five finishes. Petty opened the season with a victory at the road course of Riverside. The only possible criticism to Petty's remarkable season was that he did not win any of the crown jewel races. Six of his eight wins were on short tracks, and his only speedway victory was at College Station in Texas.

31 races; 8 wins; 25 top 5 finishes; 28 top 10 finishes; 3 poles; 2,093 laps led

Honorable mentions include Richard Petty (1974); Cale Yarborough (1976); Bobby Allison (1972); Cale Yarborough (1974); Darrell Waltrip (1979); Richard Petty (1979)

Resource:Racing-Reference.info