Is Jeff Gordon’s 1998 season the most dominant by a NASCAR driver in history? All you need to know

NASCAR legend Jeff Gordon's career in the sport is considered one of the most successful stints by a driver to this day. Gordon dominated the Cup Series through the 1990s, establishing himself as one of the elites in NASCAR.

However, when the question of which driver had the most dominant season throughout the history of NASCAR, Gordon faced some serious competition. Seven-time Cup Series champion Richard Petty is the first name that came to mind. The King secured a whopping 200 Cup race wins throughout his 35-year career, a record that stands to this day. Despite Petty's notable achievements, Gordon's 1998 campaign is considered the most dominating season performance in the history of the sport.

NASCAR Hall of Famer Jeff Gordon amassed 93 Cup Series victories over his illustrious 25-year career, all behind the wheel of the iconic #24 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet. His first triumph came in the 1994 Coca-Cola 600, a Crown Jewel event that signaled the beginning of a dominant run in NASCAR. A four-time Cup Series champion, Gordon achieved remarkable feats, including a record-setting 13 wins in the 1998 season. These accomplishments cement his legacy as one of the sport's greatest drivers.

In their best career seasons, both Gordon(1998) and Petty(1975) had won 13 races in their respective campaigns. However, besides this statistic, Gordon one-upped Richard Petty everywhere else. In his 1998 season, Jeff Gordon not only won 13 races but also secured 7 pole positions, 26 top-five, and 28 top-ten finishes in 33 race starts. Moreover, the four-time champion posted an average finish of 5.70, cementing his legacy in the sport.

Furthermore, 1998 Cup Series' runner-up Mark Martin secured 7 race wins and 26 top-ten finishes, which would have been enough to win the title in any other season. However, Gordon's dominance shadowed Martin's achievements that year.

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"A gamechanger for my career" - Jeff Gordon reflects on fifth Brickyard 400 win for Hendrick Motorsports

Jeff Gordon is well known for his triumphs in crown jewel events. As mentioned above, Gordon's first triumph in the Cup Series was the 1994 Coca-Cola 600, marking the beginning of a historic career. One of his best-performing crown jewel events was the Brickyard 400 at the prestigious Indianapolis Oval at IMS.

The California native secured his Brickyard 400 win during his penultimate full-time season in the 2014 Cup Series. In an interview in November, Gordon reflected on his multiple triumphs at IMS.

“Obviously, to do anything 20 years later is significant and a big deal in any form of sports and certainly motorsports. That first (Brickyard 400) win in ’94 was just a gamechanger for my career and sent us on the trajectory at Hendrick Motorsports and the 24 car took things to the next level from that point forward." (via hendrickmotorsports.com)

Throughout his career, the only track where Jeff Gordon didn't win was Kentucky Speedway, which was introduced in the Cup Series schedule in the latter half of his career.