Ranking 3 worst NASCAR title defenses feat. Jimmie Johnson

Becoming a Cup Series champion is one of the greatest achievements in NASCAR history. While winning a championship etches a driver's name in the sport's history, the year after winning a championship hasn't always gone the way they might've expected.

Over the years, there have been a total of 17 instances when drivers have successfully defended their title at the NASCAR Cup Series. These include Jimmie Johnson's five straight championship wins from 2006-2010. However, there have also been instances when drivers have fared very poorly while trying to defend their title.

For instance, Joey Logano was knocked out of the first round of the playoffs in 2023 the year after winning his second career Cup Series championship. Another example would be when Kyle Busch failed to win until the 34th race of the season in 2020, the year after winning his second Cup Series title.

On that note, let us take a look at the three of the worst NASCAR Cup Series title defenses in recent history.

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Jimmie Johnson, 2011

Jimmie Johnson at the Samsung Mobile 500 in 2011 (Image Source: Imagn)

After winning five straight NASCAR Cup Series championships from 2006-2010, an achievement that's never been done in history, Jimmie Johnson hardly came close to notching an unprecedented sixth straight title in 2011.

The driver of the #48 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet tallied only two victories in 2011 and posted 14 top fives and 21 top 10s, resulting in a sixth-place finish in the points standings. Meanwhile, Tony Stewart went on to win the championship in his #14 Stewart-Haas Racing Chevrolet, ending Johnson's five-year streak of being NASCAR's top driver.

Despite the difficult championship-defending campaign in 2011, it's safe to say Johnson made up for it as he went on to win two more championships in 2013 and 2016, tying Richard Petty and the late Dale Earnhardt for the most Cup Series titles of all-time.

Brad Keselowski, 2013

Brad Keselowski at the EcoBoost 400 in 2013 (Image Source: Imagn)

In 2012, Brad Keselowski reached the pinnacle of NASCAR by winning the Cup Series championship behind the wheel of the #2 Team Penske Dodge. Unfortunately for the Michigan native, 2013 was a different story as he failed to even make the playoffs in his championship-defending season.

Keselowski wheeled his way to 16 top 10s, nine top fives, and a win at Charlotte in his #2 Ford, the first year Team Penske raced under the Ford banner. He finished 14th in the points standings, which holds up as his third-worst finish in his career.

Since then, Keselowski has put himself in championship contention multiple times and missed out on the playoffs only one more time in 2022. Keselowski has made two appearances in the Championship 4, placing fourth among the title drivers in 2017 and runner-up in 2020. He now co-owns and drives the #6 Ford for RFK Racing, a team he's made two playoff appearances with and won a race this past season at Darlington.

Kurt Busch, 2005

Nov 13, 2005; Phoenix, AZ, USA; Kurt Busch qualifies for the Checker Auto Parts 500 at Phoenix International Raceway, Mandatory Credit: Rick Scuteri-Imagn Images Copyright Rick Scuteri

In one of the closest points battles in NASCAR Cup Series history, Kurt Busch fended off Jimmie Johnson and Jeff Gordon to become the 2004 champion. Yet, 2005 wouldn't go Busch's way by any means. Busch piloted the #97 Roush Fenway Racing Ford to nine top fives, 18 top 10s, and 10th place finish in the points. After an off-track incident with the police towards the end of the season, Busch was sidelined the final two races of the year. The Las Vegas native moved to Team Penske the following year.

After that, Busch drove for a number of different teams. He drove for Team Penske from 2006-2011, finishing a best of fourth in the points standings in 2009. He then raced for the likes of Phoenix Racing and Furniture Row Racing before signing with Stewart-Haas Racing ahead of the 2014 season. Busch raced for SHR from 2014-2018, finishing a best of seventh twice in the final standings. He then raced for Chip Ganassi Racing from 2019-2021 and finished a best of 10th in the standings in 2020. Busch raced for 23XI Racing in 2022 but was forced to retire after a career-ending injury sustained in a crash at Pocono that year.