Cale's three consecutive titles elusive feat to match

Only one driver has ever won three consecutive championships in NASCAR's premier series: Cale Yarborough. However, Jimmie Johnson is in a position to match Yarborough's feat with another title in 2008.

History shows that it will take a combination of factors for Johnson to have a reasonable chance.

Johnson has shown the ability. With Hendrick Motorsports, the equipment is there. And there is a certain amount of luck that must fall your way. But most of all, Johnson must maintain the consistency he's shown over the past five seasons.

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Even though NASCAR's point system has evolved over the years, putting together consistent finishes remains the key factor in winning the championship, and even more so with the Chase format.

And the odds against Johnson aren't as long as you might believe. No fewer than 10 other drivers have had the opportunity to put together a string of three consecutive championship seasons -- and in at least six cases, came very close to doing what Yarborough did from 1976-78.

In fact, it could have happened twice in the first decade of NASCAR. Herb Thomas and Buck Baker are perfect examples. And in both cases, it was Tim Flock and Lee Petty who spoiled things.

Thomas won championships in 1951 and 1953, and finished second to Flock in 1952 and Petty in 1954.

In '52, both Thomas and Flock wound up with eight victories, but Thomas sat out the season-opener in West Palm Beach, which Flock won. Even though Thomas won four of the last six races, Flock had the final edge in top-10 finishes (25 to 22), just enough to earn the championship.

Thomas won 12 races to Petty's seven in 1954. But Petty was more consistent, posting 32 top-10s to Thomas' 27. In addition, Petty was running at the finish 31 times to Thomas' 24.

Baker was the first driver to win back-to-back titles, doing it in 1956 and 1957. He also finished second to Flock in 1955 and Petty in 1958. However, Baker's runner-up finishes weren't very close. Flock scored 18 victories in '55, compared to Baker's three. And in addition to seven wins in '58, Petty had an amazing 43 top-10s in 50 races, easily eclipsing Baker's three wins and 35 top-10s.

Petty would go on to win another title in 1959, but finish a distant sixth in the points to Rex White in 1960.

If Joe Weatherly had run a full schedule in 1961, there's no doubt he could have been a serious contender for the championship that season. He won nine races and posted 18 top-10s, but Bud Moore's team only competed in 25 of the 52 races. Instead, the title went to Ned Jarrett, who won only once but had 34 top-10s in 46 starts.

Weatherly went on to capture championships in 1962 and 1963, but was killed at Riverside early in the 1964 season. (Continued)