Top moments from the 2004-13 Chase era

Before switching to an elimination playoff format in 2014, the NASCAR Cup Series determined its champion from 2004-13 using The Chase, a 10-race postseason competition that defined the sport's history.

With The Chase returning in 2026, take a look back at some of the top moments from the format's first run as the title decider.

RELATED: NASCAR returns to Chase championship format | How The Chase works

2011: Tony Stewart vs. Carl Edwards, the greatest championship battle in history?

After struggling through much of the regular season, Tony Stewart entered The Chase winless, with many people -- and maybe even him -- counting himself out. But Stewart won the first two Chase races at Chicagoland Speedway and New Hampshire Motor Speedway and later won back-to-back at Martinsville Speedway and Texas Motor Speedway to insert himself into the championship conversation. Heading to the season finale at Homestead-Miami Speedway, Carl Edwards, who never finished worse than 11th in The Chase that year, held a three-point lead over Stewart. Essentially, if Edwards beat Stewart in South Beach, he'd win the championship. 

But Smoke rose to the occasion.

Stewart won the race, backing up a week filled with trash talk as Edwards finished second, resulting in a tie atop the standings. But because Stewart won five races compared to just one for Edwards, Stewart walked away with his third and final championship.

2012: Clint Bowyer and Jeff Gordon tussle

In the penultimate race of the 2012 season at Phoenix Raceway, Clint Bowyer remained in contention for what would have been his first Cup Series title. As the laps ticked down, Bowyer made contact with Jeff Gordon, sending him into the wall and halting what could've been a top-10 day for the No. 24 driver. 

But just laps later, Gordon got his revenge.

Moments before leader Kevin Harvick took the white flag, Gordon intentionally crashed Bowyer, hooking him in Turns 3 and 4 to all but end the Michael Waltrip Racing driver's championship hopes. The two crews began pushing and shoving in the garage area before Bowyer sprinted from his car parked on pit road to join the skirmish. 

Gordon was later fined $100,000 by NASCAR and docked 25 points for the incident. Brad Keselowski went on to win the championship.

The two drivers later put their grievances aside and even teamed up in the FOX Sports booth for the 2021 season after both retired from competition.

2010: Denny Hamlin's heartbreak

Denny Hamlin suffered what was, at the time, arguably his most heartbreaking championship defeat in 2010. In the second-to-last race of the season at Phoenix Raceway, Hamlin led a race-high 190 laps, but faulty carburetor settings on his car caused an additional pit stop, and he instead finished 12th. 

Still, Hamlin entered the finale with a 15-point lead over Jimmie Johnson but went for an early spin trying to make up ground after qualifying 37th. He never recovered, and Johnson held on for his fifth consecutive Cup Series championship.

Hamlin finished second in points despite his series-leading eight wins, and entering the 2026 season, has yet to better it in pursuit of his first Bill France Cup. 

2004: Kurt's close call

The first ever year of The Chase could not have been scripted any better, with Kurt Busch among five drivers with a chance at the title entering the season finale. Busch came to Homestead-Miami Speedway with an 18-point lead over Jimmie Johnson and a 21-point margin over Jeff Gordon.

But early in the race, Busch suffered a tire issue as a wheel completely fell off the No. 97 machine. Miraculously, Busch made it to pit road relatively unscathed, and later hung on to finish fifth in the race and win the title by eight points over Johnson and 16 over Gordon.

The championship battle was one of the closest of all time -- and Busch's drive ultimately helped define his soon-to-be Hall of Fame career. 

2006: Jimmie Johnson heats up late for first title

Young Jimmie Johnson went on one of the most torrid hot streaks in NASCAR history to power his way to his first title in 2006.

After crashing on the final lap at Talladega Superspeedway, Johnson finished no worse than second over the next five races, including a win at Martinsville Speedway. During that Martinsville victory, Jeff Burton, who entered the 500-lapper as the points leader, suffered an engine failure and dropped all the way to fifth in the championship hunt. 

Johnson took the points lead after Texas Motor Speedway, and with two races to go never surrendered it as a ninth-place finish in the finale at Homestead-Miami Speedway was good enough for his first title. 

2007: Jimmie Johnson derails Jeff Gordon's career year

Six years removed from his most recent championship, Jeff Gordon burst back into title contention in 2007 with one of -- if not his best -- Cup Series campaigns. Gordon recorded 30 top 10s over 36 races, picking up six wins, his most since 2001.

Two of those victories came during The Chase, with Gordon winning in back-to-back weeks at Talladega Superspeedway and Charlotte Motor Speedway to take a 68-point lead over teammate Jimmie Johnson with five races to go.

But Johnson, looking for his second consecutive title, fired back with four straight victories of his own to swing the championship pendulum back in his favor by 86 markers. His seventh-place finish at Homestead-Miami Speedway in the finale was more than enough to retain the crown. 

2008: Kyle Busch's miserable Chase run

In his first year with Joe Gibbs Racing, Kyle Busch immediately looked like the driver to beat. Coming over from Hendrick Motorsports, Busch won eight of the first 22 races in the 2008 season, carrying significant momentum into The Chase.

But as soon as the postseason began, Busch's stellar campaign went down the tubes.

He won the pole for the opener at New Hampshire Motor Speedway, but a suspension piece came loose in his No. 18 Toyota, making the car extremely difficult to drive. He finished 34th before an engine failure a week later at Dover Motor Speedway, immediately putting himself behind the 8-ball.

Busch added two more finishes of 28th or worse over the final eight races and faded all the way to 10th in the final championship standings. 

Jimmie Johnson went on to win his third straight title, holding off Carl Edwards. Busch, Johnson and Edwards combined to win 24 of 36 races that season. 

2009: Mark Martin's resurgence

At age 50, Mark Martin joined Hendrick Motorsports and teamed with crew chief Alan Gustafson for one of the best years of his career. Some questioned the move as Martin had just four wins over the previous nine seasons, but the seasoned veteran quickly made his mark.

Martin won five races, including The Chase opener at New Hampshire Motor Speedway, to extend his points lead in a victory that served as his final Cup Series triumph.

Ultimately, Martin couldn't hold off teammate Jimmie Johnson as Johnson won four times in The Chase to bank his fourth consecutive title. But it served as one of the greatest "Cinderella" stories in NASCAR history as Martin finished second overall for the fifth time in his storied career.

2013: Johnson becomes a six-time champion

Jimmie Johnson thwarted an early threat from his friend, Matt Kenseth, to hang on for his sixth championship.

Kenseth, in his first season with Joe Gibbs Racing, won the first two Chase races, but Johnson finished ninth or better in all but one postseason event. Johnson won at Texas Motor Speedway to take the points lead with two races remaining and stayed out of trouble at Phoenix Raceway and Homestead-Miami Speedway to return to championship glory for the first time in three seasons. 

Johnson won championships in six of the 10 seasons determined by The Chase, and picked up his seventh title in 2016 after NASCAR transitioned to an elimination format.