Jimmie Johnson Wins Fourth Straight Championship

Sports News - November 23rd, 2009 - Written by Jimmy

Jimmie Johnson became just the fourth driver in NASCAR history to win more than three championships on Sunday.

In the season finale, Johnson finished fifth at Homestead-Miami Speedway when a 25-place finish would've secured the win, joining him with Dale Earnhardt, Richard Petty and Jeff Gordon as the winningest drivers in history.

There's no doubt who the winningest driver in this era is. Admittedly just picking up the sport to compete against the best and perhaps win a couple races, Johnson has burst onto the scene and remained there every season since 2006. He is the first driver to ever win four-straight.

"I grew up on two wheels in the dirt," he told ESPN. "I had no clue I was going to end up here racing stock cars and doing something that had never been done before. To do something that's never been done in the sport, and love the sport like I do and respect it like I do and the greats -- Petty, Earnhardt, Gordon -- to do something they have never done is so awesome.

"And to win four championships in eight years, what this team has done -- this is unbelievable."

Owner Rick Hendrick also shared the spotlight on the historic night. Johnson's team owner won his 12th overall title, a first in NASCAR history, and is the owner of all three cars that finished in the top-3 of the NASCAR Standings. Mark Martin finished in second and Jeff Gordon was the show.

And it doesn't look like Hendrick Motorsports is going anywhere. Johnson signed a five-year extension recently, extending his tenure with crew chief Chad Knaus until at least 2015.

"I don't know if we'll win another championship," Johnson told ESPN. "I feel in my heart we'll be competitive, but at some point in time, we won't be that team."

In a celebration that resembled the PGA Playoff Championship, it was a bizarre celebration that almost ignored the Homestead winner, Denny Hamlin, who finished just ahead of Jeff Burton to secure his fourth win this year.

"We're going to be there, I promise you," Hamlin, who was hurt by failing to finish three races, said. "I promise you, the next couple years, we're going to win the championship. But right now, there's no one more deserving than Jimmie."

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