All Jimmie Johnson ever wanted was a chance to race with the best in NASCAR. Maybe even win a race or two.
Never did he expect to be a champion.
Especially four times over.
Johnson bulldozed his way into the record books by becoming the first driver in NASCAR history to win four consecutive championships, finishing fifth in Sunday’s season-finale at Homestead-Miami Speedway. He joins Richard Petty (7), Dale Earnhardt (7) and teammate Jeff Gordon (4) as the only drivers to win more than three titles.
“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,” Johnson said. “And to win four championships in eight years, what this team has done — this is unbelievable.”
Yes, it is.
Johnson now stands atop NASCAR as a one-man dynasty, much like Tiger Woods, Roger Federer and Lance Armstrong in their sports.
Only Johnson hasn’t been feted under a blizzard of confetti by himself. His mighty Hendrick Motorsports team rules NASCAR the way UCLA once dominated the hardwood or Michael Jordan’s Bulls reigned supreme.
There are seemingly plenty of chances left for Johnson’s tag-team with crew chief Chad Knaus to keep the No. 48 in the title hunt for another decade.
The 34-year-old Californian on Friday signed a five-year contract extension to drive for Hendrick through 2015, and Knaus has insisted the No. 48 team can keep this pace for the next several years.
“He’s not done yet,” teammate Mark Martin said.
No, he is not.
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Four-peats
Jimmie Johnson’s four straight titles is a rare sports achievement — not even Michael Jordan and the Bulls could reach it. Here are some of the four-peats — or more — in the major pro and college sports.
NBA
Boston: 1958-1966
NHL
Montreal: 1956-1960; 1976-1979
N.Y. Islanders: 1980-1983
MLB
N.Y. Yankees: 1936-1939; 1949-1953
COLLEGE HOOPS
UCLA: 1967-1973
