Jimmy Johnson Cruises to His Fourth Consecutive NASCAR Sprint Cup Championship

Jimmy Johnson and Chad Knaus have teamed up for their fourth consecutive NASCAR Sprint Cup Championship along with car Owners Rick Hendrick and Jeff Gordon, who owns a percentage of the Lowes #48 team. Jeff Gordon now has four Nascar driving titles and four owners titles. Jimmy Johnson finished sixth to take the championship over Mark Martin by 141 points. Martin has finished 2nd in the points five times now.

Johnson wins four out of the ten Chase races

Johnson won 4 of the 10 Chase races to capture the title. His only bobble during the Chase was two weeks ago at Texas. Johnson got caught up in wreck with Roger Penske driver Sam Hornisch. The damage was extensive and allowed Mark Martin to make up 80 points. Johnson then proceeded to dash Martin's hopes by winning at Phoenix and taking a 108 point lead into the final race at Homestead.

Johnson would have had to finish 26th or worse and Martin would have to lead the most laps and win the race to take the championship from the #48 team. That did not happen and Johnson won his fourth straight title and Mark Martin came in second for the title for the fifth time.

Johnson whines about drivers racing him?

During the race Jimmy Johnson was begging and pleading to his fellow competitors to "give him room" and once asking of Clint Bowyer, "What does he think he's doing?". I never knew it was a cast in stone that the incoming champ was suppose to have his path to the title laid out in front of him like the last day of the Tour De France. Where no one challenges the leader and they give him plenty of room.

Note to Jimmy Johnson in racing you have to earn your titles. The other drivers are racing also. The fact that Johnson would ask such a thing makes him look that much more despicable. Who is Johnson to say, "Get out of my way I'm destined to be the champ". The entire entitlement factor in regards to Hendrick Motor sports is getting old with the fans also.

Johnson's rise to the Nascar Elite

Johnson's career began in off road truck racing with the SCORE Off Road and Mickey Thompson stadium truck racing. Johnson raced in off road through the mid 90's until he teamed up with Herzog Motorsports in 98. He joined ASA full time that year and finished fourth, earning rookie of the year. Johnson then moved to full time Busch Grand National racing for Herzog Motorsports. His career there was uneventful until he hooked up with Chad Knaus his crew chief.

In 2000 Johnson met Jeff Gordon and asked him for advice on how to get into Nascar's prestigious Sprint Cup series (at the time Winston Cup). Gordon kept Johnson in mind and when the time came in 2002 to start a new Hendrick Motorsports Team he made the call to Johnson. At the time Johnson had only won one Busch Grand National Race.

Johnson was teamed with Chad Knaus on the #48 Lowes team and won his first race at California Motor Speedway in April of 2002. Johnson was a front runner in the top ten every year and won his first Nascar Sprint Cup title in 2006 and hasn't lost a title since.