Hendrick Motorsports' Jimmie Johnson wins record-setting fourth consecutive Cup title
Hendrick Motorsports' Jimmie Johnson celebrates clinching his fourth consecutive NASCAR Cup championship Sunday at Homestead-Miami Speedway. // David Griffin, NASCAR Scene
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HOMESTEAD, Fla. – Hendrick Motorsports driver Jimmie Johnson reached rarefied air Sunday at Homestead-Miami Speedway, winning his fourth consecutive NASCAR Cup championship.
Johnson finished fifth in the Ford 400, more than enough to clinch the title over Hendrick teammate Mark Martin.
Johnson becomes the fourth driver with four Cup championships overall, joining seven-time title-holders Richard Petty and Dale Earnhardt and four-time champ Jeff Gordon.
Johnson is the first driver to win four straight titles, topping Cale Yarborough’s mark of three straight that Johnson matched last year. Yarborough won three titles in a row from 1976-78.
“I am just blown away by the things we've been able to accomplish over the last eight years in the sport,” Johnson said. “Obviously the last four years have been just unbelievable. To love the sport like I do and respect it like I do, and the history, the pioneers of this sport from Bill France Sr., to the Petty family, you go through many eras up to Mr. [Rick] Hendrick and what he's done over the last 25 [years]. To look at all of that and to have done something that's never been done in the sport before is so, so amazing and something I am so proud of.
“I've always set my marks high and really wanted to try to set high marks and all those kinds of things, but I had no clue this stuff would happen. Just so honored, so happy, so fortunate.”
Team owner Rick Hendrick not only won his ninth title with the championship, but also watched Johnson, Martin and Jeff Gordon finish in the top three in the standings, the first time an owner has done that in Cup history.
Hendrick, unfortunately, wasn’t here to witness NASCAR history. He left Homestead to be with his niece, Alesha Gainey, 29, who is being prepared for an emergency liver transplant, Hendrick Motorsports general manager Marshall Carlson announced Sunday afternoon.
“I think that for Hendrick Motorsports, I know what Rick would say is that he has been blessed with the opportunity to work with some amazing people, and Jimmie and [crew chief] Chad [Knaus] are among those, and there have been champions before that have earned those championships,” Carlson said. “But you know, I think maybe this is one opportunity where someone else gets to sit up here and say what an incredible leader Rick Hendrick has been for our organization.”
Johnson hesitated to place his achievement in the history of the sport, but looking objectively, his four titles in a row rank well against any other major NASCAR record.
“I think it's up there,” Johnson said. “You know, the fact that nobody has done this, I think it puts me near the top. I certainly look at the seven championships by both [Dale] Earnhardt and [Richard] Petty, their race wins, their being in the sport for the number of years and all that they've done. Those two guys are kind of at a draw at the top.
“Hopefully my stats and win totals and championship totals can rival theirs. But it puts us up there, it really does. And the cool thing is we're not done yet. We've got a lot of racing left ahead of us. So hopefully we can improve on that.”
Hendrick's ninth championship tied the organization with Petty Enterprises for the most owners’ titles. Petty owns 10 driver championships, three with Lee Petty in addition to the seven with Richard Petty.
Knaus, the leader of the No. 48 team, became the third crew chief to win four Cup championships, joining Kirk Shelmerdine (four) and Dale Inman (eight). Knaus is the only crew chief to win four consecutive titles.
“Man, what a fantastic job by this team this year,” Knaus said. “I can't say enough about the way that the guys worked. They really focused on what we needed to do to get into the Chase [For The Sprint Cup], get ourselves in position to be able to go out there and try to battle for this championship. I couldn't be prouder of everybody at Hendrick Motorsports. To have three cars in the top five [in points], that's pretty amazing. …
“People ask what's it feel like, and I'm [going] be honest with you, and I don't know, so if you ask me I'm going to tell you I don't know. I hope that 10 years from now when I'm sitting on my patio retired with my son or daughter or my wife or whatever is going on there, I can sit back and reflect and look at photographs …”
That’s when Johnson interrupted.
“I have three questions: Retired, son and daughter?” Johnson said. “You have a lot to do in 10 years, buddy.”
Knaus said he’s unlikely to remain a crew chief for 10 more years, though he wasn’t sure which direction his career will go over the next decade.
“I always said I was going to open a scuba shop in the Caribbean, so we might do that,” Knaus said.
That could be the only way to slow the juggernaut that is the No. 48 team.
And according to Hendrick Motorsports, only three major professional sports teams have won more than four consecutive titles: The National Basketball Association's Boston Celtics (eight in a row from the 1958-59 season to the 1965-66 season, Major League Baseball’s New York Yankees (five in a row from 1949-53) and the National Hockey League's Montreal Canadiens (five in a row from 1956-60).
