November 24, 2009

NASCAR- Jimmie Johnson Gets Fourth Consecutive Title of the Sprint Cup

By Stephen Lars

Jimmie Johnson took his fourth straight Chase for the Sprint Cup title after putting off a stupendous performance in the 2009 championship finale.

Johnson won the pole during the classification tests prior to the big event. From that position, he completely committed himself to winning the Ford 400, which was held at the Homestead-Miami Speedway last Sunday. Alas, Johnson was not the driver to cross the finish line at first; however, it was enough for him to finish in fifth place to keep his lead in the general standings and take the championship.

Keeping his car firmly under his control throughout the race, Johnson was able to overcome several incidents on the track that left the competition at a stop. Despite losing first place, Johnson knew how to stay near the group that was leading the challenge.

The race was tight and extremely difficult as a result of the strong rivalry that had been generated between the drivers throughout the long challenge. All fought hard trying to surpass each other with the objective of finishing in the best positions and garnering as many points as they could to occupy a favorable position and ranking by the end of the competition.

Johnson could have completed the race in the twenty-fifth position and still won the major title; however, the #48 Chevrolet driver was not content with an easy win. To the contrary, he displayed his talent as he accelerated strongly throughout the extensive 400-mile journey, moving quickly but carefully to prevent any accidents that might drop him in the placement.

Johnson’s only real danger came from his teammate, Mark Martin, who was located in second place of the overall drivers’ standings and who was the only one who could threaten Johnson’s aspirations for the title.

Yet Johnson did not allow himself to become flustered even when Martin moved in the front for the triumph; the defending champion simply focused on doing his job.

Near the end of the competition, first place was disputed between Kyle Busch and Dennis Hamlin. It was the latter who finally prevailed and crossed the finish linei n first. Johnson stayed close behind to arrive in fifth, gaining his fourth consecutive title and becoming the champion of the top flight NASCAR series.

Johnson’s four wins in a row place him in the NASCAR Sprint Cup history books, a feat no other driver has yet achieved. Thus, Johnson surpasses even the legendary Cale Yarborough, who is the only other driver who has managed to seize the championship in three consecutive seasons.

This triumph for Johnson, who finished the lead with 6,652 points, also represents a momentous moment for Hendrick Motorsports Racing, since the team has managed – for the first time in NASCAR history – to install drivers in all of the top three places of the final classification.

Martin, who in Florida crossed the finish line in twelfth for an additional 127 points, had 5,611 points total, while Jeff Gordon, who finished in sixth with an added 150 points, secured third place in the drivers’ standings.

About the Author
Stephen Lars has been a prominent writer on daily NASCAR races; sports news and the sports book industry for many exceptional sport web sites. You may reprint this article in its full content, please note no modifications to it are accepted.