Auto | Driver Jimmie Johnson wins his 4th NASCAR Sprint Cup Series title in a row

HOMESTEAD, Fla. — Jimmie Johnson was chasing much more than a championship.

He also was chasing NASCAR history.

The most dominant driver of this decade won a record fourth consecutive Sprint Cup Series championship Sunday at Homestead-Miami Speedway, where he raced hard to finish fifth when 25th place or better would have got the job done.

In doing so, Johnson joined Richard Petty (seven), Dale Earnhardt (seven) and teammate Jeff Gordon (four) as the lone drivers to win more than three titles.

"The cool thing is, we're not done yet," Johnson said.

All he ever wanted was a chance to race against the best and perhaps win a race or two.

Never did he expect to be a champion, especially four times in a row.

"I grew up on two wheels in the dirt," the 34-year-old Californian said. "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."

Johnson bulldozed his way into the record books, pouncing when the 10-race, 12-driver Chase for the Sprint Cup title began to pull team owner Rick Hendrick into the record books with him. Johnson's title gave a record 12th overall championship to Hendrick, who was in North Carolina with a niece who was undergoing an emergency liver transplant.

In Hendrick's absence, Johnson, Mark Martin and Gordon celebrated a 1-2-3 finish in the final points, the second time in NASCAR history a team owner has swept the standings.

"Heavy hearts and prayers with the boss man and the family," Martin said. "That sort of takes a little bit of the shine off of it. But congratulations to Hendrick Motorsports, to Jimmie Johnson — Superman — and to my team."

Superman, indeed.

There seemingly are plenty of chances left for Johnson's tag team, with crew chief Chad Knaus, to keep Hendrick and the No. 48 Chevrolet in the title hunt for another decade.

Johnson recently signed a contract extension to drive for Hendrick through 2015.

Johnson doesn't want to take anything for granted.

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

Denny Hamlin won the Ford 400 and established himself as a driver to watch next year by winning a career-high four Cup races this season. He ended up fifth in the standings.

"I promise you, the next couple years, we're going to win the championship," Hamlin said.

Greg Biffle of Vancouver, Wash., was 14th in the race and finished seventh in the standings.

Kasey Kahne of Enumclaw was 17th in the finale and 10th in the standings.