HOMESTEAD, Fla. (AP) -- Jimmie Johnson has won a NASCAR record fourth consecutive championship with a fifth-place finish in the finale at Homestead-Miami Speedway.
Johnson needed only to finish 25th or better to beat teammate Mark Martin in the race, won by Denny Hamlin, to give team owner Rick Hendrick his own NASCAR record, a 12th championship.
Johnson did better than that in a sometimes-testy Sunday drive into history. He was at times annoyed at rival drivers and even Jeff Gordon, the mentor and teammate who helped him land his job with Hendrick Motorsports.
Nobody gave Johnson anything, either. The other drivers raced hard around him all day, making Johnson earn every point while sending Martin to a fifth runner-up finish in the final standings.
(Copyright 2009 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)
