Does anyone have anything for Johnson, HMS?

NASCAR fans witnessed history in several forms on Sunday following the Ford 400 at Homestead-Miami Speedway.

Jimmie Johnson became the first driver to ever win four-consecutive Cup-level titles when he was declared the Sprint Cup Series Champion for 2009.

“You know, it’s weird, because in the sport, and you’re as good as you were last week, you’re as good as you were the year before, there’s a few marks that we look at,” Johnson said. “It’s just tough to not want to win or win championships, regardless of how many you’ve won or if you have not yet. It’s just what we do. It’s why we put all the time and hours into this deal, and that’s the ultimate reward.“

With his fourth title, Johnson became only the fourth Cup driver to ever win four or more -- joining Hendrick Motorsports teammate Jeff Gordon, also with four, and Ricard Petty and Dale Earnhardt, with four apiece.

Not bad for a kid who grew up in a trailer park in El Cajon, Calif.

“I’ve worked my entire life to be in this position,” Johnson said. “So has (crew chief) Chad (Knaus), so has (team owner) Rick (Hendrick). So it’s not that we backed into any of this. It’s not that it just happened. We’ve gone out and worked really, really hard and have dedicated our lives to it, and it’s paid off. It’s extremely rewarding to have that pay off, and we’re really going to enjoy this.”

The 2009 title for Johnson’s No. 48 team also made history in the crew chief arena, making No. 48 team crew chief Chad Knaus, who has been with Johnson his entire eight-year Sprint Cup career, the only crew chief to ever win four-straight championships.

In winning his fourth title in his eighth year of full-time Sprint Cup Series racing, among drivers who have won at least four, Johnson became the driver to take the least amount of time to claim his fourth chamapionship.

“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. Hendrick and what he’s done over the last 25, 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.”
The history making doesn’t stop there, either.

While Johnson was leading the way in 2009, a couple of his Hendrick Motorsports teammates weren’t far behind.

Mark Martin finished out the 2009 season second in the championship points standings -- the fifth time in his long Sprint Cup Series career that he has done so.

Gordon finished behind Martin in the third position, making team owner Rick Hendrick the first Sprint Cup Series team owner to claim the top-three positions in a single season.

“To have the 24, 48 finishing first and third in points I think speaks volumes about what those guys are doing,” Knaus said.

Johnson’s fourth title marks the ninth Cup championship for Hendrick Motorsports, tying Hendrick with Petty Enterprises for the most Cup-level titles for a single organization.

All of the HMS titles, however, were earned over the last 15 seasons -- the first coming courtesy of Gordon and the No. 24 team in 1995.

“Right now while we’re in the midst of it, it’s exciting, it’s invigorating, and we’re so fortunate to have an owner like Mr. Hendrick,” Knaus said. “He is just an amazing, an amazing person.”

The bulk of those 15 titles, all but one as a matter of fact, were won with either Gordon or Johnson behind the wheel. The lone non-Johnson or Gordon title came courtesy of Terry Labonte in 1996.

Knaus credits Hendrick’s success partly to his management style.

“He doesn’t micromanage,” Knaus said. “He lets the teams do whatever it is they need to do, operate in the means that they need to, and it’s just a fantastic place to work. I’m very honored and privileged to be up here.”

With Johnson and Gordon still in the Hendrick stable -- Gordon has a lifetime contracet with Hendrick, and Johnson recently signed a contract extention to keep him with HMS through the 2015 season -- is Johnson, or Hendrick Motorsports for that matter, finished yet? Not likely.

Several so-called experts, if you will, in the Sprint Cup garage contend that there’s not another team in Sprint Cup Racing right now that can compre to HMS over the course of a season.

With Johnson and Knaus both onboard for 2010 and beyond, and most of the rest of the team looking to remain intact heading into 2010, will the streak end with four or will it continue to grow next season and perhaps beyond?
Only time will tell.

“I don’t know what to really think about a fifth,” Johnson said in the moments after winning his fourth.

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