HOMESTEAD, FL. – Jimmie Johnson won his third straight NASCAR Sprint Cup Series championship on Sunday at the Homestead-Miami Speedway after quietly finishing 15th in the season-ending Ford 400.
 
Johnson had a close last few weeks with second-place Carl Edwards clicking off two wins in the last three races, closing the gap in the standings.
 
Edwards won Sunday in Homestead but after padding his points position last weekend in Phoenix, all Johnson had to do was finish 36th or better, enabling him to finish out the season slow and steady.
 
That seemed to be the path of the No. 48 team throughout the 36-race season. While Kyle Busch gained much attention early in the season, leading the Toyota charge with eight wins, Johnson and crew chief Chad Knaus, seemingly without notice, notched seven wins, 15 top-five and 22 top-10 finishes of their own.
 
The consistency led the 33-year old Johnson and 37-year-old Knaus to history. Johnson is the first driver since Cale Yarborough to win three-straight titles. Knaus is now the first crew chief to win three-straight titles.
 
“It’s not just about the last three years if you look at it,” Knaus said. “The 48 team has been together since 2002. I enjoy coming to work with these guys. Everyday that I pull into Hendrick Motorsports and I see the facility that we’ve got and know the people that we’ve got behind us, it makes me really happy.”
 
The Hendrick Motorsports duo kept a steady pace leading up to the final 10-Chase race format. Busch dominated the “regular season” notching eight wins. The points reset with the Chase however, erased his early lead and put Johnson squarely within reach. He started the Chase third in points, 40 behind Busch and 10 behind Edwards.
 
Once the Chase kicked off in New Hampshire, Busch suffered a downward spiral. Mechanical troubles bit him and he lost early ground that he was never able to recover from.
 
It was then that Johnson began his pursuit.
 
He won the third race of the Chase in Kansas and moved atop the standings. From that point on, he never relented. 
 
Edwards remained within striking distance but bad luck bit him at Talladega and Charlotte while Johnson notched top-10 finishes in those events, followed by a win in Martinsville.
 
Edwards tried to fight back, scoring wins at Atlanta and Texas. Johnson had an uncharacteristic day in Texas and Edwards gained a few points, but with a win the following week in Phoenix, he stabilized the lead, allowing him to enter Homestead with a 141-point advantage.
 
“What a special year,” Johnson said. “I am so proud of this race team. We got off to a slow start and we really worked hard to get back in championship form. I am really proud of Hendrick Motorsports.
 
“I want to commend Carl Edwards and the effort he put forth. Those guys put a lot of pressure on us this year and they are going to be championship threats for years to come.”
 
Odds 'N' Ends

Johnson won the last two championships under the Nextel branding. After Nextel and Sprint merged, 2008 was the first season under the Sprint name.
 
It is also the first championship awarded after a full season of competing with the “new car.”
 
Regan Smith claimed the Raybestos Rookie of the Year honors over Sam Hornish Jr. Hornish failed to qualify for the season finale. Smith is the first rookie in the 52-year history of the program to not have a DNF (did not finish). He may have had a rewarding season but his future remains in question. Though he is the first driver to win the top rookie honors for Dale Earnhardt, Inc., DEI recently merged with Chip Ganassi Racing. Plans regarding Smith’s future with the newly formed team have not been announced.
 
2003 champion Matt Kenseth finished 11th in the final point standings and Dale Earnhardt Jr. was 12th. Neither driver will appear at the season-ending awards banquet in New York City in two weeks. Only the top 10 drivers of the 12-man Chase are recognized.