Jimmie Johnson, driver of NASCAR’s famed Lowe’s 48 Sprint Cup race car needed only to finish 23rd or better to spoil Matt Kenseth’s career season, and Johnson was on cruise control most of the day at Homestead-Miami Speedway. Johnson’s one issue of the day came when traffic stacked-up on a restart and he and Kenseth made slight contact, causing Johnson to plunge 15 spots in the field with damage to his fender.
He rallied to finish ninth and beat Kenseth for the title by 19 points. Now looming large in Johnson’s windshield is the mark of seven titles held by Richard Petty and the late Dale Earnhardt. Johnson barely got to finish his celebratory burnouts before the debate began about just where his “Six-pack” of titles falls into NASCAR history.
