Awesome win for Johnson

Johnson: Fourth successive title

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Jimmie Johnson made history at Homestead-Miami Speedway in Florida when he won his fourth straight NASCAR title.

Johnson come home fifth in the race, ensuring that he finished ahead of Hendrick Motorsports team-mates Mark Martin and Jeff Gordon in the overall points standings.

"To do something the greats have never done is awesome," Johnson said in Victory Lane. "This is unbelievable."

Denny Hamlin won his fourth race of the season with a brilliant run, coming from the back to claim Toyota's first-ever win at Homestead.

Martin could only stop in 12th in a race where he needed a miracle to win his first title in 27 years of trying.

The race itself was an eventful and exciting one, highlighted by an in-race spat between NASCAR rivals and fellow Chase competitors Juan Pablo Montoya and Tony Stewart, who span each other off the track.

Stewart span Montoya off the track before Montoya returned the 'favour' by doing the same to the No.14 car. He was later black-flagged - stopping him during the race for two laps. He was also told that if he hit anyone else the authorities would disqualify him from the race and end his season early.

But really, the race was all about Johnson.

Johnson was in charge of his own destiny from the beginning, taking the cars around the first corner after starting on pole, and never really looking in danger of giving up his points' position.

Emotional

There were also unprecedented moments during Johnson's victory. Johnson's crew chief, Chad Knaus, was the first crew chief in history to win four championships in a row, and the Hendrick Motorsports 1-2-3 was the first time in history that that had happened.

Unfortunately, team owner Rick Hendrick was not around to see the celebration because of a family emergency.

"Mr Hendrick, we wish you could have been there to celebrate with us," an emotional Johnson continued over his radio while his parents watched on, virtually in tears.

Meanwhile, the driver to watch for 2010 may well be Hamlin, who may have been challenging Johnson for the title if he hadn't crashed out of three Sprint Cup Chase races.

"I promise you in the next two years we'll win a championship," Hamlin said in Victory Lane.

If Johnson can continue his super-powered performance for the last four years, that promise looks far off from coming true.

Final standings: 1 Jimmie Johnson, 2 Mark Martin, 3 Jeff Gordon, 4 Kurt Busch, 5 Denny Hamlin, 6 Tony Stewart, 7 Greg Biffle, 8 Juan Montoya, 9 Ryan Newman, 10 Kasey Kahne, 11 Carl Edwards, 12 Brian Vickers