Jimmie Johnson wins seventh NASCAR championship

Jimmie Johnson joined the two biggest names in NASCAR history – Richard Petty and Dale Earnhardt – as seven-time Cup season champions Sunday night.

“I’m like, you’ve got to be kidding me”. The 48 was pulled from the grid, then placed in back. “I couldn’t go to bed tonight and think that I gave him that lane”. “I don’t know. It’s not really all that surprising. I want to make sure that – I don’t want to be anything extra to mess with Joey”. “It has and I just can’t believe it”. Following one last caution, on the race’s final restart, the No. 48 auto pushed past Kyle Larson on the inside line to take the lead, and held off all comers to take the win. Standard procedure in NASCAR races is for drivers involved in any wreck to visit the infield care center for a checkup, but there’s no rule that says the driver must ride there. With 15 laps to go he appeared on the way to his long-awaited first Cup title before a minor incident involving also-ran Dylan Lupton brought the caution flag out.

Edwards’ smashed vehicle didn’t finish the race.

However, those drivers were lucky compared to the terrifying scene of flames leaping up in front, and from behind, Truex’s auto. In Year 3 of the new Chase, it’s clear the one-race playoff at Homestead-Miami Speedway has generated enough excitement to make it stick around. Said Edwards later, of the restart, “I thought everything was going to work out”.

“I think the fact that we were in the position we were today to tie history, you know, even people wearing other hats and other tee shirts that normally shoot me the bird were holding up seven”, Johnson said. I just wanted to race. “I was actually stunned because we had so many ups and downs in that race”. “It was a whole lot of fun, right until the end”. It was a really good restart. I went to his house. “I knew what Jason was saying, and I just pushed the issue as far as I could, because I figured that was the race”.

Johnson led only three laps all night long, but they were the three that mattered – the final three.

Larson wasn’t the only non-Chaser to spend significant laps up front.

Kevin Harvick finished third, while Logano recovered to be fourth.

The benefactor of Edwards’ error, though, was Johnson, who had darted through the wreck ahead of Busch and Logano. For the first time in Johnson’s career, he finished outside of the top-10 in the standings. But three slow pit stops kept him from mounting a more serious challenge.

“Oh my gosh; there is no, no way on earth”, Johnson said.

Despite constant tinkering by longtime crew chief Chad Knaus, Johnson never seemed comfortable. Edwards’ accident gave him a chance Johnson didn’t have a mere five laps earlier. “Probably the coolest thing about the day was coming down pit road and high fiving all those guys”. Jamie McMurray, Busch, Matt Kenseth, A.J. Allmendinger, Denny Hamlin and Michael McDowell rounded out the top 10. The best finisher among the four drivers will be the 2016 champion. “It didn’t yield a championship, but I have a lot of pride …” The team did a great job all day. “Some luck came our way and we were able to win the race”.

“I’m sure the world felt like anybody but Jimmie Johnson was going to win the championship with 20 [laps] to go”, said the victor.

Logano didn’t sustain as much damage as Edwards but it was enough to affect the No. 22 auto from catching Jimmie Johnson, the race and championship victor, in overtime despite having four new tires.

Johnson started the Ford EcoBoost 400 last, a result of an inspection irregularity. No matter who sponsors the series – and it won’t be called Sprint Cup next season – Johnson owns it.

Defending NASCAR champion Kyle Busch has dropped a lap down in the season finale, potentially damaging his title hopes.

But yesterday at Homestead-Miami Speedway all day long Johnson battled just to stay in contention at the final race of the 2016 NASCAR season the Ford Eco-Boost 400.