For the first time in five years Jimmie Johnson came to the NASCAR finale not leading the points. Yet he left with a record-breaking fifth-straight Sprint Cup title.
Denny Hamlin, a pre-season favorite who won eight Cup races during the year, seemed the likely candidate to end Johnson’s streak at four only an incident on lap 25 ended that dream.
Jimmie Johnson, who started sixth and finished, second, was almost a loss for words after the 400- mile race at the Homestead Miami Speedway.
"At times we didn't have the most speed," Jimmie Johnson told reporters "but we proved it here at the end of the Chase and especially here today. I am just beside myself. Four was amazing. Now I have to figure out what the hell to say about winning five of these things because everybody is going to want to know what it means. I don't know! It is pretty damn awesome I can tell you that."
It was Hendrick Motorsports tenth Cup Championship.
Hamlin’s brush with race winner Carl Edwards’ teammate Greg Biffle effectively, eventually, decided the title.
Describing his car Hamlin said "just unbelievably fast at the beginning, and I knew we had a car that could contend for a win, and obviously when we got in that incident on the back straightaway, it tore up the front and knocked the toe out and obviously the car did not drive as well for the rest of the day."
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| The three rivals. (Photo: Jerry Markland/Getty Images for NASCAR) |
Denny Hamlin, a pre-season favorite who won eight Cup races during the year, seemed the likely candidate to end Johnson’s streak at four only an incident on lap 25 ended that dream.
Jimmie Johnson, who started sixth and finished, second, was almost a loss for words after the 400- mile race at the Homestead Miami Speedway.
"At times we didn't have the most speed," Jimmie Johnson told reporters "but we proved it here at the end of the Chase and especially here today. I am just beside myself. Four was amazing. Now I have to figure out what the hell to say about winning five of these things because everybody is going to want to know what it means. I don't know! It is pretty damn awesome I can tell you that."
 |
| Jimie Johnson (Photo: Rusty Jarrett/Getty Images for NASCAR) |
It was Hendrick Motorsports tenth Cup Championship.
Hamlin’s brush with race winner Carl Edwards’ teammate Greg Biffle effectively, eventually, decided the title.
Describing his car Hamlin said "just unbelievably fast at the beginning, and I knew we had a car that could contend for a win, and obviously when we got in that incident on the back straightaway, it tore up the front and knocked the toe out and obviously the car did not drive as well for the rest of the day."