Editor’s Note: NASCAR is celebrating its 75th anniversary. SPEED SPORT was founded in 1934 and was already on its way to becoming America’s Motorsports Authority when NASCAR was formed. As a result, we will bring you Part 62 of a 75-part series on the history NASCAR.
Few would have believed, in the ultra-competitive sport of NASCAR racing, that winning four championships in a row was possible.
On the other hand, Jimmie Johnson and crew chief Chad Knaus certainly have a way of making the impossible possible. Johnson and Knaus made history by becoming the first team to capture four-straight Sprint Cup championships, earning a series-high seven victories along the way.
The Lowe’s No. 48 team once again dominated the 10-race Chase, winning four times and topping Hendrick Motorsports teammate Mark Martin by 141 points to add another championship trophy to the Hendrick trophy case.
“I’ve always set my marks high and really wanted to try to set high marks and all those kinds of things, but I had no clue this stuff would happen. I’m just so honored, so happy; so fortunate,” said Johnson.
Martin, who won five times on the season, finished second in the standings, while Jeff Gordon who ended a 47-race winless streak with a victory at Texas Motor Speedway in April, completed a sweep of the top three for the Hendrick operation.
Many questioned Tony Stewart’s decision to leave Joe Gibbs Racing and become a partner in Stewart-Haas Racing at the end of 2008.
The two-time Sprint Cup champ left no doubt about his decision by dominating the early portion of the season, leading the points through The Chase cutoff Sept 12. He picked up four victories during the season, as well as $1 million for his first Sprint All-Star Race triumph.
Stewart finished sixth in the standings, while Denny Hamlin also won four races and finished fifth.
Hamlin, though, was one of several drivers to criticize NASCAR’s points system.
“That’s what sucks about this points system,” Hamlin said after consecutive 37th and 42nd-place finishes during The Chase. “You can run your tail off for 24 weeks and it just doesn’t matter.”
Kurt Busch picked up a pair of triumphs and ranked fourth in the final standings.
Joey Logano, nicknamed “Sliced Bread” by Mark Martin several years ago, lived up to his billing by becoming the youngest Sprint Cup winner in series history June 28 at New Hampshire Motor Speedway. He also picked up the Raybestos Rookie of the Year award, topping former Formula 1 driver Scott Speed for the honor.
Matt Kenseth, whom many credit with the creation of The Chase after winning just one race during his 2003 championship season, missed The Chase for the first time despite winning the first two races of the season, including a rain-shortened Daytona 500.
For the second time in 10 months, the Petty name was announced as part of a merger with another NASCAR team in mid-September.
Richard Petty Motorsports, created when Gillett Evernham Motorsports merged with Petty Enterprises, will now merge with Yates Racing. The team plans to field Fords for drivers Kasey Kahne, Elliott Sadler, A.J. Allmendinger and Paul Menard in 2010.
Kahne was the only other driver to win twice in 2009, while Jamie McMurray, Brian Vickers, David Reutimann and Brad Keselowski each made a single trip to victory lane.
A fixture in New York since 1981, the NASCAR Sprint Cup Awards Banquet moved to Las Vegas this year.
The ceremony was held at the Wynn Las Vegas.