Never did he expect to be a champion.
Especially four times over.
Johnson bulldozed his way into the record books by becoming the first driver in NASCAR history to win four consecutive championships, finishing fifth in Sunday's season-finale at Homestead-Miami Speedway. He joins Richard Petty (7), Dale Earnhardt (7) and teammate Jeff Gordon (4) as the only drivers to win more than three titles.
"To do something that's never been done in the sport, and love the sport like I do and respect it like I do and the greats - Petty, Earnhardt, Gordon - to do something they have never done is so awesome," Johnson said. "And to win four championships in eight years, what this team has done - this is unbelievable."
Yes, it is.
Johnson now stands atop NASCAR as a one-man dynasty, much like Tiger Woods, Roger Federer and Lance Armstrong in their sports.
Only Johnson hasn't been feted under a blizzard of confetti by himself. His mighty Hendrick Motorsports team rules NASCAR the way UCLA once dominated the hardwood or Michael Jordan's Chicago Bulls reigned supreme.
Johnson's title gave team owner Rick Hendrick a record 12th NASCAR championship, on a day that saw the team take the top three spots in the final standings. Mark Martin wound up with his fifth runner-up finish in the standings, while Jeff Gordon was third.
