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Johnson Wins Seventh Championship With Victory At Homestead

Winner Jimmie Johnson celebrates showing seven fingers, with help from his crew. [Joe Jennings Photo]

Winner Jimmie Johnson celebrates showing seven fingers, with help from his crew. [Joe Jennings Photo]

Johnson stars in Sprint Cup finale, winning championship and tying Earnhardt and Petty

By Joe Jennings

HOMESTEAD, FLA. – Jimmie Johnson accomplished the seemingly impossible with a come-from-behind victory in the Ford EcoBoost 400, securing the 2016 NASCAR Sprint Cup Championship. In doing so, he captured his seventh crown, moving him into a first-place tie with Richard Petty and the late Dale Earnhardt.

Noted Petty, “Records are a mark, and they set something for everyone to shoot at. They did what they needed to do. Congratulations to him and his team.”

“Oh my gosh, there is no, no way on earth I thought we could win,” Johnson said in an excited voice. “It is just beyond words. Just didn’t think the race was unfolding for us like we needed to do to be the champs, but we just kept our heads in the game. Chad (Knaus) called a great strategy, made some great adjustments for the short runs. Luck came our way and we were able to win the race and win the championship. I am so thrilled to be in this moment and so grateful for the opportunity and so thankful and blessed. I am at a loss for words.”

On tying Petty and Earnhardt, he stated, “It’s big. It has a different meaning. The No. 7 has a very special place in my heart with Ricky Hendrick, as a lot of people know. For some reason I just felt good and calm today and things just kind of unfolded at the end for us. I know it was help from above. In my heart I wanted to believe it would happen. It has and I just can’t believe it. Thank you so much!”

Asked about the status of his heart, the new champion said, “My heart is so full. I had this crazy calmness over myself all day long leading in to this. Even with us running fifth and the championship not looking like it was going to be there. I just felt something. My heart was full because I was thinking of some loved one. Ricky Hendrick and his influence of me being in this race car. Dedicating the #Se7en hashtag to him and kind of building up to this. Something happened from above. It was those late restarts that gave us this opportunity.”

In 15 seasons, Johnson posted his 80th career win.

Driving the Lowe’s Chevrolet owned by Hendrick Motorsports, Johnson gave the team its 12th owner championship. The team has won 12 of the last 22 Sprint Cup championships.
Starting last due to unauthorized changes to the car, Johnson stormed through the field to catch up with Chase contenders Carl Edwards, Joey Logano and Kyle Busch. The quartet ran in top-10 during much of the long race to the delight of the sellout crowd, but they only led 57 laps in total.

Edwards was in command as the race wound down, but then bedlam broke out after the sixth caution field bunched the field with 10 laps to go. At the drop of the green, Edwards sought to block the fast-moving Logano, triggering a nine-car melee that saw Edwards wrecking and Martin Truex Jr.’s car on fire.

The wreck brought out a red flag.

For the restart, Kyle Larson, who led 132 laps, was at the point trailed by Kevin Harvick, Busch and Johnson. Due to the incident with Edwards, Logano got shuffled back in the field. The final yellow flag came out four to go when Ricky Stenhouse Jr. crashed, setting up a dash to the checkered flag.

Larson finished second followed by Harvick, Logano, Jamie McMurray, Busch, Matt Kenseth, A. J. Allmendinger, Denny Hamlin and Michael McDowell.

Said Logano, “Any you put so much on the line and you have a late race restart, you know it’s going to get crazy. It hurts and we came so close on that last restart, but just didn’t get it done.”

From Busch, “All in all, we fought hard and gave it all we had.”

Edwards took the blame for his wreck and he apologized to Logano’s team.

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