Catchfence

History was made this past Sunday when Jimmie Johnson became the first driver in NASCAR’s 53-year history to have won five-consecutive Sprint Cup Series Championships.  Entering the final race at Homestead-Miami Speedway, Johnson trailed Denny Hamlin by 15 points but was able to run a mistake-free race and finish second behind Carl Edwards, guaranteeing him yet another title.  In years past, the last few races of the Chase were anticlimactic because he was so dominant and had essentially all but locked up the points title, but this season things were different.  Despite winning six races he had a hard time putting away the competition and kept the door open for others to catch up.  Hamlin led NASCAR with eight wins this season and made Johnson work hard for his fifth title, but in the end the 15-point deficit wasn’t enough to hold him back.  Now, Johnson has his sights on another record, which both the late Dale Earnhardt Sr. and Richard Petty hold, seven NASCAR championships. – Full Story by Tim Gunter