The NASCAR living legend locked up his fifth-straight Sprint Cup title on Sunday in Miami. Think about that for a second. Five straight. For the last half of a decade, there has been no one else hoisting the trophy at the end of the season.
Say what you will about auto racing's merits as a sport, but the fact remains that Johnson's accomplishments are truly incredible either way.
To dominate what you do, whether it's a sport, your job, a hobby or a craft even, is impressive. To do it for five consecutive years is unheard of, but Johnson continues to do so.
Not only that, but Johnson is doing so at at time when there is more competition than ever in his sport (yes, sport). Johnson has to beat 42 other race teams to get to the top and he just keeps on doing that. All of those teams continue to chase Johnson, crew chief Chad Knaus and the rest of the No. 48 team.
Johnson is the best player on the best team in his sport. That's often forgotten as well. Stock car racing is a team sport. Sure, Johnson gets all of the credit, but the support team around — starting at the top with team owner Rick Hendrick all the way down to the jack guy in Johnson's pit crew — is devoted to winning and it shows.
They've set the bar for NASCAR greatness and with every other driver and team chasing them, continue to push the bar even further.
They have seemingly never-ending desire to be the best, a mark of a true champion. Johnson and Knaus made the bold move to completely overhaul their pit crew with just a handful of races to go. Johnson said it was a tough decision, but also made sure it was clear that the decision was what he and the rest of the team thought would be best.
"We're trying to win a championship," he said. "If feelings get hurt, then so be it."
They made the move and it paid off in the end. Jimmie Johnson is yet again a champion, for an unprecedented fifth consecutive time. That's impressive no matter what sport you're talking about.
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