NASCAR | Johnson repeats as Cup champ

HOMESTEAD, Fla. — After 400 miles of staying conservative Sunday, sitting in his No. 48 Chevrolet didn't sit so well with Jimmie Johnson.

Idling in Turn 4 while television conducted several postrace interviews and took a commercial break, Johnson had to wait nearly 10 minutes to celebrate after clinching his second consecutive NASCAR Nextel Cup Series championship.

Shortly before finally being given the signal to drive in front of a stage at Homestead-Miami Speedway, Johnson had a message for the Hendrick Motorsports crew.

"You guys better be ready to get rowdy when I get out of this damned race car," he said. "We're going to tear it up tonight."

The 32-year-old later partied with teammates at a South Beach nightclub.

Johnson probably was ready to turn his emotions loose after clinching the championship with a workmanlike performance, unlike the spectacular surge that carried him to a commanding lead in the Chase for the Nextel Cup.

Johnson finished seventh in the Ford 400, won by Matt Kenseth.

It was an uncharacteristically subdued result for Johnson after winning the previous four races on the circuit, but more than enough to become the first driver to finish on top in NASCAR's premier series in back-to-back seasons since Jeff Gordon (1997 and 1998).

"We would have loved to have won our fifth in a row but the big prize was the championship," said Johnson, who finished 77 points ahead of Hendrick teammate Gordon in the final standings.

"We knew that streak would come to an end."

Johnson won the pole position Friday. But after securing five bonus points by pacing the first lap, Johnson didn't lead another lap.

Kenseth led a race-high 214 laps in winning his final race with crew chief Robbie Reiser, who is being promoted to general manager of Roush Fenway Racing.

Johnson kept Gordon in sight and didn't force the issue, as he had in gambling for recent victories in Georgia and Texas.

Johnson conceded it was "tough not to go" with a car he felt could have finished among the top three.

"We were being smart," Johnson said. "We played our cards right."

Note

• Vancouver, Wash., native Greg Biffle, who won the Ford 400 the previous three years, settled for 13th place and ended up 14th in the season standings.

Kasey Kahne of Enumclaw was 24th in the race and finished 19th in points.