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2007:

Two in a Row for Johnson

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By Ben White

Driving the No. 48 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet, Jimmie Johnson posted 10 wins and 24 top-10 finishes on the way to securing his second consecutive NASCAR Cup Series championship and seventh title for team owner Rick Hendrick.

From 2002 until 2006, Johnson and crew chief Chad Knaus amassed 24 victories, finished second in points in 2003 and 2004 and claimed their first championship in 2006. The dynamic duo felt they had the strongest team and could successfully defend their crown.

North Carolina Moonshine and Motorsports Trail

Johnson began the season by suffering a crash in the season-opening Daytona 500. The El Cajon, California, native finished 39th in the 43-car field and knew he had his work cut out for him to get his title hopes back on track. He rebounded with a victory at Las Vegas Motor Speedway two weeks later and returned to fourth in points. 

Johnson remained in the top-five in points through the July 4 event at Daytona International Speedway but fell to seventh at Chicagoland Speedway with a crash and a 37th-place finish.

A second crash at Indianapolis a week later and a 39th-place finish dropped him even further back to ninth. The path toward defending the title wasn’t looking promising.

Then, three top-5 finishes and wins at California and Richmond returned Johnson to the points lead. He was among the top three in points for the remainder of the season.

Consecutive wins at Martinsville, Atlanta, Texas and Phoenix during the Chase iced the championship.

In the final points tally, Johnson bested teammate Jeff Gordon by 77 points.

NEW YORK – NOVEMBER 27: Jimmie Johnson (R), the 2007 NASCAR Nextel Cup Series Champion and crew chief Chad Knaus pose during a New York City Landmark Tour on November 27, 2007 in New York City. (Photo by Chris Trotman/Getty Images for NASCAR)

2007

PRESIDENT: GEORGE W. BUSH

NO. 1 AT THE BOX OFFICE: SPIDER-MAN 3

MOVIES TO WATCH: TRANSFORMERS AND RATATOUILLE

NO. 1 SONG: “IRREPLACEABLE” BY BEYONCE

GALLON OF GAS: $2.80

POP CULTURE: REALITY TV SHOWS PROVIDED PEOPLE A PLATFORM TO LIVE THEIR DREAMS. SHOWS SUCH AS “DANCING WITH THE STARS” AND “AMERICAN IDOL” ENJOYED UNPARALLELED RATINGS.

BEST DRIVER

Jimmie Johnson, driver of the No. 48 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet, recorded 10 wins, 24 top-10 finishes and four pole positions. Johnson suffered through ebbs and flows during the 2007 schedule but was able to edge teammate Jeff Gordon by 77 points for his second consecutive NASCAR Cup Series championship. Johnson’s ability to communicate with crew chief Chad Knaus made them a force to be reckoned with throughout the 36-race season.

BEST RACE

On June 4, Martin Truex Jr., driving the No. 1 Dale Earnhardt Inc. Chevrolet, led 216 of 400 laps at Dover Motor Speedway to claim his first Cup Series victory. Ryan Newman, Carl Edwards and Denny Hamlin chased him under the checkered flag. The race featured 18 lead changes and seven caution periods spanning 35 laps. A second-generation driver from nearby Mayetta, New Jersey, the one-mile Dover oval is Truex’s home track.

TOP CARS

Jimmie Johnson’s No. 48 Hendrick Motorsports Lowe’s Chevrolet went to Victory Lane 10 times and had 24 top-10 finishes.

The No. 24 Hendrick Motorsports DuPont Chevrolet, driven by Jeff Gordon, recorded six wins and 30 top-10 results.

2007 Series Recap

DATE | LOCATION | WINNER

Feb. 18 | Daytona International Speedway | Kevin Harvick

Feb. 25 | Auto Club Speedway | Matt Kenseth

March 11 | Las Vegas Motor Speedway | Jimmie Johnson

March 18 | Atlanta Motor Speedway | Jimmie Johnson

March 25 | Bristol Motor Speedway | Kyle Busch

April 1 | Martinsville Speedway | Jimmie Johnson

April 15 | Texas Motor Speedway | Jeff Burton

April 21 | Phoenix Raceway | Jeff Gordon

April 29 | Talladega Superspeedway | Jeff Gordon

May 6 | Richmond Raceway | Jimmie Johnson

May 13 | Darlington Raceway | Jeff Gordon

May 27 | Charlotte Motor Speedway | Casey Mears

June 4 | Dover Motor Speedway | Martin Truex Jr.

June 10 | Pocono Raceway | Jeff Gordon

June 17 | Michigan International Speedway | Carl Edwards

June 24 | Sonoma Raceway Juan | Pablo Montoya

July 1 | New Hampshire Motor Speedway | Denny Hamlin

July 7 | Daytona International Speedway | Jamie McMurray

July 15 | Chicagoland Speedway | Tony Stewart

July 29 | Indianapolis Motor Speedway | Tony Stewart

Aug. 5 | Pocono Raceway | Kurt Busch

Aug. 12 | Watkins Glen International | Tony Stewart

Aug. 21 | Michigan International Speedway | Kurt Busch

Aug. 25 | Bristol Motor Speedway | Carl Edwards

Sept. 2 | Auto Club Speedway | Jimmie Johnson

Sept. 8 | Richmond Raceway | Jimmie Johnson

Sept. 16 | New Hampshire Motor Speedway | Clint Bowyer

Sept. 23 | Dover Motor Speedway | Carl Edwards

Sept. 30 | Kansas Speedway | Greg Biffle

Oct. 7 | Talladega Superspeedway | Jeff Gordon

Oct. 13 | Charlotte Motor Speedway | Jeff Gordon

Oct. 21 | Martinsville Speedway | Jimmie Johnson

Oct. 28 | Atlanta Motor Speedway | Jimmie Johnson

Nov. 4 | Texas Motor Speedway | Jimmie Johnson

Nov. 11 | Phoenix Raceway | Jimmie Johnson

Nov. 18 | Homestead-Miami Speedway | Matt Kenseth

North Carolina Moonshine and Motorsports Trail

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