Jimmie Johnson's spot as one of NASCAR's "greatest drivers has been assured" after he won his seventh Cup championship last night at Homestead-Miami Speedway, tying the record shared by Richard Petty and Dale Earnhardt, according to David Scott of the CHARLOTTE OBSERVER. Petty in a statement after the race said, "Congratulations to him and his team. Jimmie is a great champion and this is really good for our sport" (CHARLOTTE OBSERVER, 11/21). USA TODAY's Jeff Gluck notes now that Johnson has his seventh title, there is "no disputing he’ll be a permanent fixture on NASCAR’s Mount Rushmore." The 41-year-old Johnson is the "youngest to get to seven," and he "might not be done." Gluck: "How high can Johnson set the bar? Maybe he can stand alone at the top with No. 8." He will "certainly have a good shot" in '17 (USA TODAY, 11/21). In Tampa, Martin Fennelly writes Johnson "earned his record-tying seventh NASCAR championship every bit as much as Petty and Earnhardt earned theirs." Johnson's seven title are "more impressive, coming as they have in a true age of NASCAR parity" (TAMPA BAY TIMES, 11/21). In Miami, Greg Cote writes Johnson "might not have an imposing nickname to match those giants, but he has otherwise proven their equal" (MIAMI HERALD, 11/21). SI.com's Richard O'Brien writes Johnson "may not project the outsized swagger" of Petty and Earnhardt, but he has "proven himself every inch their equal on the race track." Johnson's victory last night in the Ford EcoBoost 400 marks his 80th Cup win, and he has earned them "in perhaps the most competitive era in the sport" (SI.com, 11/21). FOXSPORTS.com's Tom Jensen wrote given that Petty and Earnhardt "won all their titles over a full season and Johnson won all of his in the Chase era and under several different formats, that’s pretty amazing" (FOXSPORTS.com, 11/20).
FINALLY BECOMING A FAN FAVORITE: In Orlando, George Diaz writes Johnson has "plenty of mileage left to compete for another" championship, which will "play to mixed results with a portion of the NASCAR Nation that remains smitten by the sport's Southern roots." Johnson "may not fit the old-school stereotype, but put him behind the wheel of a stock car, and the competitive dynamics is as good as it gets" (ORLANDO SENTINEL, 11/21). However, USA TODAY's Gluck writes this championship "feels different, and it’s not just because of the history-making achievement." Fans last night "were craving a Johnson victory, cheering wildly in the final laps when he took the lead" (USA TODAY, 11/21). ESPN.com's Ryan McGee noted following Johnson's win, fans "funneled through an opening in the catch fence that lines the grandstand and poured over the shoulder-high wall that separates pit road from the racing surface." By the time track workers had "set up the stairs to aid their climb, it was too late," as fans were already "on the track by the hundreds" (ESPN.com, 11/20).
