Homestead, FL (My Sportsbook) - Jimmie Johnson easily clinched his NASCAR record fourth consecutive championship with a fifth-place finish in Sunday's season-ending Ford 400 at Homestead-Miami Speedway.

Johnson, who won four of the 10 races in this year's "Chase for the Sprint Cup" championship, became the first driver to win four titles in a row in the 61-year history of NASCAR's top-tier series. He ended the season with a 141- point advantage over Hendrick Motorsports teammate Mark Martin, who dealt with an ill-handling car throughout the race before finishing 12th.

"It's going to take a little while to sink in, because I haven't let my mind wander," said Johnson, who only needed to finish 25th or better at Homestead to claim the title. "The truth of it is to do something that has never been done in this sport, and I love this sport like I do and respect it like I do, and the greats with [Richard] Petty, [Dale] Earnhardt and [Jeff] Gordon, to do something they have never done is so awesome.

"And to win four championships in eight years...it's just unbelievable."

Johnson joined Petty, Earnhardt and Gordon as those driver who have won four or more Cup championships. Petty and Earnhardt share the record with seven, while Gordon has claimed four. Earlier this month, Ron Hornaday Jr. won his record fourth title in NASCAR's truck series.

Last year, Johnson tied Cale Yarborough's 30-year-old record of three straight Cup championships. Yarborough won his titles from 1976-78.

With Martin finishing second in points for the fifth time in his career and Jeff Gordon ending the year third in the Chase (-179), Rick Hendrick became the first team owner to finish 1-2-3 in the point standings. Gordon finished sixth, as Homestead remains the only current track where he has yet to win on the Cup schedule.

"The fans and the competitors made it nearly emotional for me; It's just so incredible," the 50-year-old Martin said. "To have the rally and the roar in the [drivers'] intros and all the support, and for me, to even have a chance was pretty incredible.

Hendrick missed the race to be with his 29-year-old niece, Alesha Gainey, who is listed in critical condition at a North Carolina hospital, as she is scheduled to undergo an emergency liver transplant.

Hendrick's ninth owners' championship placed him in a tie with Petty Enterprises for most all-time in the series. He also surpassed Richard Childress for most owner titles combined in NASCAR's three national touring series with 12.

Jack Sprague gave Hendrick three championships on the truck circuit (1997, '99 and 2001). Brian Vickers won the 2003 Nationwide driver's title in a Hendrick car, but Childress claimed the owners' championship that year.

Johnson's crew chief, Chad Knaus, moved into a tie with Kirk Shelmerdine for second on the series' all-time championship list for crew chiefs with four. Dale Inman won a combined eight titles with drivers Terry Labonte and Petty.

While Johnson drove to his historic title, Denny Hamlin took the checkered flag after leading the final 45 laps. Hamlin finished nearly three seconds ahead of Jeff Burton for his career-high fourth victory of the season.

"It's been a great year," said Hamlin, who finished the season fifth in points. "To get four wins and to win on a track that people don't necessarily expect us to win on is a great deal."

Burton finished in the runner-up spot for the second consecutive race, while Kevin Harvick took third and Kurt Busch was fourth. Busch ended the year fourth in the Chase.

Carl Edwards finished seventh, followed by Kyle Busch, Martin Truex Jr. and A.J. Allmendinger. Edwards failed to win a race in the series this season after winning nine last year.

The 400-mile race at Homestead featured some fireworks, with Tony Stewart and Juan Pablo Montoya, both Chase drivers, tangling with each other during the mid-stages. On lap 116, Stewart and Montoya made contact on the backstretch.

Montoya spent 28 laps behind the wall after cutting his right-front tire and brushing the wall. Montoya later bumped into the back of Stewart, putting Stewart into a spin.

NASCAR penalized Montoya two laps for aggressive driving after warning both drivers earlier to cease their on-going altercations. Stewart finished 22nd, while Montoya came in 38th.