Johnson wins 4th successive NASCAR title

HOMESTEAD, Florida (Reuters) - Jimmie Johnson won an unprecedented fourth consecutive Sprint Cup points championship on Sunday.

Johnson, driving a Chevrolet, came into the final race of the season at the Homestead Miami Speedway with a commanding lead in the championship and finished the race in fifth.

The 400 mile race was won by Denny Hamlin in a Toyota, who finished ahead of Jeff Burton's Chevrolet by a wide margin. Kevin Harvick finished third, also in a Chevrolet.

"We're certainly going to try for a fifth. Even if it doesn't come, we've got to be happy with what we've done," said Johnson.

"It is a goal. I'm not sure how realistic it is. It's so difficult to compete in this sport."

The 34-year-old said that a race in Texas, when another driver crashed into his car, drove home how difficult it was going to be to win the title.

"The pressure of winning the fourth didn't hit me until I hit the wall at Texas," he said. "You can't relax."

Johnson's team mate and runner-up in the series Mark Martin finished 12th in the race. Jeff Gordon, another Hendrick driver, finished third in the standings.

Johnson's team, Hendrick Motor Sports, tied Petty Enterprises with nine organizational championships in NASCAR's senior stock car series.

(Editing by Peter Rutherford)