Jimmie Johnson has never finished worse than fifth in the Nextel Cup standings. Credit: Autostock

Johnson's road has been long -- but well worth wait

HOMESTEAD, Fla. -- A large, burly man wearing blue jeans and a No. 48 cap waited anxiously Sunday night as Jimmie Johnson leaned against his car for his first interview after winning his first Nextel Cup title.

As the television crew moved away Johnson noticed the man, his face red and beaming with pride, and stepped toward him.

Jimmie Johnson beat Matt Kenseth by 56 points to win the 2006 Nextel Cup. Credit: Autostock

Nextel Cup Series 2006 Driver Standings Pos. Driver Behind 1. Jimmie Johnson Leader 2. Matt Kenseth -56 3. Denny Hamlin -68 4. Kevin Harvick -78 5. Dale Earnhardt Jr. -147 6. Jeff Gordon -219 7. Jeff Burton -247 8. Kasey Kahne -292 9. Mark Martin -307 10. Kyle Busch -448 • Complete standings, click here CHASE FOR THE NEXTEL CUP •   Nextel Cup champion's gear •   Complete Chase coverage ChampionJimmie Johnson holds on to win the 2006 Nextel Cup title Good dayJeff Gordon wins today as the co-owner of the 48 team Sign up for TrackPass now BUY THE NEXTEL i836

The man embraced Johnson with a powerful bear hug and patted him on the back just as he'd done a thousand times before races, just as he'd done four hours earlier before this one at Homestead-Miami Speedway.

This one was different.

"That was the best one," said Gary Johnson, the father of the 2006 Cup champion. "That one was the best ever."

The elder Johnson looked like Average Joe race fan as he stood below the stage covered in yellow and black confetti. The hundreds of fans that rushed past him to get a glimpse of the ceremony had no idea he was the father of the driver that was about to receive a $6.2 million check.

He was a reminder that Johnson wasn't born with a silver spoon, that the model wife and jet-set lifestyle weren't on the radar when the 31-year-old Johnson raced motorcycles in the California desert.

"Nine years ago we were watching this on the couch at home in El Cajon [Calif.]," Johnson's father said. "To be here is incredible."

Indeed, the journey has been long for Johnson, longer than most realize. He grew up with modest means, his father working for a tire company while racing motorcycles on weekends and his mother driving a school bus.

"We were just a regular working family," said Gary, whose celebration included a keg in the Busch Series garage. "We just loved racing. We did it as a hobby. We would go camp in our van and that's what we did for fun."

Perhaps it was the blue-collar lifestyle that made Johnson so resilient when he came up eight points short of the title in 2004 and finished fifth last season after entering the final race only 52 points behind Tony Stewart.

Perhaps it was that workmanlike attitude that allowed Johnson to fight back after falling to eighth, 156 points out of first, five races into the Chase.

Had he lost this one, his father is sure he would have come back for more.

"I've always told him Johnsons do it the hard way," Gary said.

"Nine years ago we were watching this on the couch at home in El Cajon [Calif.]. To be here is incredible." - Gary Johnson, on his son Jimmie winning the title

The elder Johnson also taught his son to set his goals high, to "shoot for the moon."

But Gary never imagined this, not when Johnson raced motorcycles and dune buggies. Neither did Johnson.

"That was my goal, to race motorcycles," Johnson said. "I really had to perform to get my next break."

That came in 1993 when Johnson was introduced to Herb Fishel, the executive director of General Motors Racing. Fishel began following Johnson's career and in 1997 offered him an opportunity to drive for an off-road team.

NASCAR didn't get on the radar until Johnson was waiting in an office to meet with Fishel and saw a picture of Jeff Gordon on the wall.

"He said, 'I'd like to do that,'" Gary said. "Then to end up to be Jeff's teammate, partner and friend ... unbelievable."

The nervous energy Gary felt before his son's 400-mile journey was gone, replaced by pure elation.

"Just waiting has been the hard part," he said before the race.

The wait was at times unbearable. The toughest moment came on Lap 15 when a piece of debris from the first caution left what crew chief Chad Knaus described as a "gaping" hole in the grill.

"I kept waiting for him to say they had a water leak," Gary said. "Thank God, it didn't."

	Jimmie Johnson needed to finish 12 or better on Sunday, but he wound up ninth. Credit: Autostock
	Ford 400 Results Pos. Driver Make 1. Greg Biffle Ford 2. Martin Truex Jr. Chevy 3. Denny Hamlin Chevy 4. Kasey Kahne Dodge 5. Kevin Harvick Chevy 6. Matt Kenseth Ford 7. Scott Riggs Dodge 8. Carl Edwards Ford 9. Jimmie Johnson Chevy 10. Clint Bowyer Chevy • Complete results, click here Ford 400Catch all the highlights from the season finale Sign up for TrackPass now BUY THE NEXTEL i836

The crew patched the hole with tape and Johnson, who had moved from his starting position of 15th to 10th, restarted 39th.

"That's our drama for today," Knaus said over the car radio. "Now you've got to get past all of those cars."

Johnson quickly moved back through the field. On Lap 78 he passed Kevin Harvick on the high side to move into the top 10.

He led a lap just before pitting on Lap 108 for five bonus points and was running 13th, a spot behind challenger Matt Kenseth, after a Lap 184 restart.

"Let's just follow the 17 [Kenseth] the rest of the night," Johnson said.

Johnson seemed calm at the moment, but he wasn't that way all weekend as he repeatedly claimed. His father saw through that, particularly during Saturday's final practice when Kenseth, who began the day 63 points out, picked up a lot of speed.

"I told him it doesn't matter, that you don't have to beat him," his dad said. "You just do good and have a good finish and let it fall where it may.

"Then I gave him a big hug, patted him on the back and told him to get them. We're a family of huggers."

Gary had to wait longer than he wanted for the final hug. Several cautions during the final laps, the last leading to a green-white-checkered finish, made the ending nerve-racking for the man who still works heavy equipment for a living.

But as Johnson did his burnout and team owner Rick Hendrick looked away from the monitor that his eyes had been fixated on, Gary finally breathed a sigh of relief.

"The cautions kept coming and coming," Gary said. "I was like, 'Quit!'"

That didn't end the waiting. Gary had to wait for his son to reach Victory Lane, and then wait for nearly five minutes while Johnson stood in front of the television camera.

Fortunately for Gary, he waited in front of a sign that said, "Jimmie Johnson. 2006 Nextel Cup champion."

"It was hard," Johnson said of the wait. "But it was worth it."