Cross' Words: The End

The Nextel Cup era came to a close at Homestead on Sunday night, and no one quantified the four-year stretch as well as Jimmie Johnson: two championships, a runner-up finish and a fifth-place finish. In short, he dominated the 144 races from 2004-2007.

"Jimmie's just getting better and better, and just phenomenal," team owner Rick Hendrick said Sunday night. "He's so intense. He studies what he wants to accomplish or tries to accomplish.

"For the level of competition to do what they've done and to do it in the Chase ... I don't think I've seen a more dominant performance since I've been racing."

To say that Johnson has the sport by the tail may be an understatement.

"It's tough to put into perspective, but I can tell you how proud I am to be in this position," Johnson said after winning the 2007 title. "To be considered or to earn our way, I should say, into the statistics and victories and being a back-to-back champion. Only 10 teams having done that.

"In my heart of hearts, it means the world to me. Since I was a kid, I just wanted to race. I wanted to be the best at racing. I didn't know where it would lead me or what was in store for me or where it would go, but I loved to race. And to be here racing on the main stage of NASCAR, and to have the success of the championships means the world to me. It is something I'm very, very proud of and thankful of as well."

Johnson's 2007 championship season was the sixth consecutive year in which he has posted a top-five finish in the point standings. Among modern-era champions only Darrell Waltrip and Benny Parsons had longer streaks. (Continued)