Johnson named 'Sporting News' driver of the year

CHARLOTTE, N.C. -- Jimmie Johnson, the second driver to win three consecutive Sprint Cup championships, is Sporting News' driver of the year, the magazine announced Tuesday.

Johnson finished the 2008 season 69 points ahead of Carl Edwards to join Cale Yarborough as the only drivers to win three consecutive championships in NASCAR's premier division.

Johnson drives for Hendrick Motorsports, and the organization won three of the five annual Sporting News awards. Rick Hendrick is owner of the year, and Chad Knaus is crew chief of the year. Knaus became the first crew chief to win three consecutive championships.

Dale Earnhardt Inc. driver Regan Smith won rookie of the year, and Roush Fenway Racing's Edwards, who won a series-high nine races and finished second in the Cup Series and the Nationwide Series, is the 2008 Dale Earnhardt Tough Driver.

The awards, presented in the Dec. 8 issue, were determined by voting of Sprint Cup drivers, crew chiefs and owners.

Johnson won seven races, including three during the final 10 races that make up the Chase for the Sprint Cup. Johnson's 14 career victories in 50 Chase races is a record. The Chase format to determine the Sprint Cup champion began in 2004.

The last of those victories was the 40th of his career and came in his 254th start, tying Darrell Waltrip for third-fastest to 40 wins. Only Herb Thomas (151 races) and Jeff Gordon (186) did it in fewer.

Johnson's championship gave Hendrick his eighth Cup title. Three Hendrick drivers made the Chase for the third consecutive season. Gordon finished seventh and Dale Earnhardt Jr. was 12th.

In each of the past six seasons, Hendrick drivers have won at least eight races. No other current team has had more than two consecutive eight-win seasons.

Knaus and Johnson have been together since 2002, Johnson's rookie season.

"[Knaus] is a star in his own right," said Jeff Hammond, who was crew chief for two of Waltrip's three championships. "His credentials are impeccable. His success is phenomenal."

Smith completed his season without a DNF, a remarkable accomplishment for a rookie. Although he was winless, he did take the checkered flag first in a race. At Talladega in October, he made a bold pass of leader Tony Stewart just before the finish line, but NASCAR ruled the pass illegal because Smith went below the yellow line that divides the speedway proper from the apron to complete the final pass for the lead. Stewart got the win, and Smith was demoted to 18th.

Edwards was the other star of the Chase, winning three of the final four races. His aggressive style won him notice among past champions, who said Edwards would have done well in their era, too.

"He's a hard charger, and I think he would have done real good," said 1960 champion Rex White.

"Carl and Earnhardt were both fierce competitors," seven-time champion Richard Petty said. "Carl's a lot more finesse than Dale was. That's just the style."