Jimmie Johnson wins 6th NASCAR title in 8 years

HOMESTEAD, Fla. --Jimmie Johnson has a sixth NASCAR championship in hand and two legends within reach. 

Johnson staked his claim as one of the sport's most dominant competitors Sunday by winning his sixth Sprint Cup title in eight years. 

He needs one more championship - he's sure to be the early favorite in 2014 - to tie the NASCAR record held by Richard Petty and the late Dale Earnhardt. Johnson barely got to complete his celebratory burnouts before the debate began: Where does he rank among NASCAR greats? 

This much is certain: At 38 years and 61 days old, Johnson is the youngest driver to win six NASCAR championships. Petty was 38 years and 144 days old when he won No. 6 in 1975. Earnhardt was 42 when he won his sixth in 1993. 

"We'll see if I can get seven," Johnson said. "Let's wait until I hang up the helmet until we really start thinking about this."

"I feel like this team is capable of a lot of great things. There's still great years ahead of us," Johnson said. "But all of that is in the future, a seventh, an eighth. I don't want to focus on that yet. It's not time."

Said crew chief Chad Knaus, who trails only Dale Inman's eight championships in the NASCAR record books: "I don't think we're even close to the potential of the team yet."

"He is an amazing talent, there's no doubt about it," Knaus said. "He can do things with a race car that most mortals can't. Let's just be straight with it." 

That should be devastating news to the rest of NASCAR. 

There's no telling how many drivers might have won titles had they not competed against Johnson and his Hendrick Motorsports team. The loser this year was Matt Kenseth, who 10 years removed from his only NASCAR championship had a career year but still came up short. 

"Unfortunately, we're racing during the Jimmie Johnson era," said Denny Hamlin, winner of Sunday's race. Hamlin lost the 2010 title to Johnson. 

"We're just unlucky in that sense. I think being out there and racing with him, I can say he's the best that there ever was." 

That's not really how it works, so here are a few more worthy comparisons for Johnson's remarkable run: 

Tennis star Roger Federer won 16 Grand Slam titles from 2003-10. American swimmer Michael Phelps won 18 gold medals over three Olympics, including eight golds in eight events in Beijing in 2008. Professional golfer Tiger Woods won seven majors from 1999-2002, including four straight in 2000 and 2001. And race-car driver Michael Schumacher won five consecutive Formula 1 championships from 2000-04, winning 56 percent of his races in that span. 

The only other organizations to pull off six titles in eight years: 

-- The New York Yankees did it twice, winning six of eight World Series titles between 1936 and 1943 and six of seven between 1947 and 1953. 

-- The Montreal Canadiens hoisted the Stanley Cup six times in eight seasons between 1953 and 1960. 

-- The Boston Celtics won eight consecutive NBA championships between 1959 and 1966. 

-- UCLA won seven consecutive NCAA championships between 1967 and 1973. 

-- The Chicago Bulls won six of eight NBA titles between 1991 and 1998. 

And now Hendrick Motorsports' No. 48 team, led by Johnson and relentless crew chief Chad Knaus. 

"Every one of them is special," team owner Rick Hendrick said. "It makes you hungry to continue to try to win more. ... They got this championship mentality. 

"We'll just keep digging and see if we can come back and be competitive. (If) luck will be on our side next year, we'll be able to win another one."