The Associated Press

HOMESTEAD, Fla.

Soaked in sweat, champagne and success, Jimmie Johnson celebrated yet another NASCAR championship by sipping a beer.

A six-pack would have been more appropriate.

Back on top with only two NASCAR legends left to catch, Johnson won his sixth title in eight years Sunday to stake his claim as one of the most dominant competitors in sports history. Now looming large in Johnson’s windshield is the mark of seven titles held by Richard Petty and the late Dale Earnhardt.

The party had barely started on No. 6 when the debate began: Where does Johnson, who on-and-off for two years has used the hashtag ‘6Pack’ on Twitter to describe his bid for this title, rank among NASCAR’s greats?

“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.”

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.

Johnson, needing only to finish 23rd or better to spoil Kenseth’s dream season, was on cruise control most of the day at Homestead. His lone hiccup came when traffic stacked-up on a restart and he and Kenseth made slight contact, causing Johnson to plunge 15 spots in the field with damage to his fender.

Yet he still rallied to finish ninth and beat Kenseth for the title by 19 points.

Kenseth, needing a Johnson collapse to have any shot at the title, positioned himself to pounce should anything go awry. Kenseth led a race-high 144 laps and finished second to Joe Gibbs Racing teammate Hamlin.

“It was just unbelievable year for us. Obviously, we wanted to win the championship as good as we ran all year,” said Kenseth, winner of seven races in his first season with JGR.

Hamlin’s celebration was brief as the victory stage was cleared for Johnson. Hamlin nearly stood atop the podium in 2010, when he took Johnson down to the wire, only to fade in the finale as Johnson claimed his record fifth consecutive title.

NASCAR’s best

Top 13 in Points:

1. J.Johnson, 2,419.
2. M.Kenseth, 2,400.
3. K.Harvick, 2,385.
4. Ky.Busch, 2,364.
5. D.Earnhardt Jr., 2,363.
6. J.Gordon, 2,337.
7. C.Bowyer, 2,336.
8. J.Logano, 2,323.
9. G.Biffle, 2,321.
10. Ku.Busch, 2,309.
11. R.Newman, 2,286.
12. K.Kahne, 2,283.
13. C.Edwards, 2,282.

Sprint Cup Champions

The Associated Press
2013 — Jimmie Johnson
2012 — Brad Keselowski
2011 — Tony Stewart
2010 — Jimmie Johnson
2009 — Jimmie Johnson
2008 — Jimmie Johnson
2007 — Jimmie Johnson
2006 — Jimmie Johnson
2005 — Tony Stewart
2004 — Kurt Busch
2003 — Matt Kenseth
2002 — Tony Stewart
2001 — Jeff Gordon
2000 — Bobby Labonte
1999 — Dale Jarrett
1998 — Jeff Gordon
1997 — Jeff Gordon
1996 — Terry Labonte
1995 — Jeff Gordon
1994 — Dale Earnhardt
1993 — Dale Earnhardt
1992 — Alan Kulwicki
1991 — Dale Earnhardt
1990 — Dale Earnhardt
1989 — Rusty Wallace
1988 — Bill Elliott
1987 — Dale Earnhardt
1986 — Dale Earnhardt
1985 — Darrell Waltrip
1984 — Terry Labonte
1983 — Bobby Allison
1982 — Darrell Waltrip
1981 — Darrell Waltrip
1980 — Dale Earnhardt
1979 — Richard Petty
1978 — Cale Yarborough
1977 — Cale Yarborough
1976 — Cale Yarborough
1975 — Richard Petty
1974 — Richard Petty
1973 — Benny Parsons
1972 — Richard Petty
1971 — Richard Petty
1970 — Bobby Isaac
1969 — David Pearson
1968 — David Pearson
1967 — Richard Petty
1966 — David Pearson
1965 — Ned Jarrett
1964 — Richard Petty
1963 — Joe Weatherly
1962 — Joe Weatherly
1961 — Ned Jarrett
1960 — Rex White
1959 — Lee Petty
1958 — Lee Petty
1957 — Buck Baker
1956 — Buck Baker
1955 — Tim Flock
1954 — Lee Petty
1953 — Herb Thomas
1952 — Tim Flock
1951 — Herb Thomas
1950 — Bill Rexford
1949 — Red Byron

Multiples

Sprint Cup Multiple Champions
7 — Richard Petty (1964, 1967,
1971, 1972, 1974, 1975, 1979)
7 — Dale Earnhardt (1980,
1986, 1987, 1990, 1991, 1993,
1994)
6 — Jimmie Johnson (2006,
2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2013)
4 — Jeff Gordon (1995, 1997,
1998, 2001)
3 — Lee Petty (1954, 1958,
1959)
3 — David Pearson (1966,
1968, 1969)
3 — Cale Yarborough (1976,
1977, 1978)
3 — Darrell Waltrip (1981, 1982,
1985)
3 — Tony Stewart (2002, 2005,
2011)
2 — Herb Thomas (1951, 1953)
2 — Tim Flock (1952, 1955)
2 — Buck Baker (1956, 1957)
2 — Joe Weatherly (1962, 1963)
2 — Ned Jarrett (1961, 1965)
2 — Terry Labonte (1984, 1996)