NASCAR's Johnson wins male athlete of the year
By JENNA FRYER (AP) – 12 hours ago

CHARLOTTE, N.C. — There was little recognition outside the racing world when Jimmie Johnson won his first NASCAR championship.

Same with his second, and again with his third.

But four consecutive championships? That's a different story.

Johnson, the first driver in NASCAR history to win four consecutive titles, received mainstream recognition Monday when he was honored as the Male Athlete of the Year by members of The Associated Press.

Johnson received 42 votes from editors at U.S. newspapers which are members of the AP. Tennis star Roger Federer (30 votes) and Olympic sprinter Usain Bolt (29) were the only other athletes with totals in the double- digits.

Although Tiger Woods was named Athlete of the Decade, he received only nine votes for Athlete of the Year. He was tied with Kobe Bryant and Albert Pujols.

For Johnson, the first race car driver to be named the AP's Athlete of the Year in its 78-year history, the award is the validation he's been waiting for since he began his historic run in 2006.

"We'd been wondering the last few years, 'When is this going to hit?'" he said. "It seems like the answer is now. The wave is finally peaking, and we don't know where it's going to take us. The fourth-straight title takes it out of our sport and makes it a point of discussion — like, wow, a race car driver won this thing."

The 34-year-old Californian again schooled the competition, winning four of his seven races this season when the Chase for the Sprint Cup championship began in September. Two-time champion Tony Stewart dominated the "regular season," but it was Johnson and his No. 48 Hendrick Motorsports team that turned it up when the stakes were highest.

"I'm pretty sure that dude's Superman," said teammate Mark Martin, who finished second in the NASCAR standings, 141 points behind Johnson.

Copyright © 2009 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.

Spoiler: show

Waits for the debate of racecar drivers aren't ATHLETES

Spoiler: show

grabs popcorn

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L O L

i can't quite figure out why he's so much better than everyone else right now. it's like Anderson Silva at 185.

When you're a good driver, you have Hendrick Motorsports equiptment, and you have a great awesome crew chief.

THat's why.

He just needs to come back in general.

And even though I don't consider drivers to be athletes, at least it wasn't Jeter or Kobe.

or Tiger (not that he's an athlete anyways...)

Some would say sex is a sport.

It's competitive, involves using athletic ability, I'm sold!

no its not, silva is an athlete

I though Ryan Giggs already won this.

?

Which is the best Nascar track?

Is it the one with the dangerous left turn (continually for 360 degrees)? Or the the oval track? Or the circular one? Or the one in the shape of an oval?

Surely Nascar is a low point of motor racing.

Because NASCAR is a sport?

Athlete of the Year?!?!? For sitting on his arse and only turning left???!?!? Bollocks.

Here's one way to confuse an American Racing Driver...

Say huh??

If Obama can get the Nobel Peace Prize for not doing anything...... than I guess we can let a race car drive win an athletic award for not doing anything.

i'm not into nascar.

but it takes a shitload of skill and his accomplishments are pretty remarkable. props.

No one denies that..... But it does not make him an athlete.

what makes one an athlete? is a golfer an athlete? a bocce ball player? a bowler?

Are people that sit in a chair and play video games for 4-hours athletes? They sit in a chair, requires skill and focus.