Jimmie Johnson Wins Homestead and Historic 7th NASCAR Championship [VIDEO, PHOTOS]

Posted on November 21, 2016

Jimmie Johnson started from the back of the field and spent the day working his way through the field and into the NASCAR History Books.

Jimmie, Carl Edwards, Joey Logano and defending NASCAR Sprint Cup Champion Kyle Busch began the day at Homestead-Miami Speedway knowing that when the Ford EcoBoost 400 ended, whichever one of them finished in front of the other three would be named the 2016 NASCAR Sprint Cup Champion. Jimmie’s day did not start off very well as his team pulled his car from the starting grid to fix something they noticed wrong forcing Jimmie to start from the rear of the field for the race.

When the green flag waived Jimmie began his drive through the field while the other three championship contenders spent most of the day in the top 10. In fact, Carl Edwards looked as though he would win his first championship as he was in the top two or three for most of the race. However, with the laps winding down in the scheduled 267 lap race, the fifth of seven caution periods would be issued bringing the field together for what would turn out to be a championship changing re-start.

When the green flag waived, Joey Logano dove to the inside of Carl to make a pass. Carl attempted to block and was sent spinning into the wall by Joey’s car. That ended not only Carl’s race, but also his hopes of winning his first NASCAR Sprint Cup title. The wreck included nine cars and put the race under the red flag for just over half-an-hour.

When the race was re-started, the seventh and final caution period would be issued with just a handful of laps remaining to put the race into the NASCAR overtime of a green-white-checkered finish.

When the race was re-started Jimmie Johnson was able to rocket out to take his first lead of the race. He held that lead for the final three laps of the race to win the Ford EcoBoost 400 and the 2016 NASCAR Sprint Cup Championship.

Claiming his seventh championship in NASCAR’s top division moves Jimmie into a tie with racing legends Richard Petty and the late Dale Earnhardt with the most championship wins in the history on NASCAR.

You can see the complete race results from Homestead-Miami Speedway for the Ford EcoBoost 400 here.

You can see the NASCAR Sprint Cup final point standings for 2016 here.

By: Buck Stevens

Click Image to see 2016 NASCAR Championship Race Gallery

HOMESTEAD, FL - NOVEMBER 20: (L-R) NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Chase drivers Kyle Busch, driver of the #18 M&M's Toyota, Jimmie Johnson, driver of the #48 Lowe's Chevrolet, Carl Edwards, driver of the #19 ARRIS Toyota, and Joey Logano, driver of the #22 Shell Pennzoil Ford, pose with the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Championship trophy prior to the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Ford EcoBoost 400 at Homestead-Miami Speedway on November 20, 2016 in Homestead, Florida. (Photo by Sean Gardner/NASCAR via Getty Images)
HOMESTEAD, FL - NOVEMBER 20: Jimmie Johnson, driver of the #48 Lowe's Chevrolet, poses for a portrait after winning the 2016 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Championship at Homestead-Miami Speedway on November 20, 2016 in Homestead, Florida. (Photo by Jonathan Ferrey/NASCAR via Getty Images)

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