Let's all face facts; Jimmie Johnson is the real deal. Criticized by many Hardcore Race Fans as being a poster-boy for NASCAR, Johnson smashed that criticism by earning his third consecutive NASCAR Sprint Cup Series title in a row. By hoisting the trophy this year, Johnson tied Cale Yarborough as the only two drivers to accomplish the feat of three titles in a row.

Turning in one of the most impressive performances in recent history, Johnson and his Chad Knaus-led team put on a clinic and ended the season sixty-nine points ahead of Carl Edwards.

As the 2008 season opened in Daytona, the No. 48 team was the clear favorites to take the title once again. However, after the first five races of the season, Johnson sat 13th in points and had only one top-5 (a second at the Auto Club Speedway). Many began to question Hendrick Motorsports ability to rebound from such a rough start to the year.

"I don't think we felt like we wouldn't have a shot at the championship," Johnson said of the team's shaky start. "But we knew we needed to get things together. It just took a team effort of testing, of R & D from the engine shop, from chassis, body, all the departments. Just everybody had to buckle down and find out where the speed was. Just keep it simple. We had to really find out where to work and what to work on."

By putting their collective noses to the grindstone, the No. 48 team rebounded in a big way. In the next three events, Johnson scored a fourth-place finish in Martinsville, a runner-up finish the following week in Texas and then earned his first victory of the year - thanks to Chad Knaus' gamble on fuel mileage - at the Phoenix International Raceway.

In three weeks the team that many had begun to question had jumped to fourth in the standings and was beginning to look like the team of old.

Additional wins came at the Brickyard in May, the Pepsi 500 at the Auto Club Speedway and the Chevy Rock & Roll 400 at Richmond right before the end of the regular season. Entering the Chase with a full head of steam, Johnson sat third in points, forty marks behind leader Kyle Busch and ten points behind Carl Edwards in second.

As Kyle Busch fell to the wayside at the outset of the Chase, Johnson and his Knaus-led crew did what they do best. Three top-5 finishes in the first three Chase races, including a victory at Kansas, gave Johnson the points lead for the first time all season.

Narrowly escaping the Big One at Talladega, Johnson benefited from the misfortune of his competitors as he set his sights on the championship trophy. With Carl Edwards hot on his tail and doing all he possibly could, Johnson refused to give in.

A dominating win at Phoenix with just two races remaining in the season sealed the deal for Johnson as it gave him a 141-point advantage over Edwards heading into Homestead.

Finishing 15th in the season finale, Johnson was able to smoke the tires and lift the championship trophy for the third consecutive year. The record-tying feat was quite an accomplishment for the thirty-three year old California-native, culminating with his championship ring presentation at the season-ending awards banquet. To the surprise of many, Cale Yarborough emerged to present Johnson with the championship ring.

For Chad Knaus, the third consecutive title gave the crew chief of the No. 48 his own spot in NASCAR history. Knaus became the only crew chief in the sixty year history of the sport to earn three consecutive titles. Truly one of the best the sport has ever seen, there is no doubt Knaus is already focused on earning his fourth championship.

"Yeah, we want four, why not? That's why we're here," Knaus explained after celebrating the title. "We think with the team that we've got, the resources that we've got with Hendrick Motorsports and Team Chevrolet behind us, we can definitely go and bid for four championships in a row. Why wouldn't we? Give me a reason why not to. I think that's the mentality we've got to have."

Clearly one of the best combinations to hit the NASCAR scene in years, the No. 48 team has solidified their place in NASCAR history. Showing they can rebound from adversity and struggles, Johnson and his Knaus-led team will remain a serious threat for the title for years to come.