By: Toby Christie

The accomplishments continue to pile on for Jimmie Johnson, and its things no other drivers have done in the past. Johnson took home his fourth consecutive Sprint Cup Series trophy this season which is a feat no driver has been able to pull off in the 61 year history of Nascar.

Not only that, but Johnson also picked up another award that no race car driver in any form of motorsports has been able to achieve.

He was voted by the Associated Press as the 2009 Male Athlete of the Year. The award has been handed out for 78 years, and Johnson was able to do something that Richard Petty, A.J. Foyt, Michael Schumacher, Mario Andretti, Dale Earnhardt and Jeff Gordon were never able to do… Convince members of the media that out of every sport out there a race car driver was the number one athlete in the world.

The Johnson juggernaut that has taken Nascar by storm shows no signs of slowing down in 2010. Since his rookie year in 2002 (8 seasons) Johnson has racked up 47 victories, four championships, and has never finished lower in the final point standings than fifth. Do we now have to consider Johnson the heir to Richard Petty’s throne?

Well with everything he has accomplished in such a short period of time I don’t know how you couldn’t say yes. Oh and he’s not done yet… We may just end up giving him the title of “King of Nascar” when all is said and done.

Where do you place Johnson in your list? Let us know on our facebook page.