Finishing 25th or better will do it

CORAL GABLES, Fla. – Jimmie Johnson, three days and 400 miles away from winning a historic fourth straight NASCAR Sprint Cup championship, spent several hours Thursday smiling and answering questions about what he's accomplished and what's at stake in the Ford 400 at Homestead-Miami Speedway on Sunday.

Johnson was relaxed, chatty and cordial, whether answering questions in front of a room full of reporters or in smaller, one-on-one sessions.

He shared the afternoon with team owner Rick Hendrick, who is assured his record-tying ninth championship, and driver Mark Martin, his Hendrick Motorsports teammate and the only driver capable of stopping Johnson's drive to history.

Friday, the championship gets one day closer.

"I'm just dying to get in that race car," Johnson admitted Thursday, looking ahead to a midday practice session followed by qualifying in the afternoon.

It's a simple scenario – finish 25th or better and Johnson locks up a fourth straight championship. Still, there are subplots to the main storyline, including:

HANDLING THE PRESSURE: Having been through this process before, Johnson said his team won't change its approach entering the final race of the year.

There are some things, though, Johnson still needs to finalize.

He didn't know which car the team brought to South Florida, but suspects the same one they ran at Lowe's Motor Speedway in October. Neither could he remember the size of the Homestead track. It's 1.5 miles.

"Details," Johnson deadpanned.

What Johnson did know was that Hendrick Motorsports has never won a race at Homestead-Miami Speedway.

He will bring a 108-point advantage over Martin into Sunday's race. It's not insurmountable, especially with memories of his third-lap crash and 38th-place at Texas two weeks ago that allowed Martin to make up 111 points.

"Luckily, Texas is still really close in my mind and something that I think about," Johnson said. "And because of what happened in Texas, I'm just not letting my guard down."

MR. SECOND PLACE: Four times, Mark Martin has finished second in the points race, never winning.

With all the talk about history being made on Sunday, Martin has a chance make his own, becoming the oldest driver, at 50, to win the championship.

Semiretired before this year, Martin is the last driver standing between Johnson and his fourth trophy.

"I'm not looking over my shoulder or looking ahead, either one," Martin said. "I'm sure that we could end up fourth in the points, which is something no one has even considered. I'm neither worried about that or Jimmie.

"I'm excited about going to work and competing in every event there, which to me a practice session is. Every time I strap into that race car, I'd like to be the fastest dude out there."

THE MAN IN THE MIDDLE: For Hendrick, it's a weekend to enjoy, having already locked up the championship.

"Going to a race when you've got two guys battling, I'm not going to be as nervous Sunday as they are," Hendrick said. "But I'm going to be nervous for them."

Hendrick said he is most proud of the fact that both teams – Johnson and crew chief Chad Knaus and Martin and crew chief Alan Gustafson – will meet Saturday and share notes before and after the final practice session.

During a team meeting in Charlotte on Tuesday, Knaus credited Gustafson for giving him a setup tip in Phoenix the day before Johnson went out and won the race last Sunday.

"When you've got everyone working together it makes a big difference," Hendrick said.