Who said nice guys never win?
By RICK MINTER
He can race. There's no doubt about that. Twenty-three victories since joining the Nextel Cup circuit, more than any other driver

Raise the trophy: Driver Jimmie Johnson and crew chief Chad Knaus raise the championship trophy last week during festivities in New York. The "Champions Week" celebration concluded with the Dec. 1 Nextel Cup Awards Ceremony, which was televised on TNT. Below, Johnson cuts a dashing figure in suit and tie while swinging on a street sign in the Big Apple.

during that time period.

He's also tough on the track. When necessary, he'll rub fenders with anyone. And most competitors understand that.

But when his peers talk about Jimmie Johnson, who celebrated his Nextel Cup championship last week in New York City, most of their praise is about the mild-mannered man they see outside the car.

"Jimmie's the all-American, the stand-up guy," Dale Earnhardt Jr. said. "I've always had a lot of respect for him since he started in the Busch Series.We've always kind of been friends since then. He's always been respectful, and his demeanor has always been the same."

Earnhardt said that's not always the case in NASCAR. "When a person comes in and they become a totally different person over five years, it's hard to have respect for them or be around that kind of person," he said. "But Jimmie's always been the same."

Johnson's car owner, Rick Hendrick, sees the same qualities in his 31-year-old driver.

"The neatest thing about Jimmie Johnson is he's really no different around me and around people and fans than I remember him when he first started," Hendrick said. "He's still real genuine, super nice to kids, just a perfect gentleman everywhere you see him."

NASCAR Vice President Jim Hunter said that kind of person is just what NASCAR needs its champion to be.

"He's well spoken and a passionate racer who is goal oriented," Hunter said. "He's just an all-American guy."

Johnson rode his racing talents to the pinnacle of motorsports, but it was the all-American boy inside him that allowed him to advance from relatively obscure motocross and off-road racing circuits in his native California to NASCAR.

"From a young age, I was able to understand the importance of being out there meeting people," he said. "I had my corny little business card that I passed out. My writing skills are horrible, but I'd get an aunt or somebody to proofread my letters before I sent them off."

He knew he'd have to sell himself to the executives in racing if he was going to drive for a team like Hendrick Motorsports.

One of his first connections was with Herb Fishel, a General Motors executive. Then he met Stan and Randy Herzog, who owned ASA and Busch Series cars that Johnson drove. Then one day, he asked Jeff Gordon for career advice, and that led to his ride with Hendrick Motorsports.

"It was the only tool I had," he said. "I didn't have a family that could help me with that stuff. I didn't have a sponsor in my back pocket. I just had to go out and meet people."

Even though his personality opened doors, eventually it was his driving savvy that impressed people the most.

"Just watching him and the kind of polished guy he was, we thought he was going to be really good," Hendrick said of his early days with Johnson. "But we were pleasantly surprised when we got him in the first test in a Cup car. He just really could handle the additional power and drive a car really loose and under control.

"Jimmie has just got the whole package," he said.

And while becoming one of the sport's dominant drivers, he remains true to his roots.

When his crew chief, Chad Knaus, was sent home from the Daytona 500 for a cheating violation, Johnson responded by winning the race, finishing second the next week and winning the third race of the season.

And despite the unfavorable publicity his team received, he never showed displeasure to fans or the media. Questions about the Daytona incident dogged him all season, but he never lost his cool answering them.

"Looking back on it, I hated going through that experience," he said. "It was attention that we didn't want for the 48 team and for Chad and for the whole organization. But we've learned a lot from it, and I think we're stronger today because of it."

Matt Kenseth, who finished second to Johnson in the 2006 standings, would agree. He said he never has had a problem, on or off the track, with Johnson.

"Jimmie's a cool guy," Kenseth said. "I've always gotten along with him really well. He's always fun to be around.

"He's a real fair racer, a good guy."

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