CONCORD, N.C. -- It's been a long journey for Jimmie Johnson and his crew chief Chad Knaus.
The pair began their partnership in 2002, earning their first victory together at Fontana in April of that year. Their first Daytona 500 and Brickyard 400 wins came during their first championship season in 2006.
"We've got a great team," Knaus said. "We've got a great owner. We've got a great everything at Hendrick Motorsports, it's fantastic, but the fact of the matter is the real spark in this whole thing is Jimmie."
And perhaps the duo's biggest achievement to-date came last week when together with their No. 48 Lowe's Chevrolet SS team, Johnson and Knaus earned their seventh career NASCAR Sprint Cup championship, tying Johnson with Dale Earnhardt and Richard Petty for most all-time Cup titles.
Johnson's first win at Homestead-Miami Speedway, the victory and championship weren't givens, and Knaus credited his driver with much of the success.
"It's Jimmie Johnson," Knaus acknowledged. "You know, he is probably the most underrated champion in this sport. He is a fantastic, fantastic individual, an amazing race car driver. Most people in the situation we were just in would crumble and he didn't even waver. He knew what he needed to do. He knew what the demands were on him at that point in time and he made it happen."
It is difficult to spend 15 years building a career with the same person and not develop a close relationship, which is exactly why Knaus said he views Johnson as a brother.
"Jimmie has taught me more about life than life itself has taught me," he said. "He's taught me about family. He's taught me about relationships. He's taught me about being a champion. You know, when we started this thing, all I was, was just a racer guy and he was a cool California kid and we kind of grew up together. To be in this situation where we know he's got a handful of years left, whatever they may be, and for Jimmie and Mr. Hendrick to want me to stick with the No. 48 car and be at the helm of this ship, man, it's flattering. It really is flattering, because let's be honest, I'm getting older just like everybody else is. None of us is as young as we once were, and I look forward to the future with these guys."