The question was deliberately not asked of Jimmie Johnson. He'd never say he was.

Is Jimmie Johnson the best driver ever?

"I don't know how you can doubt the talent that he's got and the competitiveness ofthe sport and the things that he does in the car and the coolness, the communications," Rick Hendrick said. "The way he describes the chassis and works with Chad. I don't think he's gotten the respect he deserves. I think it's kind of serving notice that what he's really done to win three of thesein a row. If you go back and look at 04, since he stepped into theseries, what he's accomplished in his record speaks for itself. I'm just glad I don't have to race against him."

Chad Knaus went a step further and compared Johnson to other great drivers, including one he's worked with. He admitted that he's more involved with Jimmie's routine, but still put Johnson above the rest.

"I worked with Jeff Gordon in the 24 car," Knaus said. "I've seen what Jeff can do with a race car and I've got a lot of respect for what Jeff cando. To be able to work with Jimmie, he's definitely brought it to a new level. But I'm also a lot more intwined than I was back then. ... People are going to say Richard Petty is, Dale Earnhardt and all those guys. Butwith the competition level the way it is today with what you've got to do working, racing, day-in and day-out, no time to take time off, in my mind, he is the best."

Darrell Waltrip said longevity is part of it. You can't win for three years then fall off and be one of the greatest. You have to stick around. But if Johnson left the sport today, if he said three is enough (he won't, but just bear with me), it'd be hard to argue he doesn't belong in the top 5 of all time, if not at the top.

CHANGING GEARS...

Johnson, after celebrating his title with a nice burnout and confetti shower in front of the track's main grandstand at the start/finish line, Johnson headed over to SPEED's NASCAR Victory Lane to talk with the program's host John Roberts and two analysts and drivers Jimmy Spencer and Kenny Wallace.

Johnson answered a question or two using his typical politically correct rhetoric with plenty of sponsor plugs and good things to say about his car, team and his main rival Carl Edwards. Then, Johnson faced a question from Spencer that went like this:

I'm 100% serious, you can't make this stuff up and I got the video to prove it !

Adobe Flash Player not installed or older than 9.0.115!