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Enjoy Jimmie Johnson’s seventh title; it likely won’t be repeated soon

NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Ford EcoBoost 400

HOMESTEAD, FL - NOVEMBER 20: Jimmie Johnson, driver of the #48 Lowe’s Chevrolet, poses with the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Championship trophy in Victory Lane after winning the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Ford EcoBoost 400 and the 2016 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Championship at Homestead-Miami Speedway on November 20, 2016 in Homestead, Florida. Johnson wins a record-tying 7th NASCAR title. (Photo by Robert Laberge/Getty Images)

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Back in the early 1970s, there was a song by Seals and Crofts called “We May Never Pass This Way Again.”

That song is quite appropriate when it comes to multi-champions in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series.

Now that Jimmie Johnson has earned his seventh championship – tying him with NASCAR Hall of Famers Richard Petty and Dale Earnhardt for most championships – we may see the 41-year-old Johnson earn another one or two championships before he retires.

But the odds of anyone else winning seven or more championships?

Now that Jeff Gordon and Tony Stewart have retired with four and three championships apiece, there is no other multi-champion in the Cup Series other than Johnson.

Think about it:

* Matt Kenseth will turn 47 next March and has just one championship to date (2003).

* Kurt Busch is 38 and has just one championship (2004).

* Brad Keselowski will turn 33 in February and has just one championship (2012).

* Kevin Harvick turns 41 on Dec. 8 and has just one championship (2014).

* Kyle Busch turns 32 on May 2 and has just one championship (2015).

Other than the younger Busch and maybe Keselowski, the odds seem unlikely they’ll come close to reaching seven championships.

Two, maybe three, but certainly not seven like Johnson, who achieved his seven championships across 11 seasons (2006-2010, 2013 and 2016).

Granted, there are two young drivers who have the potential to become multi-champions – Chase Elliott and Kyle Larson – but can they really go on to win seven or more, particularly in the current Chase elimination format?

Maybe two or three titles in their lifetimes, due to the unique format of the Chase elimination that came into effect in 2014.

But Johnson is just so unique that he won six championships under the old Chase format and now finally has won his first under the new Chase format.

“It’s big, it has a different meaning,” Johnson said.

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