HOMESTEAD, Fla. (AP) -- Jimmie Johnson has won his second-straight Nextel Cup championship finishing seventh in the Ford 400 at Homestead-Miami Speedway.

Johnson, who needed to finish 18th or better, is the first driver to win consecutive championships since Jeff Gordon in 1997 and '98.

Matt Kenseth won the race, followed by Kurt Busch and Denny Hamlin.

Johnson's teammate Jeff Gordon finished second in the points standings, 77 points shy of a fifth championship.