I'm probably the last person you'd want to work on your car.

I wouldn't know my way around a garage. I'd break into a cold sweat if you asked me about differential fluid or oil viscosity. I'd panic if any of my wrenches got a little oil on them.

But one thing I do know is what Jimmie Johnson did Sunday, when he clinched his fourth consecutive Sprint Cup championship, is beyond belief.

Throw out some of the biggest names ever in NASCAR and they can't match the four-year dominance of Johnson.

Richard Petty? He won a record 200 races (granted, most of those were on smaller tracks with lesser competition than Johnson faces) and seven titles, but not four straight.

Dale Earnhardt Sr.? He also won seven titles and was an imposing figure on the track, but he didn't win four in a row.

Jeff Gordon? NASCAR's Wonder Boy of the 1990s and early 2000s made for great racing against the legend Earnhardt and pushed NASCAR to greater heights.

Gordon won four titles, but none since 2003. As a teammate of Johnson, Gordon has been overshadowed on the track. But Johnson is showing his brilliance, along with his crew chief, Chad Knaus.

The championships have come after just eight years on the circuit. At 34, Johnson has some of his best years ahead of him and there's no telling how many more titles he can secure.

I believe it is easier for individual athletes than teams to assume dominance over a period of time. Individual sports are pitting not just one player over another, but over an entire field.

Golf has Ben Hogan, Arnold Palmer, Jack Nicklaus, Tiger Woods among others. Tennis has Bjorn Borg, Pete Sampras, Serena and Venus Williams and Roger Federer. Boxing is Rocky Marciano, Muhammad Ali and, to an extent, Mike Tyson.

History has a run of great individuals, but its harder for teams to repeat because of all the personnel. One aspect is never enough to win. One or two players could have an off week or series of games, but there are others to pick up the slack.

The last four-time World Series winner? The New York Yankees, who won six titles from 1949-54)

The NHL? The New York Islanders from 1980 through 1983. The NBA? The Boston Celtics, who won eight in a row from 1959 to 1966 although the Chicago Bulls (1991-93 and 1996-98) and the Los Angeles Lakers (2001-03) won three consecutive titles.

No team has won four consecutive Super Bowls, although there have been eight instances where a team has won two straight, the last with the New England Patriots in 2004 and 2005.

The chances of winnning four titles in a row in any sport in this economic climate seems to be less likely with each passing year. So, it makes what individuals do stand out more now than it used to.

Can Johnson keep his streak going?

A few bad races can be made up quickly during the 36-week season, but Johnson seems to be at his best in the 10-race Chase for the Cup as he takes his intensity up to another level.

That's always the mark of a true champion.

Sam Tallarico is a staff writer for the Butler Eagle.