Knaus: Johnson is the best ever

Knaus, who has been working with Johnson since the Californian's debut season in 2002, believes the series is more competitive and tougher now that it used to be back in time of seven-time champions Richard Petty or Dale Earnhardt, making Johnson's three titles a comparable feat and even a more remarkable one.

"I've been fortunate to work with really great race car drivers," said Knaus. "I worked with Jeff Gordon in the No.24 car. I've seen what Jeff can do with a racecar and I've got a lot of respect for what Jeff can do.

"To be able to work with Jimmie, he's definitely brought it to a new level. But I'm also a lot more entwined than I was back then, with what's going on.

"In my eyes, he's the best that there's been. That may be a little... whatever you want to say, people are going to say Richard Petty is, Dale Earnhardt and all those guys. But with 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."

Knaus says he is already looking forward to the possibility of winning an unprecedented fourth consecutive title with Johnson next year, and also praised those working with him at Hendrick Motorsports for their winning mentality, which he considers instrumental to their run of success.

"Why wouldn't we?" he said about looking at a fourth title in 2009. "Give me a reason why not to. I think that's the mentality we've got to have.

"We're very fortunate to have a group of people at Hendrick that all they want to do is win races.

"It's difficult for people to understand that we don't have a lot of 9 to 5ers. We don't have people like that, we have people that try to win races and try to win championships. That's what we want to do.

"To get four championships in a row, first you have to get three. And we're fortunate to have three. If we buckle down and do what we need to do, we'll be in contention for our fourth championship next year."

Knaus has been the first crew chief in NASCAR history to win three consecutive titles in the Sprint Cup series.