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There was little recognition outside the racing world when Jimmie Johnson won his first NASCAR championship. Same with his second, and again with his third. But four straight championships? That’s a different story. Johnson, the first driver in NASCAR history to win four consecutive titles, earned mainstream recognition Monday when he was honored as the Male Athlete of the Year by members of The Associated Press. Johnson received 42 votes from editors at U.S. newspapers that are members of the AP. Tennis star Roger Federer and Olympic sprinter Usain Bolt were the only other athletes with totals in the double-digits. Although Tiger Woods was named Athlete of the Decade, the golfer received only nine votes for Athlete of the Year, tied with NBA star Kobe Bryant and slugger Albert Pujols in fourth place. For Johnson, the first race car driver to be named the AP’s Athlete of the Year in its 78-year history, the award is the validation he’s been waiting for since he began his historic run in 2006. "We’d been wondering the last few years, ‘When is this going to hit?’ " he said. "It seems like the answer is now. … The fourth straight title takes it out of our sport and makes it a point of discussion — like, ‘Wow, a race car driver won this thing.’ " The 34-year-old Californian again schooled the competition, winning four of his seven races this season when the Chase for the Sprint Cup championship began in September. Johnson and his No. 48 Hendrick Motorsports team turned it up when the stakes were highest. In the 10 Chase races, Johnson finished outside the top-10 only once: when he wrecked at Texas with Sam Hornish Jr. three laps into the eighth race. Johnson said the AP honor reinforces what he’s always believed — that even though he’s a driver, he’s "100 percent" an athlete. "I’ve looked at other sports, particularly baseball, and I’ve seen plenty of out-of-shape, fat players," Johnson said. "So to anyone who wants to go head-to-head with me in athletic ability, let’s go."

The owner of the SUV that USC Trojans running back Joe McKnight has been seen driving says it was bought for the junior's girlfriend as a favor. In e-mails to the Los Angeles Times and Los Angeles Daily News, Scott Schenter, a Santa Monica, Calif., businessman, said the car is driven by Johana Michelle Beltran -- McKnight's girlfriend -- and that he helped purchase the Land Rover because Beltran's family had trouble qualifying for a loan."It is her car," Schenter wrote. "She makes the payments and she is responsible for insurance. The payments are a little over $500/month." McKnight has denied driving the car, but the Los Angeles Times said in a story that one of its reporters has seen USC's leading rusher driving the SUV several times. The Times first reported the story Friday night. Schenter also said he is a University of Washington fan who has "nothing to do with agents, marketing players or representing athletes" despite his ownership of the Web domain www.4joemcknight.com, which he says has not been renewed. "I own so many Web site domains that I only purchased www.4joemcknight.com because I thought it was clever along with the many other ones I own/owned," Schenter wrote in the e-mails. Schenter said a company he founded in May 2008, USC Marketing, stood for "United States China Marketing," and that despite being an employee for the Los Angeles County Assessor's office, he would "rather be known for my expertise in marketing and finance ventures." USC, already under review by the NCAA and Pac-10 regarding accusations that running back Reggie Bush and basketball star O.J. Mayo received improper benefits during their time at the school, is investigating McKnight's use of the vehicle. If McKnight is in violation of NCAA rules, it could affect his eligibility. It is against NCAA rules for athletes to accept benefits from agents or marketing representatives, or to accept "extra benefits" based on their ability. Despite being in attendance for a USC men's basketball game against Tennessee in Los Angeles on Saturday night, athletic director Mike Garrett was not made available to local reporters."I read the letter and found it interesting," said a statement from Garrett, read by a Trojans spokesman to the reporters at halftime as Garrett sat next to him. "Our compliance people are handling the matter. I have nothing more to say." USC plays Boston College in the Emerald Bowl on Dec. 26 in San Francisco.