Last month Jimmie Johnson became the first mortal to win four NASCAR championships in a row with a 5th-place finish at the Ford 400. Today the Associated Press titled him its 2009 Male Athlete of the Year. He is the first racecar driver ever to receive this honor in its 78-year history.

The award is voted on by AP-member newspaper editors from crossways the country. Johnson is received 42 votes. The next highest vote-getter was tennis star Roger Federer with 30 votes. Olympic gold-medal sprinter Usain Bolt received 29.

Tiger Woods, the AP's Athlete of the Decade, received 9 votes, tying with the LA Lakers' Kobe Bryant and the St. Louis Cardinals' MVP first baseman Albert Pujols.

ESPN

Photo source: JimmieJohnson.com