When the dust settled on Championship weekend at Homestead-Miami Speedway, and when the points for the Ford 400 were tallied crowning Jimmie Johnson with his fifth-consecutive championship, no doubt NASCAR’s marketing moguls breathed a collective sigh of relief.

They did it.

They marketed excitement in a year when “dull” was a serious front-runner. Not only was the race exciting and full of drama, the broadcast team at ESPN was on its game emphasizing the right calls at the right time. A Ford (Carl Edwards in the #99 Fusion) took the checkers in its manufacturer-sponsored event. And a truly class act in the #48 Lowe’s Team raised the championship banner – now a half decade strong.

Outshining the glare of the marketing machine was the way in which Johnson garnered NASCAR’s ultimate prize – he raced his way to the trophy.

Billed as the closest championship in the “Chase-era,” Sunday’s championship culmination epitomized sports excitement. It literally went down to the wire. And throughout the day, all three contenders had opportunity to deal knock-out punches. The true champion, however, was left standing.

Perhaps the most telling moment of the day was when Crew Chief Chad Knaus held up to the national broadcast camera a hand-written sign indicating “Our Team won!” Indeed the #48 Championship was a Team effort in 2010.

Looking ahead to 2011 – a season which begins in just 90 days from this writing – Johnson and the #48 have to be considered odds-on favorites for a sixth championship trophy. And, as long as the “Team” stays focused, I’d bank on it!