Jimmie Johnson was stunned by the proposed changes to the championship format that NASCAR chairman Brian France laid out in a phone call two weeks ago. The six-time champion did not believe he was being picked on by NASCAR executives grasping for any way possible to end his dominance of the Sprint Cup Series. Instead, Johnson was taken aback because he had not heard the proposal before in multiple discussions with NASCAR. NASCAR will officially announce its Chase for the Sprint Cup championship format on Thursday. More...