Jimmie Johnson knew he wasn't leaving Hendrick Motorsports, even as questions began to swirl when negotiations on an extension stretched deep into the final year of his contract. All that speculation was for naught: Rick Hendrick has locked the six-time champion and sponsor Lowe's into a 2-year contract extension that runs through the 2017 season. The deal announced Monday comes as Johnson prepares for the opening race of NASCAR's playoffs, and he seemed amused that his possible free agency ''caught some buzz'' throughout the industry as negotiations continued. More...