What a season it has been for Hendrick Motorsports. It’s been a history-making season for Hendrick Motorsports. Not only did Jimmie Johnson win his fourth-straight title, but Hendrick Motorsports swept the top three spots in the points, something that has never been done in the 61-year history of the sport. They are just an incredible organization that raises the bar for every other organization in the garage area.
How good has Hendrick been this season? All together, the four drivers of Hendrick Motorsports have earned 12 poles, 13 wins, 48 top fives, and 75 top tens. You can add in an additional top ten for Brad Keselowski as well. Furthermore, Jimmie Johnson, Mark Martin, Jeff Gordon, Dale Earnhardt, Jr., and Brad Keselowski have led 4017 laps. The only thing that honestly could have made the season even better for Hendrick is for Earnhardt’s bad luck to have come to an end.
This isn’t the first time Hendrick has won four championships in a row, either. Between 1995 and 1998, Jeff Gordon and Terry Labonte brought home the bacon for Rick Hendrick. I think this streak for Hendrick will continue, though. It’s more than possible that Hendrick Motorsports will go five-in-a-row. Johnson can do it and so can Martin and Gordon. If things get better for Earnhardt, then he could possibly get into championship contention, too. It’s not like he doesn’t have the equipment.
Who can stop Hendrick, though? A lot of NASCAR fans out there want to see their domination end. Joe Gibbs Racing had a tough season this year, but Denny Hamlin proved this year that he can be a contender. And let’s not forget about Kyle Busch. He knows how to win a championship now and he will step it up in 2010. What about Richard Childress Racing? They were completely shut out this year, but they showed marked improvement late in the season. Roush Fenway Racing had, by their standards, a terrible season this year, but I think they’ll come back. Penske Racing looked pretty good this season with Kurt Busch as well. Maybe they’ll be the ones to hit things right and bring down Hendrick. The best chance may come from Stewart-Haas Racing. They run in the same equipment that Hendrick does and Tony Stewart proved this season that someone other than Hendrick can lead the points. Of course, if you subscribe to the idea that SHR is Hendrick, then obviously you can scratch off this option.
Speaking of Denny Hamlin, though, talk about a great race for him. But what he said in
The Best of the Rest
For the second week in a row, Jeff Burton finished second, which tells me two things. One, RCR is coming back to life. Two, working with Todd Berrier has flipped a switch. The more those two work together, I think they’re just going to get better and better.
Kevin Harvick also earned a top five today, which is great considering how his season has gone. Kyle Busch earned a top ten to cap off his season, while Martin Truex, Jr.’s last ride at Earnhardt Ganassi Racing resulted in a ninth-place finish. Rounding out the top ten was A.J. Allmendinger, making Richard Petty Motorsports look pretty good in a Ford.
Looking Ahead
The season is over, but 2010 looks pretty bright and filled with a lot of storylines. Will Johnson win his fifth-straight title? Can Martin finally win his first? Will Earnhardt make a comeback? Can RCR use the momentum from the end of this season to win races and earn Chase berths? Will Kyle Busch and Dave Rogers prove to be the perfect combination? Are Martin Truex, Jr. and Pat Tryson the key to getting Michael Waltrip Racing its first Chase berth? Let’s not forget about Jeff Gordon and his perpetual Drive for Five, either. Can he finally get it? Can he tie and surpass Cale Yarborough on the all-time win list? Can he tie and surpass Darrell Waltrip and Bobby Allison? There are so many more, too. The storylines are plentiful for 2010. I can’t wait for it to get here.
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