NASCAR Cup Series

NASCAR team preview: Hendrick Motorsports

Published Jan. 20, 2010 12:00 a.m. ET

Jeff Hammond

I don't even know where you start talking about Hendrick Motorsports. They've been the mark of perfection in NASCAR for the last four to five years so it's really a question of whether anybody can rise to their level and finally bring them down. At this point, I don't know who that team will be. Even if Jimmie Johnson falters, you've got Mark Martin and Jeff Gordon who have proven to be more than capable of taking over the top spot.

Hendrick Motorsports is so good at not making mistakes and when they run into a situation that appears dire, this group rebounds very well. I don't know what it's going to take to unseed them short of kidnapping all four drivers or all four crew chiefs.

This offseason, you've heard a lot of talk from people who think they can take the top crown but if you've noticed, Jimmie Johnson doesn't say a lot but he surely knows how to back it up. At least rivals are enthusiastic about the challenge. They'll need enthusiasm, luck, and getting in position to capitalize on others' mistakes.

As far as that fourth driver in the camp, so much of this year depends on Dale Earnhardt Jr. We know the Hendrick product is good, that the people there can get the job done. Now we just have to wait and see. I've got all the confidence in the world that the equipment for Dale Jr. is the same one available for Martin, Gordon and Johnson, so it's up to what Earnhardt can do with it? Junior has to be in shape and ready once the green flag waves at Daytona to go after Johnson and all the title favorites to let everyone know that he has what it takes to compete and win. We know Earnhardt knows how to win, he just has to go do it.

Starting lineup

By Mike Harmon

Team #5
Driver: Mark Martin (Finished runner-up in the 2009 Cup standings, 40 career Cup wins)
Crew chief: Alan Gustafson
Primary Sponsor: GoDaddy.com

Martin's return to full-time racing was one of the circuit's top stories entering the 2009 season. His ability to stalk Tony Stewart and Jimmie Johnson en route to a second-place finish in the Chase standings captivated imaginations and changed the story. How long can a driver race at the top of the hea, and how much of the success formula can be attributed to the machine itself?

The venerable driver of the No. 5 Hendrick ride produced 21 top 10s, Martin's highest total since 2002. He averaged a brilliant 9.8-position qualifying slot with a 13.7-position finish. Martin's total of 14 top-five finishes was his highest since 1999. His five victories marked his highest total since 1998. And talk about consistency! Martin's average finish during the past six years has been 14.5 or better.

Team #24
Driver: Jeff Gordon (Finished third in the 2009 Cup standings, 82 career Cup wins)
Crew chief: Steve Letarte
Primary Sponsors: DuPont

There were a number of questions about Gordon's back entering 2009. He put those issues to rest by racing a phenomenal campaign. Gordon essentially started and ended each race in the same position, averaging a 10.9-position start and 10.2-position finish. He led the circuit with 25 top-10 finishes (16 top-five runs) with one victory.

Gordon was the model of consistency in 2009. He gave fantasy participants a steady weekly performance, having raced outside of the top 20 in only six events. There's no reason to think that things will change this season as Gordon has finished inside the top seven in four consecutive seasons.

Team #48
Driver: Jimmie Johnson (Four-time defending Sprint Cup champion, 47 career Cup wins)
Crew chief: Chad Knaus
Primary Sponsors: Lowe's

I don't believe I need to beat you over the head with statistics related to Johnson's continuing dominance in the Sprint Cup circuit. He captured his fourth consecutive title in 2009 on the strength of 16 top fives and 24 top 10s. Johnson has earned 22 or more top-10 finishes in six consecutive seasons and has finished fifth or better in the point standings in eight consecutive campaigns.

Johnson has averaged eight wins in the past three seasons and has qualified inside the top 10 on average during this period. You're getting big-time production from him every weekend.

Team #88
Driver: Dale Earnhardt Jr. (Finished 25th in the 2009 Cup standings, 18 career Cup wins)
Crew chief: Lance McGrew
Primary Sponsors: National Guard, AMP

How do you stop the tailspin for the No. 88 Hendrick Chevy team? They've shuffled personnel to no avail. Is simply advancing the calendar a viable solution?

Earnhardt posted his fewest top-10 finishes since becoming a full-time driver in 2000 (he tied the mark of five set that year). He also posted the worst average finish of his career (23.2) and failed to finish five events. Taken to an extreme, Earnhardt raced outside of the top 20 in 23 events!

He can't help but rebound to some degree in 2010. It becomes a matter of degree.