Rick Hendrick must be a happy man. If I had 3 of my 4 teams in the Chase for the Nextel Cup, and it was going to be a shootout between two of my guys to win it all, I'd be happy too.
Next year, Rick Hendrick also will be able to boast that not only does he have the winningest active driver in Nascar, but also the most popular driver when Dale Earnhardt Jr. joins the team. 2008 is shaping up to be a storybook year for Hendrick Motorsports.
There are still a lot of unknowns though. How much will the rest of the field catch up with Hendrick in the off season? Will Dale Jr. be able to hit the ground running with his new team and win races? Will the magic that has blessed the Hendrick family of drivers this year extend into the new season? As far as I can tell, all indications point to a resounding 'Yes' on all counts.
As great a season 2007 has been for Rick Hendrick, 2008 is shaping up to be at least as good or better. The COT will be used in all the races, and Hendrick engineers already have a big lead in understanding the secrets of that car. From everything I've seen and heard, Hendrick seems to have an advantage in virtualy every facet of racing, whether it be people behind the wheel, or the people behind the scenes.
I'm just wondering if Nascar will, in it's never ending quest for equality, begin to penalize the sports top teams just for being so good? I won't be surprised if somewhere along the line, Nascar decides it's just not right for one team owner to be so dominant.
Until then, Hendrick remains the team to beat, week in and week out.
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