Talent, resources lead Hendrick atop NASCAR world

	Jeff Gordon's experience and Rick Hendrick's savvy offers the Hendrick team advantages in knowledge that help make its deep talent pool even more effective on the track. Bennett Raglin/WireImage.com
	Threats to the throne Three teams capable of challenging Hendrick's run of domination 1. Richard Childress Racing: RCR is a Chevy team with some of its own intangibles. The improvement of young Clint Bowyer would help bridge the gap between RCR and Hendrick. Kevin Harvick is often brilliant and seems destined to win a title one season, while Jeff Burton is turning into a consistent threat in the mode of Johnson and Matt Kenseth. Perhaps if Harvick and Burton could swap of little of each other's strengths. 2. Joe Gibbs Racing: Gibbs already has a proven champ in Tony Stewart, and Denny Hamlin is another youngster in the steady-as-a-rock mode of Johnson and Kenseth. Gibbs, who has won three Super Bowls as a coach, knows how to win. The Gibbs drivers have led more laps during CoT races than Hendricks but hasn't finished strongly. With a little bit of luck, Gibbs could be close to Hendrick. 3. Roush Fenway Racing: Until last season, everyone was chasing Roush. In 2005, Roush drivers finished second through fourth in the final standings, with five in the top 10. The top Ford team is also loaded with talented drivers, engineers and mechanics, but it has more of an emphasis on being a marketer than most teams. The team also lost some of its teamwork and sense of chemistry with the departure of Mark Martin.

In auto racing, drivers spend their whole professional life going around in ovals. No wonder everybody considers NASCAR a cyclical sport.

And right now, there's no doubt that Hendrick Motorsports is taking another turn on top. The real question is why.

Here's a quick look at the 2007 scoreboard: Hendrick has won seven of 10 races this season, including seven of the last eight. NASCAR has held four events in which teams must use the new Car of Tomorrow -- and Hendrick has won all four.

Three different Hendrick drivers have won those Car of Tomorrow races, and those same three drivers are each in the top 10 of the point standings. Jeff Gordon leads the standings, has won the pole five times and finished in the top-10 in nine out of 10 races. Jimmie Johnson leads the Nextel Cup Series with four wins and is second in the standings. Kyle Busch is sixth in the standings with one victory.

This isn't anything new for Hendrick, in case you've been lost in the crowd at an Indy Racing League event for the past two decades. Hendrick has won six Cup titles, one Busch championship and three Craftsman Truck Series titles. Since it started in 1984 as All-Star Racing, the team has won 156 Cup races and 139 Cup poles.

So why is Hendrick so successful. Here are 10 reasons, one for each of the team's NASCAR championships.

Attitude: It all starts at the top. For team owner Rick Hendrick, NASCAR is about winning. Many teams have to focus on the ledger sheet instead of the finish line. Some teams try to be profitable, while others have to concentrate on losing as little money as possible. Sure, there are budgets at Hendrick, but winning is the bottom line.

Talent: Hendrick has great drivers. Gordon is sixth in all-time Cup victories and the best driver of his generation. Among the drivers in Johnson's generation, only Matt Kenseth is a rival. Busch, only 22, has more victories than Gordon at the same age. Even Casey Mears, Hendrick's fourth driver, is long on talent. The top-notch skills go far beyond the cockpit, as the team is loaded with the top engineers and mechanics in the sport.

Quantity: Not only does Hendrick have talented personnel, but it has more of them than anybody else in NASCAR. More than 500 employees help keep Hendrick a step or two ahead.

Teamwork: Gordon and Rick Hendrick deserve much of the credit for the fact that Team Hendrick has more synergy than other NASCAR teams. Because of Gordon's close relationship with Johnson, the organization's teams openly share more than others. And when a four-time champ is trying to help his teammates, everyone else finds it easy to follow.