Steve Waid: Martinsville an opportunity for Hendrick guys
By Steve Waid
Tuesday, March 25, 2008
COMMENTARY
Last year, Hendrick Motorsports teammates Jimmie Johnson and Jeff Gordon waged a spirited battle for victory in the Goody’s Cool Orange 500 at Martinsville Speedway.
Gordon chased down Johnson over the final 52 laps and got underneath him between turns 3 and 4 on the last lap. Their Chevrolets rubbed sheet metal as they closed on the checkered flag. Johnson held on to win by the length of a fender. It was Johnson’s third win of 2007 and the 26th of his career.
I strongly suspect neither Johnson nor Gordon would object to the same scenario at Martinsville this weekend. Heck, they would probably welcome it, simply because they need it.
Hard to believe, but going into the sixth race of the 2008 Sprint Cup season, Johnson and Gordon have yet to win a race, and both are outside the top 12 in points, the cutoff for the championship Chase. Johnson is 13th, Gordon 14th.
I’m pretty sure few expected the Hendrick duo to be as unproductive as it has this year, especially since both drivers were so dominant last season.
After his victory at Martinsville, Johnson went on to win seven more races, including the fall Martinsville race – and earn his second
consecutive Cup championship.
Gordon ended the year with six victories and finished second in points, 77 behind his teammate. Both wound up hundreds of points ahead of their nearest challenger in the Chase.
With 16 victories between Johnson and Gordon, Kyle Busch’s triumph at Bristol in March and Casey Mears’ victory at Lowe’s in May, Hendrick won half of the 36 points races in 2008.
Naturally, prognosticators declared Hendrick would be the team to beat this season.
And so far, well, it’s been beaten.
Johnson and Gordon have gotten off to uncharacteristically poor starts. Johnson has only one top-five finish and one in the top 10 in five races. Gordon has double that total, but he has also failed to finish two races.
While both drivers have experienced some bad luck, Johnson was uncompetitive at Las Vegas and Bristol. He was virtually nowhere to be seen. I don’t think Johnson and his Chad Knaus-led team need to be told they haven’t performed at their expected level. They know they are off a bit and attempted to find out why during extensive testing during the off-week.
Only the newest driver at Hendrick, Dale Earnhardt Jr., is among the top 12 in points. He’s solidly in fifth place.
Otherwise, Hendrick certainly hasn’t come close to its dominance of 2007.
In addition to the stumbles made by Johnson and Gordon, there’s another big reason why Hendrick hasn’t flexed much muscle.
Last season, the team was the best with the new car, which made its debut in the spring Bristol event. Hendrick gained valuable knowledge, and a distinct competitive advantage, through several test sessions not matched by other teams.
Hendrick won the first four races – including Martinsville - in what was then known as the car of tomorrow.
But as the season wore on, other teams took a lesson from Hendrick and began to perform much better in the new car.
This year the car will be raced in every event, and the results of the first five events appears to indicate there is competitive parity.
It might even be said that other organizations have so far taken the measure of Hendrick, since it has yet to win a points race.
Martinsville looms as a perfect spot to reverse that trend. Because of their finish last year, Johnson and Gordon will be considered prerace favorites.
They have other credentials, too. Gordon has won seven times at Martinsville, which ties him for third with Rusty Wallace on the speedway’s all-time list. Johnson has four career wins, which includes a sweep of both races at Martinsville last year. He’s coming into the Goody’s Cool Orange 500 looking for his third victory in a row at the 0.526-mile track.
I believe Johnson and Gordon view this weekend’s race as a golden opportunity for each to experience a reversal of fortune.
And you know what they say of opportunity: It’s wise not to let it slip away.
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