Hendrick teammates Jeff Gordon, Jimmie Johnson and Kyle Busch posted top-five runs at Martinsville. Credit: CIA Stock Photo

Success for Hendrick at Martinsville nothing new

MARTINSVILLE, Va. -- With only 16 cars leaving Martinsville with a lead-lap finish, and fewer than that with a spotless racecar, most teams are glad to see the .526-mile bump-and-grind racetrack in their rearview mirror.

Hendrick Motorsports isn't one of them.

REMEMBERING RICKY MARTINSVILLE, Va. -- Martinsville may be a place of celebration for Hendrick Motorsports, but it's bittersweet.  Sunday's success by the team's four cars didn't trump the fact that it would have been Ricky Hendrick's 26th birthday.  Hendrick was among the 10 passengers who died Oct. 24, 2004, when the team's plane crashed on its way to Martinsville Speedway. He was the youngest son of team owner, Rick Hendrick.  "The fall race is the anniversary of our airplane going down," Jimmie Johnson said. "The spring race is right around Ricky Hendrick's birthday.  "As excited as we are to be here to race and put up a good performance, it's also tough and I think between all of us we really wanted to win a race [Sunday] and take a trophy back to Rick."  Among the plane's passengers was Tony Stewart's team pilot.  "This is Ricky Hendrick's birthday," Stewart said, "and I know I'm not part of the Hendrick organization but every time we come to Martinsville we think of the Hendrick family and the tragedy and [Stewart's former pilot] Scott Lathram and his family."  -- Josh Pate, NASCAR.COM

Sunday's DirecTV 500 was just another chapter to the book the team is writing on how to run good at the hot-tempered track, as all four Hendrick drivers finished inside the top 10.

After cutting a tire on Lap 90 because of what he called overly aggressive driving, Jeff Gordon again was the leader of the bunch. He loosened up, stayed focused after the minor setback and wheeled his way past the field for a second-place finish behind race-winner Tony Stewart.

Right on his bumper was Jimmie Johnson in third.

Along with Gordon and Johnson's top-five finishes, Kyle Busch was fifth and Vickers was eighth -- career-best finishes for both drivers in their brief experiences at the historical track.

"I personally think it has a lot to do with Jeff Gordon and what he's done here over the years," Johnson said of the organization's success. "It's really been a strong track for them."

Gordon's got seven victories at Martinsville -- including four in the last seven races -- and has finished inside the top 10 in 21 of his 27 races at the track.

But the team was strong at the short track before Gordon and Johnson were even in a stock car.

Hendrick-owned cars have finished in the top 10 in half of their races at Martinsville. Geoffrey Bodine won here in 1984 driving a Rick Hendrick car. Then Darrell Waltrip drove his No. 17 to Victory Lane in back-to-back fall races in 1987 and '88 before taking a season sweep at the track in 1989.

Brian Vickers recorded his first top-10 since Daytona. Credit: Autostock

Official Results DirecTV 500 Pos. Driver Make 1. T. Stewart Chevy 2. J. Gordon Chevy 3. J. Johnson Chevy 4. D. Earnhardt Jr. Chevy 5. Kyle Busch Chevy 6. E. Sadler Ford 7. K. Harvick Chevy 8. B. Vickers Chevy 9. J. McMurray Ford 10. S. Riggs Dodge • Complete results, click here • Driver standings, click here Victory LaneTony Stewart celebrates his win in the DirecTV 500 Final LapsStewart, Johnson and Gordon battle in the final laps Making a comebackJeff Gordon rallies to finish second at Martinsville Good teammatesJimmie Johnson explains how Gordon helped his Martinsville car setup Race RewindWatch a condensed version of the DirecTV 500 in Martinsville! Sign up for TrackPass now BUY THE NEXTEL i836

From then on, it's been all Gordon with the exception of Johnson, who won here in 2004 when Gordon finished ninth.

Then again, Johnson's had the track pretty much figured out since he first arrived -- almost. He was 35th (vibration) in his first start at Martinsville. But since then, he's got eight consecutive top-10 finishes.

This weekend was just a continuation. He qualified on the pole on Friday and led 195 laps in Sunday's race before settling in behind the No. 24 car in the closing laps. Gordon pounced when Johnson got loose with 17 laps to go and scooted on by him to take second place.

It was just another case of the teacher instructing the student -- but it definitely wasn't the first time Gordon was giving lessons during the weekend.

"During practice [Friday and Saturday], I think all of us were huddled around Jeff trying to pick his brain a little bit," Johnson said. "He's been generous to share what it takes to get around here. Over the years, he's had such a good package here that we can just get in there and try to do our job as drivers. And we've made the most of it."

The four-time champion's younger teammates have already studied their notes, taken the exam and passed.

Vickers, who surprised some people by leading both practice sessions on Saturday, said the only reason he kept his No. 25 Chevy out of the fence Sunday was because of the notes he took from his teammates -- patience, patience, patience.

"One hundred percent," Vickers said of how much of a factor being calm played in his success. "I was just trying to stay out of trouble and keep the fenders on it."

Busch was doing much of the same, although he spent virtually his entire day inside the top 10.

In the frantic final three laps, he was trying to show his elders what he learned by getting around them on the racetrack. Instead, he showed them he was paying attention during the patience part of the lesson.

He had such a strong run on Johnson that he had to check up into the high groove to avoid contact. The move disrupted Johnson's momentum, but it was more detrimental for Busch, who lost a spot to Dale Earnhardt Jr. on the final turn after letting off the gas.

"[Busch] did a great job [Sunday]," Johnson said. "At one point I told my spotter to relay to him that I thought he was doing an awesome job."

With their finishes, the handed-down wealth had officially been spread throughout the Hendrick organization. Of course, if the students start finishing ahead of the instructor, the lessons just might cease.

"I'm thinking twice about those conversations now," Gordon said.