Hendrick relishes impending 4-peat

After rebounding from his Texas troubles with a victory in Sunday's Checkers O'Reilly Auto Parts 500 at Phoenix International Raceway, Jimmie Johnson was spotted sharing a poignant moment with his car owner, Rick Hendrick. The soft-spoken Hendrick shook hands with Johnson, drew him close, and expressed his gratitude for a job well done.

Hendrick congratulated Johnson not just for steering the No. 48 Lowe's Chevrolet to Victory Lane at Phoenix, but also for reaching the threshold of an unprecedented fourth consecutive NASCAR Sprint Cup title.

Hendrick, who seemed happy just to tag along for the ride, paid Johnson a compliment of the highest order when he told his driver, "I'm glad we don't have to race against you.''

Which got us to wondering: What if Jimmie Johnson had never met Rick Hendrick? What if he didn't drive for Hendrick Motorsports? Would he still reign as the sport's dominant figure?

Maybe. Then again, maybe not, if Johnson had to compete against the sustained level of excellence Hendrick's championship-driven team has produced over the last quarter-century.

Since 1995, the year Hendrick Motorsports won its first championship with Jeff Gordon, Hendrick has presided over 149 victories - 127 from Gordon, who has all but two of his 82 career wins during that span, and Johnson (47) - with his team averaging almost 10 wins a season. Hendrick Motorsports recorded a team-high 18 wins in 2007, including 10 by Johnson and six by Gordon.

One way or another, Hendrick is going to have his ninth NASCAR championship at the conclusion of Sunday's season-ending Ford 400 at Homestead-Miami Speedway. He'll be hoisting the Sprint Cup with either Johnson, who needs only to finish 25th or better to clinch the title, or 50-year-old Mark Martin, who enters the finale trailing Johnson by 108 points.

Gordon, the four-time champion, will be eliminated from contention the moment Johnson flips the ignition switch on his car and starts the race. Barring any unforeseen circumstances, Gordon will finish third in the standings, giving Hendrick a 1-2-3 finish in the championship.

"I can tell you what I'm going to do already in Homestead,'' Hendrick said after the win at Phoenix. "I'm going to go to the third-place guy [first], the second-place guy [next], then the champion.''