How could Hendrick possibly be better? Here comes Junior

Twelfth in a series looking back on NASCAR teams' fortunes in 2007 and their prospects for 2008.

Since owner Rick Hendrick founded his team in 1984, it has become one of the premier organizations in NASCAR. Hendrick has won seven Cup titles and is the only organization to have won four in a row (Jeff Gordon in 1995, 1997 and 1998 and Terry Labonte in 1996). What started as a one-car operation with Geoff Bodine has grown into a four-car powerhouse that has claimed 167 victories in NASCAR's top division.

Season review

Jimmie Johnson led the Hendrick '07 dominance with 10 wins and his second straight title. (Getty Images)

Dominance does not fully describe the year Hendrick Motorsports enjoyed in 2007. The stable of Jimmie Johnson, Jeff Gordon, Kyle Busch and Casey Mears teamed up to win an incredible 18 of the season's 36 races, capped by Johnson's 10 trips to Victory Lane and second consecutive title.

Johnson's stats for the year were eye-popping.

In addition to rattling off four consecutive wins during the Chase, Johnson posted 20 top 5s and 24 top 10s as well as finishing with averages of 5.0 in the Chase and 10.8 over the whole season. The No. 48 Lowe's Chevy led laps in all but 12 races.

"This trophy represents so much hard work by so many people and is the culmination of so many dreams of mine and others that's it's almost impossible to talk about," Johnson said. "Since I was a kid, I just wanted to race. I wanted to be the best at racing. I didn't know where it would lead me or what was in store for me or where it would go, but I loved to race.

"And to be here racing on the main stage of NASCAR, and to have the success of the championships means the world to me. It is something I'm very, very proud of, and thankful of as well."

Gordon had the unfortunate timing of putting together one of the best seasons of his career the same year as Johnson's record-setting performance.

He built a tremendous lead over the 26-race regular season that was wiped out when the 10-race Chase playoff began in September. Despite a solid 5.1 average finish in the Chase, it wasn't enough to track down Johnson, and Gordon was forced to settle for the runner-up spot in the final standings.

Gordon scored a record 30 top 10 finishes as well as six wins in 2007. So despite the eventual disappointment, Gordon was still pleased with what 2007 brought.

"Jimmie and I finished 1-2, and that was obviously a tremendous year for Hendrick Motorsports," Gordon said. "It's certainly not something that I am going to hang my head about. I had a great year."

Adding to Gordon's big year was what happened in his personal life.

"Becoming a first-time father this year is truly one of, if not the most, special things in my life," Gordon said. "The year we had on track was great, but nothing can compare to what we experienced as a family this year."

The outspoken Busch enjoyed his best season at Hendrick, which turned out to be his last when he was forced out of his ride after Hendrick won the Dale Earnhardt Jr. sweepstakes. Busch will join Joe Gibbs Racing in 2008.

The third-year Cup driver finished fifth in the final standings and posted 11 top five and 20 top 10 finishes, as well as one victory at Bristol in the Car of Tomorrow's debut.

Busch was, as usual, involved in controversy along the way. He criticized the COT despite winning the first race of the new era, much to the chagrin of NASCAR.

And later in the year, he accused Gordon and Johnson of not helping him draft to the front for a possible July Daytona win, calling himself an outsider since he was leaving Hendrick at the end of the year.

Mears scored his first career Cup win in the Memorial Day weekend visit to Lowe's Motor Speedway, using fuel mileage strategy to Victory Lane. The soft-spoken former open wheel veteran was one of the most consistent drivers of the season's second half and wound up 15th in the final standings.

2008 preview

The already star-studded lineup gets an even stronger dose of celebrity when Earnhardt Jr. joins Hendrick in 2008.

Dale Earnhardt Jr. should boost an already star-studded lineup in 2008. (Getty Images)

After his messy divorce from DEI, Earnhardt Jr. now has the best chance in his career to show the world he can win races and championships on a consistent basis, and NASCAR's most popular driver isn't going to let the opportunity pass.

"I think I have a good opportunity to succeed and win a lot of races," said Junior, who will drive a No. 88 Chevy. "I believe, honestly and personally, that I will carry a championship on my mantle when I'm all said and done. ... I really do want it."

Earnhardt Jr. has already shown his commitment by showing up a week early in Daytona for Preseason Thunder testing, a gesture that impressed his teammates.

"For him to come down, show the team how committed he is to being up front, and how committed he is to winning races and championships, says a lot," Johnson said. "It says a lot to the team, his teammates, to the team members and I think to the racing public, that he's down here, ready to go and ready to get after it."

There won't be any excuses for Earnhardt Jr. if he doesn't win races this year, and the prediction is he will. While a championship might not be in the cards, at least in Year 1, Earnhardt Jr. should make multiple visits to Victory Lane in 2008 and return to the Chase after missing the playoffs last year.

Mears, who slides into the No. 5 ride vacated by Busch, should give Hendrick all four teams in the Chase if he can continue the rise he showed in the second half of 2007.

The championship will again come down to Johnson and Gordon, neither of whom shows any signs of being anything less than the nearly unbeatable combination they were in 2007.

With the addition of Earnhardt Jr., the continued improvement of Mears and the again dominating combo of Johnson and Gordon, Hendrick is in position to have an even better season than its record-breaking 2007.

Believe it or not.