Head2Head: Challenging the dominance of Hendrick

One team consistently has been competitive each week -- especially in Car of Tomorrow races: Joe Gibbs Racing.

Tony Stewart is as consistent as it gets. He's led 592 laps this season, has two runner-up finishes and seven top-10s in 11 races. Trust me, the wins will come.

Plus, last year was the first time in Stewart's career that he finished worse than seventh in points. He's one of the best, and despite his frustration, won't be retiring anytime soon.

Denny Hamlin has shown in a year-and-a-half that he can be successful at the Cup level.

This season, six top-10s, including laps led in six races. His 610 laps led is second to Jeff Gordon. It's the mistakes that have hurt Hamlin. The speeding penalties and pit errors will disappear and he will win -- and often.

J.J. Yeley, in just his second year, is showing a steady improvement. With just one DNF, Yeley has six top-20s and finds himself 20th in points -- a huge improvement over last season (eight DNFs; 29th in points).

But the most telling of all is the team's performance in COT races. The team's average finish is 13.0 in five COT races. Hamlin has led laps in every race and has four top-threes. Stewart also has led laps in four races with four top-10s, and Yeley has an average finish of 22.4.

With the announcement the COT will run full-time in '08, one look at those races show Gibbs can compete with Hendrick while everyone else tries to catch up.

Aside from Hendrick, no other team can match what JGR has been able to do in the COT. This is Hendrick's year, but it's clear one team has the drivers to mount a takedown next season. It's not Roush, it's not Penske, it's not Childress, it's not Evernham -- it's Gibbs.

• Bill Kimm, NASCAR.COM

Roush Fenway Racing is making strides in its attempt to return to the elite. Would you be surprised as the Blue Oval?s flagship team makes a run at the Cup championship?

The Roush stable is quietly putting together a solid season. Three of its drivers -- Matt Kenseth, Carl Edwards and Jamie McMurray -- are in the top 12, while Greg Biffle is 59 points outside the Chase cutoff.

Kenseth, the only Ford driver with a victory through 11 races, is third in points. His average finish is a stellar 8.5.

Edwards is 10th in points after a slow start; he has seven top-15 finishes in the past nine races.

McMurray is showing flashes of what made him a hot property, including five top-10s in seven races between Las Vegas and Talladega.

Biffle has only two top-10 finishes this year but he has been competitive, note the average running position of 16.765.

The top 12 is dominated by big-name teammates: Hendrick (three drivers), Childress (3), Roush (3) and Gibbs (2). Penske's Kurt Busch is the only top-12 driver without a teammate in the Race for the Chase -- and Ryan Newman is 13th, only 51 points behind McMurray.

If the Chase began today, Hendrick's drivers would have a decided advantage. But the Chase doesn?t start until Race No. 27, which leaves ample opportunity for the Roushkateers. Between Charlotte and Richmond, the cutoff for the Chase on Sept. 8, Roush has 53 victories at those 13 tracks -- more than Childress (40), Penske (35) and Gibbs (34).

Consistency has been the hallmark of Kenseth's season to date. If the team can harness that sameness for the rest of its drivers, Roush will be a player down the stretch -- and the team most likely to challenge Hendrick's dominance.

• Duane Cross, NASCAR.COM