HMS shooting to become sixth to win five in a row

Only five times in the long and storied history of NASCAR has a single team won five consecutive races. And considering Petty Enterprises did it four times, there have only been two organizations to boast such a feat.

Rick Hendrick could join Carl Kiekhaefer and the famous Pettys among that group this weekend if one of his four drivers can find Victory Lane after 334 laps of the Samsung 500 at Texas Motor Speedway (1:30 p.m. ET, Sunday).

Hendrick Motorsports has been nothing short of sensational thus far in 2007. The team has three drivers in the top five in points, and Jimmie Johnson is the first driver to win three of the first six races since his teammate Jeff Gordon, who did so in 1996.

Johnson began Hendrick's current streak with victories at two other 1.5-mile venues -- Las Vegas and Atlanta -- before Kyle Busch and Johnson put together back-to-back short-track -- and Car of Tomorrow -- wins at Bristol and Martinsville, respectively.

Johnson has never finished worse than 11th in seven career starts at Texas, but he has never won there. In fact, no current Hendrick driver has a victory at TMS.

But that's not to say they haven't come close. Johnson finished second this past November and his 6.3 average finish at Texas is best of any driver.

Gordon is tied with Mark Martin for the most top-fives at Texas with four, and he's coming off a ninth-place finish this past November.

Kyle Busch gave Hendrick three top-10 cars the last time out at Texas when he finished fourth this past November. He has completed all but nine laps in his four starts there.

And newcomer Casey Mears has a 10.5 average finish at Texas, his best at any track. He has four top-10s in six starts and finished seventh this past November.

Mears has been slow adjusting to his new team and crew chief, Darian Grubb. The No. 25 has just one top 10 this season and is 33rd in points.

"Obviously, we want to be higher in the points, but I feel like Casey and I have established a strong relationship in the short amount of time we've had this season," Grubb said. "We're learning and adjusting together, and I think Texas has the potential to be a great confidence-booster for our team." (Continued)