Recent Martinsville success helps mend memories (cont'd)

"I shouldn't say this, but people are going to remember who won the '07 championship. They might not remember who won the race and finished third here when we're in New York [for the season-ending awards banquet]."

With four races to remaining in the Chase for the Nextel Cup, the two Hendrick drivers are 115 points clear of third-place driver Clint Bowyer. Tony Stewart, lurking in fourth place, dropped to 249 points back and appears out of contention for the title.

"Hopefully it's down to two of us," Hendrick said.

Hendrick has presided over a two-man race for the championship within his organization previously. In 1996 it came down to the final race of the season when Terry Labonte edged out Gordon for the championship by a mere 37 points.

"I got them all together the week before and I said, 'I'll tell you what I'm gonna do. I'm going to go to the loser first,'" Hendrick said. "'And then after that, I'm going to go to the guy that won it. So know it before you see it. And don't think I'm playing favorites by going to the guy that loses. I want you to know what I'm going to do.'

"I think it helps the guys to know how I feel."

No favorites

No one thinks Hendrick plays favorites at his organization these days. When the No. 24 Chevrolet of Gordon's team and the No. 48 Chevy of Johnson's team are battling, everyone involved knows Mr. H cares the most about everyone getting through it without anything bad happening.

"He does everything he can to assure all of us that everything is going to be all right," said Chad Knaus, Johnson's crew chief. "When something happens on pit road with the 24, he'll scurry down there and pat them on the back. So he's busy. He's like a little queen bee, running from back and forth between the teams and making sure everything's all right.

"It's got to be tough for him because of the fierce competitive nature of our organization. But he thrives on that. He loves that. He loves the fact that we're battling amongst ourselves."

Johnson said that no one can possibly comprehend the other daily demons that Hendrick must battle, in the wake of the tremendous personal losses suffered that day in October of 2004.

"I could never imagine it getting any easier for him," Johnson said after Sunday's latest victory. "In the situation he's in, if he can somehow, if his mind will give him a break thinking about his son passing on the plane, then he goes to his brother, his nieces, close friends and on and on.

"I can't even begin to understand what kind of pain he has to deal with every time coming here. I wasn't sure he was going to be here today. But he was there in Victory Lane -- and to see him smiling and happy is awesome."

After a pause, Johnson added in pure amazement: "The stuff that man has lived through, and still he shows up with a smile on his face."

Hendrick said he draws strength from his race teams just as surely as they obviously draw strength from him.

"You can't undo what was done," Hendrick said. "This week we dedicated a children's hospital [intensive care units] in Ricky's name. We cut the ribbon Saturday morning. So, you know, it's been a hard week. But every week is a hard week. It's just, you miss all those folks.

"Just being with these guys and supporting them is real important to me. I wanted to be here."

As Hendrick smiled again, shook another round of hands and offered a parting hug to a motorsports representative, the sun was still shining down on Martinsville Speedway even as the shadows began to encroach again.

The opinions expressed are solely of the writer.