1on1: Rick Hendrick (cont'd)

Q: Speaking of Jimmie Johnson, what do you think of his chances of becoming only the second driver in the history of the sport to win three consecutive championships?

Hendrick: I think they're great. I have tried to find some weaknesses in his armor, but I've never seen it. The more competitive it gets, the more he'll cinch it up. He and [crew chief] Chad [Knaus] are both that way. They've got an awesome team around them, they want it really badly, and they're willing to do whatever it takes. With Chad, I don't know when the guy sleeps. He'll text me in the mornings, and he's always way ahead of me. That doesn't take a whole lot -- but he's always thinking about how to make that car better.

Calming voice

When Dale Earnhardt Jr. was complaining about a set of new tires on his No. 88 Chevrolet at New Hampshire, team owner Rick Hendrick joined the conversation to try and get his driver to focus.

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• Junior: Radio talk won't change

And with Jimmie, I don't think anybody in the Chase, pound for pound, can outdrive him. If we don't have any bad luck, they're gonna have to beat him. That's kind of how I feel about it. He's peaking at the right time. I really look forward to Kansas. I think he's got something for 'em there, and in all the races coming up. He just knows how to do it. He's been there before, and so has Chad. This time of year, they just have some kind of magic that they kind of work. Anything can happen, but I like our chances.

Q: Can you compare Jimmie's hot streak the last three years to how Jeff Gordon was in the late 1990s?

Hendrick: They're a lot the same. If you go back and look at Jeff, he was just always there. And he was there again last year. But if you look at wins and statistics in the Chase, Jimmie has just had a phenomenal run. That's just total commitment. He's so focused -- from working out to driving to every piece of it. He's high energy. He and Chad both, they just switch on and it's hard to beat their record. There are a lot of good teams out there, but there won't be any team that works any harder, any team that wants it any more. Nobody is going to outwork 'em, and I don't think anybody has more talent than they do -- so they should be there.

Q: Do you ever struggle with deciding which pit box to sit on top of during a race, especially if two or more of your cars are in contention for a win?

Hendrick: No. If it's two of them battling for a win, I'll go to a neutral spot. I don't want it to look like I'm favoring one team over the other. I know where Victory Lane is, so that's where I'll head when it's over.

Q: How do you balance trying to help each of your drivers without any of them getting a little jealous about what you might be telling the other guy?

Hendrick (laughing): I usually tell them privately that they're each my favorite. We kid about that all the time. They all know I'm going to give them the best I can. I think I have a good relationship with all of my guys, personally and individually. I just try to encourage them to do the best they can, and then I'm the first one to tell them that if it doesn't work out, it's not life-threatening. We're all in this for the long haul. There is a balance you have to strike there. Do the best that you can, but then if it doesn't work out you have to realize that happens sometimes in life and you can't get too down about it. You've got to gear up to go again.

Q: Are you cool with Dale Jr. since your spirited in-race radio exchange at New Hampshire recently, when you tried to calm him down after he got upset with crew chief Tony Eury Jr. and his teammates?

Hendrick: It was cool after New Hampshire. I understand him and he understands me. He knows why I said what I did. One thing about Dale, we have an unbelievably good relationship. We enjoy being around each other, and he knows I'm just trying to help.

I couldn't ask for a better job than he did last Sunday [at Dover]. The car was just terrible. He had every reason to complain, and he just didn't. He knows those guys are working hard. I'm real proud of him for that. I'm sure there will be other times where he gets all excited, but I wasn't on the radio [during the race at Dover] other than to wish him good luck and listen. I try to help where I can, but I don't want to get in the way.