Hendrick team has COT all figured out

CONCORD -- Hendrick Motorsports has won seven of the past eight Nextel Cup races, hardly the parity NASCAR was looking for this season.

Although Hendrick suddenly has taken on the look of the 1927 New York Yankees, the competition isn't conceding just yet.

"I'm real confident that I can go back to Darlington and have a chance at winning again," Greg Biffle said Monday. "Now, they may finish first, second, third again, ... but I feel like we have a good opportunity there."

Recent statistics show otherwise.

Jimmie Johnson led a Hendrick parade at Richmond International Raceway, where he scored his fourth win of the season on Sunday while leading teammate Kyle Busch across the finish line. Hendrick cars ran 1-2-3 for the final 100 miles, but Jeff Gordon slipped to fourth right at the end.

Johnson's win was the third consecutive Hendrick victory and the fourth time this season Hendrick cars finished 1-2.

It also kept Hendrick undefeated in the four Car of Tomorrow races this season, with no sign that Saturday in Darlington, S.C., will be any different. It's the fifth of 16 COT races this season.

"Right now, they are just pounding everybody," said rival car owner Ray Evernham, who won three championships as a Hendrick crew chief. "More power to him. He's worked for it, and I don't see it letting up anytime soon."

The Car of Tomorrow was supposed to be NASCAR's great equalizer, the one variable that would close the gap between the elite teams and those struggling to survive. It hasn't worked out that way, as even the usual contenders have struggled to keep pace with Hendrick.

Even Roush Fenway Racing, which paced NASCAR in 2005 by placing all five of its cars in the Chase for the Nextel Cup, is lagging. Biffle, winless this season and 15th in the points, said Hendrick has lapped the competition in COT preparation.

"They say that Hendrick's have almost 100 days of testing in the COT car ... we've spent nine days testing," Biffle said.

Hendrick officials say they've tested the car only 25 to 30 days.

Biffle has some history on his side this weekend. He'll be trying to win his third straight race at Darlington Raceway.

NASCAR isn't too concerned with the current Hendrick dominance, pointing out that several of the victories came after chief rivals faltered.

"Hendrick's is not only at the top of the game performance-wise, but they haven't made any mistakes and haven't had any mechanical failures," Nextel Cup director John Darby said. "Everything is going right for them, and to some degree, the rest of the garage has helped them."

ANOTHER SELLOUT: For the third year in a row, the only Nextel Cup race at the Darlington Raceway has sold out all grandstand seats, track officials said Monday. Infield tickets are still available for Saturday's Dodge Avenger 500.