Team comes first in land of Hendrick Motorsports

For weeks we've heard the drivers and teams chasing Jimmie Johnson in the standings saying the same thing.

Without Johnson and company having trouble, there was no way anyone had a chance to run him down and win the Sprint Cup title.

Well trouble reared its ugly head last week at Texas Motor Speedway when Johnson suffered a crash on the third lap with Sam Hornish Jr.

Best Chase drivers at Phoenix
Driver	Starts	Avg. Finish
1. Jimmie Johnson	12	5.4	Johnson
2. Mark Martin	25	9.0
3. Tony Stewart	15	10.1
4. Denny Hamlin	8	10.4
5. Jeff Gordon	21	10.9
Phoenix Chase stats

But a funny thing happened as the battered No. 48 Lowe's Chevrolet sat in the garage area. Members of the very teams locked in the championship battle with Johnson were there trying to lend a hand.

While Chad Knaus oversaw the work of his team trying to repair the car and get it back on track if only to pick up a few positions and their precious points, personnel from the teams of Jeff Gordon and Mark Martin were right in the mix looking to lend support.

Confused?

Maybe you shouldn't be considering all three teams are part of the Hendrick Motorsports powerhouse. Team owner Rick Hendrick has always taken an organization over the individual approach to the sport and if any one of his teams wins the title, it's considered an achievement for Hendrick Motorsports.

But what about fans of each individual driver?

I heard from more than a few Martin and Gordon supporters this week who were outraged that rather than trying to take advantage of Johnson's woes and gain as much ground in the standings as possible, team members were actually trying to get their fiercest competitor back on track.

So perhaps following this one-for-all-and-all-for-one logic that multi-car teams like Hendrick employ, maybe it's time for fans to become followers of organizations rather than individual drivers.

I can think of no other sport where competitors actually help one another as much as in NASCAR racing. Sunday wasn't the first time it as happened and historians have pointed out that several competing teams came to the aid of the late Benny Parsons when he encountered problems in the final race of 1973 as he was trying to win the championship. That assistance from many of the very same teams who were trying to beat Parsons that day helped him back into the race and he indeed went on to win the crown.

But while I understand that kind of sportsmanship has been part of NASCAR for a while and believe it does make the sport unique, I still have to wonder if it's right.

It seems hypocritical to hear drivers publicly say they need for Johnson to open the door for them so they can catch him only to have their teams help put a new doorknob on.

Can you imagine Tiger Woods handing Phil Mickelson a club from his bag if Lefty broke a nine iron for a crucial approach shot?

In NASCAR that kind of help is not only accepted, it's expected under the umbrella of multi-car operations.

My best advice is to ditch those hats with a 24 or 5 on the bill and buy yourself one with a great big H emblazoned in front. That way you can assure yourself of being a satisfied fan.

Garage chatter

•  The downsizing at Richard Petty Motorsports in anticipation of the team's merger with Yates Racing will cost at least 150 jobs according to several sources. The biggest hit came with the organization's engine development department, as the newly merged team will utilize Yates motors in its four-car operation next season.

•  NASCAR has announced the schedule of activities for the 2009 Champion's Week celebrations in Las Vegas, culminating with the NASCAR Sprint Cup Awards Ceremony at the Wynn Las Vegas on Dec. 4. A Charity Fanfest at Las Vegas Motor Speedway kicks things off on December 2nd, which will also include a charity roast of the 2009 Sprint Cup champion. On Dec. 3, the top 12 drivers will participate in the Victory Lap Parade in their show cars on Las Vegas Boulevard known as "The Strip." And the Dec. 4 Sprint Cup Series Awards Ceremony at the Wynn will be telecast live by SPEED beginning at 9 p.m. ET.

•  Some good news in the Nationwide Series with this week's announcement of Braun Racing stepping up its effort to four cars next season and the addition of Truck Series regular Brian Scott to the stable.

•  Nothing new to report on the replacement for Kurt Busch's crew chief Pat Tryson, who will leave Penske Racing for Michael Waltrip Racing at the end of the season. It appears the organization will promote from within to fill the role on top of Busch's pit box.

•  Also it's all quiet on the Danica Patrick front this week, although sources are still reporting an announcement for a partial Nationwide Series schedule with JR Motorsports is expected any day. Patrick would reportedly make her debut in an ARCA race at Daytona next February and run 10-12 additional Nationwide races in 2010 in addition to her full Indy Car schedule with Andretti-Green Racing.