Hendrick's remarkable run started 25 years ago at Martinsville

Martinsville Speedway has been a memorable place for Rick Hendrick for reasons both good and bad.

The tiny Virginia short track was the sight of Hendrick's first win as a car owner 25 years ago when unheralded Geoff Bodine wheeled the No. 5 Chevrolet into Victory Lane with legendary crew chief Harry Hyde calling the shots.

Current Hendrick teammates Jimmie Johnson and Jeff Gordon have owned Martinsville in recent years, combining to win 12 races at the paper clip-shaped track.

But Martinsville also has very painful memories for Hendrick: The scars from the tragic 2004 plane crash that took 10 members of his family and team, including brother John and son Ricky, are still fresh.

"I stayed at home the first couple of years, Hendrick recalled. "And actually sitting at home is tougher than being here with the guys, because that's what Ricky and John and (engine builder) Randy (Dorton) and all of them want me to do."

"It's hard to do. But as soon as I walk in here and get with the guys these are my family, too -- all the fans, you guys [in the media]. I'm with people that care about us."

Hendrick's life over the past 25 years might have been a lot different if not for Bodine's Martinsville victory in 1984.

Then a new and struggling team owner, Hendrick's operation was about to run out of funds just before that fateful day.

Jimmie Johnson is hoping for his first win of '09 at Martinsville, where he has five victories for Rick Hendrick. (Getty Images)

"A couple weeks before, we were going to have to shut the team down because we had no sponsor," Hendrick said. "You know, I told Harry, we absolutely were going to quit two races before that. And we went on and won Martinsville and went on and picked up enough help to make it through the year."

"So if we had not won that race 25 years ago, Motorsports probably would not be here today. It means a lot. It means a lot because it was Martinsville, and it's close to home. ... So it's got a lot of memories and in some ways, it feels like it was yesterday, and then you look back at all of the drivers and the people that have been involved, and it feels like it was a long time ago."

It's not a stretch to say that the victory was the foundation for what has become one of the greatest success stories in NASCAR history.

Hendrick's teams have won eight Sprint Cup Series championships, including the last three in a row with Johnson.

With the likes of Johnson, Gordon, Dale Earnhardt Jr., Kyle Busch, Mark Martin, Tim Richmond and Bodine driving for him over the years, Hendrick is quick to give most of the credit for success to the drivers.

"I've been very fortunate to have some good ones and I've been amazed at what some of them can do with cars, and nothing takes the place of a driver's talent, I can tell you that," Hendrick said.

But many of the people behind the wheel look at things from the opposite side of the coin.

"It's incredible how he makes people feel and how he inspires them to do, you know, more than you could ever think that you could," said Martin, who joined the team this year. "I think that everyone who works for him wants to succeed for him, even more than they do for themselves, and it's just a really special quality."

Who's hot

Jeff Gordon: Continues to lead the Sprint Cup Series standings and seems poised to end his winless streak at Martinsville, where he has seven victories, seven poles, 20 top fives and 26 top 10s and has led in 24 races for a total of 2,613 laps. Gordon's 6.9 average finish is second among active drivers, just shy of Johnson's mark of 5.6.

Jimmie Johnson: Martinsville would also seem to be a logical place for Johnson to break into the win column for the first time in 2009. Johnson has finished in the top five in the past seven races there, including four wins. He combined to lead 1,174 laps in that span and his overall average finish of 5.6 is over 14 starts.

Denny Hamlin: The home state boy always seems to rise to the occasion when the series rolls into Martinsville. After posting three consecutive finishes of sixth or better, Hamlin was finally able to pull into Victory Lane in this event last year. He led 82 of his track total 235 laps after starting from outside the front row.

Who's not

Kurt Busch: Busch hasn't enjoyed much success at Martinsville since joining Penske Racing. In six starts with the team, Busch has yet to post a top 10 and has an average finish of 25.0. All of Busch's success at Martinsville came with Roush Racing from 2002-2005: one victory and four top 10s.

Robby Gordon: In 20 career Sprint Cup starts at Martinsville, Gordon has not finished better than 20th. He missed this race a year ago and finished 40th last fall.

Joey Logano: The rookie has the added pressure of trying to get out of the Top 35 danger zone at a track where he has never raced in NASCAR's top division.

Make a note

•  Johnson has won four of the past five races at Martinsville.

•  Hamlin's win last spring broke Johnson's three-race win streak and Chevrolet's seven-race tear at the Virginia track.

•  While Jeff Gordon leads active drivers with seven Martinsville victories. Richard Petty tops the track's all-time wins list with 15.

•  Sunday's race will be the track's 121st for NASCAR's top series.

•  Dale Earnhardt Jr. has led 307 laps en route to three top 10s in the past four races.

•  Tony Stewart has finished seventh or better in five of his past seven starts, including a win in this event in 2006.