Dale Earnhardt Jr, (Right failed to make the 12-man Chase field but isn't pressured by Rick Hendrick (Left). (Photo: LAT Photographic) » More Photos

“You win as a team. You lose as a team. You live as team,’’ Hendrick likes to say.

Martin said the communication was pretty good on his previous teams, but nothing like what goes on at Hendrick Motorsports.

“It didn’t take me very long to see the difference after I got here,’’ Martin said. “It comes down from the top. Rick believes that you win by having everybody working together and sharing everything. Obviously, it’s working pretty good.’’

Heading to Kansas for the third of 10 races in the 2009 Chase for the championship, Martin leads Johnson by 10 points at the top of the standings, while Gordon is eighth, 122 points behind the leader.

Moving to Hendrick has not made a huge difference for the popular Earnhardt in his results. He failed to make the 12-man Chase field and hasn’t managed a win this year. But you’d never know it talking to him.

“I love what goes on at this team,’’ Earnhardt said. “When you don’t have a lot of success, everybody wants to help, to get you going in the right direction. Rick doesn’t put any pressure on you. Nobody does. You just feel like it’s a matter of time.’’

In a TV feature before last Sunday’s race at Dover, Hendrick was asked how he would feel if the three team drivers in the Chase finished 1-2-3.

The boss grinned widely and said, “I don’t know. There’s a long way to go. But that would be nice, wouldn’t it.’’

That would be a NASCAR first and, with a continuing communication, a little luck and lots of talent, it could happen.

The opinions reflected herein are solely those of the above commentator and are not necessarily those of SPEEDtv.com, FOX, NewsCorp, or Speed Channel