Back to the future for Hendrick

Hendrick Motorsports is perfect with NASCAR's Car of Tomorrow. Between Jimmie Johnson, Jeff Gordon and Kyle Busch, Hendrick Motorsports has yet to lose a NASCAR Nextel Cup Series race with the Car of Tomorrow.
Now that Casey Mears has joined the win club at Hendrick Motorsports by taking Sunday's Coca-Cola 600 at Lowe's Motor Speedway, even he has to be considered a contender to win the next Cup race.
But the next Cup race, at Dover International Speedway, presents a unique combination for drivers and teams. Dover has a concrete track surface. Just one more obstacle facing Hendrick Motorsports to remain perfect with the Car of Tomorrow.
“The track at Dover isn’t as sensitive to the heat pounding on it because of the concrete surface," said Johnson, driver of the No. 48 Chevrolet for Hendrick Motorsports. "The rubber takes to the track in a different manner than it takes to pavement tracks. The biggest difference is the surface and the way the track is laid down. When you think about concrete, it is laid in squares so you have multiple seams and it feels like driving on a washboard road at times because you are going over those seams where they poured the slab."
Because of the concrete surface, tire wear plays a major in the way races unfold.
"It really jars the car and it is a rough ride all the way around the track," said Johnson, who has won three races at Dover over his Cup career. "It is extremely hard on tires because of the steep banking and the speeds we carry. You have to have the setup under the car as perfect as you can get it to be able to manage your tires effectively throughout the race. If you get a long green flag run, you can’t be abusive to your car or your tires."