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As far as the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series is concerned, No. 1 has long seemed like a lock for Hendrick Motorsports in 2010. Home to reigning four-time series champion Jimmie Johnson as well as former No. 1 Jeff Gordon and also consistent Chase contenders Mark Martin and Dale Earnhardt Jr., Hendrick is a powerhouse of a stock car racing team and constantly sets the bar for other teams to perform.

While Jimmie Johnson and Jeff Gordon lead the way for Hendrick Motorsports this year, however, there's a new top team in town: Joe Gibbs Racing. Fronted by Sprint Cup drivers Denny Hamlin, Kyle Busch and Joey Logano, Joe Gibbs Racing just might be the face of the future in NASCAR. JGR is steadily gaining ground on Hendrick teams this year as NASCAR season gets well underway, and Kyle Busch's recent win at Dover puts the team in a favorable position to loosen the grip that Hendrick has on the stock car racing circuit.

Hendrick Motorsports drivers started the 2010 NASCAR season brilliantly, with Jimmie Johnson winning four of the first eight races of the season. As the springtime has slowly turned into summer, however, it looks as if Joe Gibbs teams might help the tides turn. Since Jimmie Johnson's March 21 win at Bristol, Hendrick has yet to take another race win. JGR, on the other hand, has had drivers win four of the last six races since then, with Denny Hamlin winning at Martinsville (March 29), Texas (April 19) and Darlington (May 8) and Kyle Busch winning at Richmond (May 1) and Dover (May 16).

Comparisons started flying quickly after the double team of Kyle Busch and Denny Hamlin started winning Cup Series races in March and April, but JGR team owner Joe Gibbs has been quick to denounce his team's sudden lightning bolt of energy going into midseason.

Speaking with NASCAR.com about what he thinks of the heated competition between JGR and Hendrick, Joe Gibbs said, "No, I don't think we've caught 'em. We've been fortunate over these last six or seven weeks. But my focus ' and the focus of everyone else at our place ' is that you've got to be there every week. We're just getting started."

The sparked rivalry between the Joe Gibbs Racing trio and Hendrick Motorsports quartet is selling loads of <a rel="nofollow" href="http://www.stubhub.com/nascar-tickets/">NASCAR tickets</a> already and is sure to sell even more from <a rel="nofollow" href="http://www.stubhub.com/">StubHub</a> in the near future, especially with the Chase already at the backs of many racing fans' minds.

As of May 17, driver standings points leave the team rivalries in a dead lock, with Joe Gibbs Racing taking second (Kyle Busch), fifth (Denny Hamlin) and 18th (Joey Logano) places while Hendrick Motorsports has drivers placing fourth (Jimmie Johnson), sixth (Jeff Gordon), 11th (Mark Martin) and 16th (Dale Earnhardt Jr.). The big question at this point in the season is whether or not the Chase title will come down to a competition between Jimmie Johnson and Denny Hamlin, and if it does the 2010 NASCAR season will be one of the most memorable yet.

About the Author:
Jenna Jay wrote this article, which is sponsored by StubHub.com.  <a rel="nofollow" href="http://www.stubhub.com/">StubHub</a> is a leader in the business of selling <a rel="nofollow" href="http://www.stubhub.com/nascar-tickets/">NASCAR tickets</a>, sports tickets, concert tickets, theater tickets and special events tickets.