Jeff Gordon led the pack for 139 of 194 laps Sunday. Credit: Autostock

It's Hendrick -- not DEI -- that's king of plate racing

TALLADEGA, Ala. -- Hendrick Motorsports threw down the gauntlet Sunday at Talladega Superspeedway, staking its claim to the best restrictor-plate program in Nextel Cup racing.

Jeff Gordon's victory in the Aaron's 499 was his second win in as many plate races this year, and it was Hendrick's fourth since the Spring 2004 race at 'Dega -- all by Gordon.

Jeff Gordon

Plate-Racing Success Results of the past six restrictor-plate races Track Winner Team 'Dega J. Gordon Hendrick Daytona J. Gordon Hendrick 'Dega Earnhardt Jr. DEI Daytona J. Gordon Hendrick 'Dega J. Gordon Hendrick Daytona Earnhardt Jr. DEI Race Results Aaron's 499 Pos. Driver Make 1. Jeff Gordon Chevrolet 2. Tony Stewart Chevrolet 3. Michael Waltrip Chevrolet 4. Jeremy Mayfield Dodge 5. Jamie McMurray Dodge Complete results, click here Standings, click here Big troubleThe Big One strikes as 25 cars are taken out Wreck reactionDrivers are frustrated following The Big One Victory LaneGordon celebrates his win at Talladega Final lapsGordon holds off Stewart and Waltrip to take the checkers Early troublesHarvick drops off pace and Petty hits the wall early Sign up for TrackPass now BUY YOUR NEXTEL DRIVER PHONE

"When you have a car like the one Robbie [Loomis, crew chief] and the guys gave me ... it makes it a lot of fun," Gordon said after leading 139 of 194 laps. "It was the most dominating car I've ever had at a restrictor-plate race.

"The engine was so, so good and the car just seemed to get through the air good. It was just awesome -- not to mention the pit stops. It was just a good day all around."

Hendrick's resurgence has come at the expense of Dale Earnhardt Inc., which had dominated at the plate tracks between 2001-03. In those 12 races, DEI won nine times (four at Daytona, five at Talladega), while Hendrick was shut out.

Gordon now has won 10 plate races, one behind Dale Earnhardt's series record. Gordon's fourth victory at Talladega was Chevrolet's 13th consecutive at the 2.66-mile track.

However, DEI's Michael Waltrip bristles at the notion that Hendrick now has the plate program to beat.

"It's not as lopsided as that sounds," Waltrip said of Hendrick's fourth win in the past five restirctor-plate races. "Circumstantially, it could have been very different."

Sunday may have been one of those "circumstances" that Waltrip eluded to.

With the laps winding down -- and drivers' patience wearing thin -- a 25-car pileup on Lap 132 brought out the red flag. Gordon was in front of the field when the melee KO'd 25 cars, including Nos. 6-10 in the point standings: Mark Martin, Ryan Newman, Carl Edwards, Sterling Marlin and Rusty Wallace.

"The 48 [Jimmie Johnson] ran the 4 [Mike Wallace] into the fence, and into the 10 [Scott Riggs]," Earnhardt Jr. said. "I mean, we were all driving real hard, but ... I don't know, just driving hard. Your spotters are a big part here. I was pushing the 4, and the guy beside him, which I was told was the 48, squeezed him into the fence."

The ensuing red-flag stop was for 43 minutes, 21 seconds.

After racing resumed, Gordon's Hendrick teammate Johnson paced the field for a few laps before Gordon powered his way back to the front -- and eventually to Victory Lane.

During a late-race caution, Gordon pitted and returned to the track. He told his crew, "This is what we came here for."

With less than five laps remaining, the field was setting up for a dash to the checkers when six cars -- Earnhardt Jr., Kevin Harvick, Greg Biffle, Martin Truex Jr., Travis Kvapil and Johnson -- crashed to bring out a caution on Lap 186.

During the ensuing green-white-checker finish, Tony Stewart and Waltrip hooked up and tried to overtake Gordon but it was to no avail.

"We're not as potent a combination as in the past," Waltrip admitted of DEI's recent restrictor-plate races. "But I wouldn't count us out."

Still, if it's a standing eight count, Hendrick is now at two -- and counting.

Said Earnhardt Jr. of Gordon's dominating performance: "To be honest, I never could get up there to see it. I mean, I finally did after a while, but we didn't have that good a car at all. Jeff's car was awesome from what I could tell. When you get those kinds of cars, you need to get the wins, and they did. Congratulations to those guys."