by Jeff Hammond

Updated: July 17, 2008, 4:56 PM EST 193 comments

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To me, you need to look at the records for the last three years to come up with the top teams in NASCAR. Hendrick Motorsports is my first pick to be on that list. Joining them is Joe Gibbs Racing and Roush Fenway Racing. They seem to be the ones week in week out that always have to be considered contenders for the victory. Again, it's not just a driver; it's all their drivers that could win on any given Sunday.

To be among the best, there are three criteria that you should always fulfill:

• 1. Can you be competitive?

• 2. Can you win races?

• 3. Can you win championships?

I think that's what these three organizations bring to the table week in and week out.

Coming back

Hendrick, Gibbs and Roush may dominate up top, but there are a number of teams that are making a comeback – including one of the most historic ones in the sport.

The first one to me that is trying to make a resurgence is Petty Enterprises. I feel like Richard and Kyle Petty and Robbie Loomis have gone the extra mile these last two seasons to make their program better for the future. They have been too long away from Victory Lane and they have been too long from being considered a top competitor, so they pulled up stakes and relocated in Mooresville, N.C. They then solidified their future with Bobby Labonte and also this season they brought in the right kind of money by securing outside investors. So they are an organization that I am going to continue to watch. We all hope to see Petty Enterprises return to glory.

At the same time, I think we are seeing the benefits of change that were made at Gillett Evernham Motorsports. Ray Evernham reached a point where he could no longer go it alone and he was able to bring George Gillett into the company and it's made a huge difference. I see that organization as trying real hard to get back to where they can be considered a contender for a championship.

Team of the future?

Obviously, a lot of the e-mails I have been getting asking about the top teams in the sport also ask me what I think about the newest team owner in the garage: Tony Stewart.

Over at Stewart-Haas Racing, you have to be excited at what they have now. They have Hendrick engines and Hendrick support. Additionally they have heavy support from Chevrolet. So you have to believe that Stewart will have a great opportunity and the resources to make it happen.

The key is if Tony can put the right people in place. That's going to take time to see if it works. I think you will be able to assess this about halfway through 2009. It is just so difficult to sit here right now and say "Oh sure, they can get the right people." You can hire the right people. I have seen teams that were just star-studded from top to bottom. The problem was they didn't work together as a team. That is going to be the key thing for Tony. Can he put together the right people in the right places that work together and make this thing successful?

It's not as easy as it sounds for drivers. You can look at the history of this. Just because you were a great race car driver and won championships, there is no guarantee that you have the right understanding of what it takes to run a successful organization. I believe that Tony will settle for nothing less than success and I think that's the biggest reason that he did what he did.

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FOX race analyst Jeff Hammond led Darrell Waltrip to two of DW's three Winston Cup championships as his crew chief. They also teamed to win the 1989 Daytona 500.

For autographed copies of Jeff Hammond's book "Real Men Work in the Pits" plus magnets, hats and more, check out www.dwstore.com.

For photos and appearances, visit Jeff's web site www.jeffhammond.com.