2017 NASCAR Hall of Fame inductee profile: Rick Hendrick – Charlotte Observer

Rick Hendrick

Born: July 12, 1949, Palmer Springs, Va.

Residence: Charlotte.

Family: Wife Linda, daughter Lynn Carlson, son Ricky (deceased).

Career highlights: Hendrick founded All-Star Racing, which evolved into Hendrick Motorsports, in the late fall of 1983 with Geoff Bodine as driver and Harry Hyde as crew chief. Many thought the mix of conflicting personalities wouldn’t work, but Hendrick obviously knew better. Bodine gave the operation its first victory on April 29, 1984 at Martinsville Speedway. Bodine and Hyde also scored the team’s first major triumph in 1986, taking the Daytona 500. …

Hendrick’s drivers have won 16 NASCAR championships (12 in the Cup series, one in the Xfinity series, three in the Truck series). Jimmie Johnson claimed a seventh major title in 2016, tying Richard Petty and the late Dale Earnhardt for the most all-time. Jeff Gordon won four championships for Hendrick and Terry Labonte one. …

Hendrick-fielded vehicles have an owner record 294 victories in NASCAR races (245 victories at the Cup level, 23 on the Xfinity circuit and 26 on the truck tour). The Hendrick teams have accounted for 245 poles (189 Monster Energy, 35 Xfinity and 21 in Camping World Truck). …

His drivers and crews have been at their best in the big-time tour’s five most important events—the Daytona 500, Charlotte Motor Speedway’s Coca Cola 600, Talladega Superspeedway’s spring race (run under various names), Indianapolis Motor Speedway’s Brickyard 400 and Darlington Raceway’s Southern 500. … Jeff Gordon scored his first victory in the 600 of 1994 and sobbed unashamedly. … Gordon and teammate Jimmie Johnson list multiple triumphs in all these big events. … Others contributing to the Hendrick juggernaut in these “majors” are Darrell Waltrip and Dale Earnhardt Jr. at Daytona; Casey Mears and Kasey Kahne at Charlotte; Ken Schrader, Brian Vickers and Terry Labonte at Talladega; Tim Richmond, Mark Martin and Labonte at Darlington. …

Hendrick has watched proudly as Gordon and Johnson have scored all their triumphs in his Chevrolets. Gordon has won 93 times, third on the all-time list behind only Richard Petty (200) and David Pearson (105). Johnson lists 80 victories, seventh most all-time. …

After Gordon’s retirement last year, the Hendrick Motorsports lineup now includes Johnson, Dale Earnhardt Jr., Kahne and Chase Elliott.

Reflections

Retired Observer motorsports writer Tom Higgins on Rick Hendrick:

I first saw him: In late autumn of 1983 when he called a press conference at his City Chevrolet dealership in Charlotte to announce formation of a new NASCAR team to run what was then the Winston Cup Series. Best I recall only four media people were there – me, Bob Myers of the old Charlotte News, the late Gene Granger of the Spartanburg Herald and a videographer from WBTV. When Hendrick holds a press conference now, the turnout fills large rooms.

What people might not know about him: Hendrick began driving a self-built 1931 Chevrolet in drag races at age 14. … He also dreamed of playing professional baseball while in high school, but decided on a business career. … He attended N.C. State and later opened a used car lot back home in Virginia. In 1976 he sold his assets to purchase a small Chevy franchise in South Carolina, becoming, at age 23, the youngest Chevrolet dealer in the U.S. His success was meteoric and the Hendrick Automotive Group now includes more than 100 franchises and he is recognized as the sixth largest car dealer in the country. …

Amidst all the NASCAR triumph, tragedies have hit Hendrick and his racing operation. … Driver Tim Richmond, who held promise of becoming a major star, died of AIDS-related complications in 1988. … Hendrick was diagnosed with chronic myelogenous leukemia in late 1996. After undergoing treatment he has been in full remission since 1999. … Hendrick and wife Linda began a charitable marrow donation program that works with “Be The Match Foundation” to combat the disease and help ease the financial burden of patients. Their charity has raised millions of dollars. …

Unimaginable sorrow struck on Oct. 24, 2004. A Hendrick company plane carrying 10 people to a race at Martinsville Speedway crashed into a Virginia mountainside while attempting to land in foggy, rainy weather. All aboard lost their lives. Included was the Hendrick’s son Ricky, an aspiring race driver; Rick Hendrick’s brother John, a team executive; John’s twin daughters; team general manager Jeff Turner; and chief engine builder Randy Dorton.

Most memorable quote: “I was heading to a suite in the first turn at Atlanta Motor Speedway during a Busch Series race in November of 1991. I noticed a car coming through that corner sideways, the tires smoking. The driver went through the turn like that every lap, showing masterful control and talent. I said to myself, ‘I’ve got to sign that guy to my team.’ A few minutes later I found out it was a young fellow named Jeff Gordon, and I immediately started seeing if I could hire him.”

(The prodigy Gordon, just turned 20, was driving for Ford at the time. It was widely assumed he was under long-term contract and would be the next major Ford star. However, through confusion among executives, there was no Ford contract and Hendrick promptly pilfered Gordon for arch-rival Chevrolet.)

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