Rick Hendrick

Rick Hendrick
Born	(1949-07-12) July 12, 1949 Warrenton, North Carolina, U.S.
Occupation(s)	Entrepreneur, NASCAR team owner
Known for	Owner of Hendrick Motorsports, co-owner of JR Motorsports, founder of Hendrick Automotive Group

Joseph Riddick "Rick" Hendrick III (born July 12, 1949) is a prominent American entrepreneur, widely recognized as the proprietor of the NASCAR outfit Hendrick Motorsports. Additionally, he holds co-ownership of JR Motorsports and established the Hendrick Automotive Group, which stands as the largest privately owned dealership network in the United States.

By 2024, Hendrick's team has achieved 304 victories in the NASCAR Cup Series, securing his status as the most successful team owner in NASCAR history. His organization has amassed a total of 18 NASCAR titles across various divisions: 14 championships in the NASCAR Cup Series—including seven secured by Jimmie Johnson, four by Jeff Gordon, and one each by Chase Elliott, Terry Labonte, and Kyle Larson; three titles in the NASCAR Truck Series all earned by Jack Sprague; and one championship in the NASCAR Xfinity Series won by Brian Vickers during the 2003 season. Hendrick is among only three team owners ever to have clinched championships in NASCAR’s top three series, alongside Richard Childress and Jack Roush. His contributions to motorsports were honored with his induction into the NASCAR Hall of Fame in 2017 and later into the Motorsports Hall of Fame of America in 2020.

Career

Hendrick embarked on his drag racing journey at the age of 14, driving a 1931 Chevrolet that he had constructed himself. By the time he was 16, he secured victory in the Virginia division of the Chrysler-Plymouth Troubleshooting Contest, which involved a two-stage challenge: a written test followed by a timed practical assessment diagnosing and repairing deliberately introduced vehicle faults.

Following this achievement, Hendrick partnered with Mike Leith to launch a modest used-car dealership. Leith, an experienced new-car dealer, appointed Hendrick as the general sales manager when he was just 23 years old. In 1976, Hendrick sold his interests to acquire a dealership franchise in Bennettsville, South Carolina, becoming the youngest Chevrolet dealer in the nation. Under his leadership, the previously struggling dealership transformed into the most profitable outlet in the area. This early success laid the foundation for what would become the Hendrick Automotive Group, now operating over 100 franchises with a workforce exceeding 10,000 employees across 13 states. Based in Charlotte, North Carolina, the company generated revenues surpassing US$3.5 billion in 2009 after selling 100,000 vehicles and servicing 1.5 million customers, ranking it as the sixth-largest dealership network in the United States. Hendrick serves as chairman of this enterprise.

In terms of racing experience, Hendrick participated in two events during the NASCAR Winston Cup Series seasons of 1987 and 1988, finishing 33rd and 15th respectively. Additionally, he made one start each in both the Busch Series and the Craftsman Truck Series. Earlier in his career, he contributed as a pit crew member for the Flying 11 team driven by Ray Hendrick (no familial relation) during the 1960s. In 1997, Hendrick initiated the Hendrick Marrow Program, a charitable organization collaborating with the Be The Match Foundation to support the National Marrow Donor Program.

Team owner

During the late 1970s, Hendrick established a drag boat racing outfit that secured three straight championships and set a world speed record of 222.2 mph (357.6 km/h) with the vessel Nitro Fever. Following this, he transitioned to the NASCAR Model Sportsman Series (currently known as the NASCAR Xfinity Series), where he achieved a victory with Dale Earnhardt at Charlotte Motor Speedway. In 1984, Hendrick launched All-Star Racing, which later evolved into Hendrick Motorsports. Starting with a modest team of five full-time staff and a 5,000 square feet (460 m²) facility, he entered a single NASCAR Winston Cup team. With Geoff Bodine behind the wheel, the team competed in all 30 races during the season, finishing ninth overall while securing three wins and several pole positions.

Throughout his tenure as a team owner, Hendrick has amassed an impressive record including 18 Drivers' championships—comprising 14 in the Cup Series, one in the Xfinity Series, and three in the Camping World Truck Series. His teams have also claimed 347 race victories (252 in the Cup Series; 67 in Xfinity—23 with Hendrick Motorsports and 44 with JR Motorsports; and 26 in the Truck Series) alongside 291 pole positions (216 in the Sprint Cup Series, 53 in Xfinity—36 with Hendrick Motorsports and 17 with JR Motorsports—and 22 in the Truck Series). He is widely recognized as the most accomplished team owner in NASCAR history. On December 13, 2018, Hendrick revealed plans for Jeff Gordon to succeed him as owner of Hendrick Motorsports upon his retirement.

In the late 1980s, Hendrick also owned the Goodwrench IMSA GTP Corvette, piloted by Sarel Van der Merwe and Doc Bundy. Although constructed by Lola, this vehicle resembled later-generation Corvettes and was powered by GM’s twin-turbocharged V-6 engine. The GTP squad operated from a compact workshop located on Gasoline Alley (formerly Roena Street) in Indianapolis, Indiana, under the management of South African Ken Howes. Despite setting track records and securing numerous pole positions, the team achieved limited race victories before the program was discontinued after just a few seasons.

Early and personal life

Hendrick was born in Warrenton, North Carolina and grew up on his family's farm located in South Hill, Virginia. He completed his secondary education at Park View High School.

He was the father of the late Ricky Hendrick, a former NASCAR competitor who tragically lost his life in a 2004 plane accident that also claimed the lives of several Hendrick family members and crew from Hendrick Motorsports.

On October 31, 2011, Rick Hendrick and his wife Linda experienced a plane mishap in Key West, Florida, when their aircraft overshot the runway at Key West International Airport. Linda sustained minor injuries, whereas Rick endured three fractured ribs and a broken clavicle.

Legal issues

In 1997, Hendrick entered a guilty plea for charges related to mail fraud. During the 1980s, as demand for Honda vehicles surged, executives from Honda were accused of requesting bribes from dealers to secure larger allocations. Hendrick acknowledged providing American Honda Motor Company officials with substantial sums of money, BMW cars, and real estate. As a consequence, he was fined $250,000 in December 1997 and sentenced to one year of home confinement instead of imprisonment due to his leukemia diagnosis. Additionally, he was placed on probation for three years and barred from involvement with both Hendrick Automotive Group (managed by Jim Perkins) and Hendrick Motorsports (overseen by his brother John) during the confinement period. In December 2000, President Bill Clinton granted him a full pardon.

NASCAR

(key) (Bold – Pole position achieved by qualifying time. Italics – Pole position earned through points standings or practice times. * – Indicates most laps led.)

Winston Cup Series

NASCAR Winston Cup Series performance records
Year	Team	No.	Manufacturer	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12	13	14	15	16	17	18	19	20	21	22	23	24	25	26	27	28	29	NWCC	Points	Reference
1987	Hendrick Motorsports	25	Chevy	DAY	CAR	RCH	ATL	DAR	NWS	BRI	MAR	TAL	CLT	DOV	POC	RSD	MCH	DAY	POC	TAL	GLN	MCH	BRI	DAR	RCH	DOV	MAR	NWS	CLT	CAR	RSD 33	ATL	Finished:106th	Points:64
1988		18		DAY	RCH	CAR	ATL	DAR	BRI	NWS	MAR	TAL	CLT	DOV	RSD 15	POC	MCH	DAY	POC	TAL	GLN	MCH	BRI	DAR	RCH	DOV	MAR	CLT	NWS	CAR	PHO	ATL	Finished:63rd	Points:118

Busch Series

NASCAR Busch Series season outcomes
Year	Team	No.	Manufacturer	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12	13	14	15	16	17	18	19	20	21	22	23	24	25	26	27	NBSC	Points	Reference
1987	Hendrick Motorsports	15	Chevy	DAY	HCY	MAR	DAR	BRI	LGY	SBO	CLT	DOV	IRP	ROU	JFC	OXF	SBO	HCY	"Amoco 300"|RAL "24"	[[Busch 200 (Langley) ]|LGY]	[[Carpenter Chevy 150 ]|ROU]	[[Tri-City Pontiac 200 ]|BRI]	[[World Crown 200 ]|JFC]	[[Gatorade 200 ]|DAR]	[[Freedlander 200 ]|RCH]	[[Grand National 200 ]|DOV]	[[Nationwise 150 ]|MAR]	[[All Pro 300 ]|CLT]	[[AC Delco 200 ]|CAR]	[[Winston Classic ]|MAR] SuperTruck Series NASCAR SuperTruck Series performance record Year Team No. Manufacturer 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 NCTC Points Ref 1995 Hendrick Motorsports 25 Chevy PHO TUS SGS MMR POR EVG I70 LVL BRI MLW CNS HPT 23 IRP FLM RCH MAR NWS SON MMR PHO Finished 88th Accumulated 94 points ARCA SuperCar Series (legend) (Bold – Pole position secured by qualifying time. Italics – Pole position granted via points standings or practice results. * – Most laps led during the race.) ARCA Permatex SuperCar Series race outcomes Year Team No. Manufacturer 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 ARSC Points Earned Ref 1991 Hendrick Motorsports 15 Chevy DAY ATL KIL TAL TOL FRS POC MCH KIL FRS DEL POC TAL HPT 23 MCH ISF TOL DSF TWS ATL Placed in the standings at position number123 Total points: zero See also Hendrick Motorsports List of individuals pardoned by Bill Clinton References External links Hendrick Marrow Program Template:Racing-Reference owner Template:Racing-Reference driver Official Hendrick Motorsports website