Hall of Fame Highlight - Rick Hendrick
BIO
Born July 12, 1949, in Warrenton, N.C., Joseph Riddick “Rick” Hendrick III was raised on his family’s farm, a stone’s throw from the small Virginia community of Palmer Springs. It was there, south of Richmond near the North Carolina border, where his father instilled the value of a hard day’s work and a pure passion for the automobile.
Under the watchful eye of “Papa Joe,” that love of cars led Hendrick into the world of auto racing. At age 14, he quickly made a name for himself by setting speed records at a local drag strip with a self-built 1931 Chevrolet. Two years later, the self-described “gearhead” won the Virginia division of the Chrysler-Plymouth Troubleshooting Contest, a competition for engine builders. He was just 16.
A standout athlete at Park View High School in South Hill, Va., Hendrick considered an opportunity to play professional baseball before pursuing a co-op work-study program with North Carolina State University and Westinghouse Electric Company in Raleigh, N.C.
ACCOMPLISHMENTS
Hendrick Motorsports has garnered a NASCAR record 13 owner’s championships and 14 overall: 10 in the Sprint Cup Series, three in the Camping World Truck Series and one in the Nationwide Series (driver’s title only). Its roster of stock-car drivers includes Kasey Kahne, Jimmie Johnson and Dale Earnhardt Jr, with Jeff Gordon retiring in 2016.
Hendrick currently is second on NASCAR’s all-time Cup wins list (1949-present) and leads all owners in modern-era victories (1972-present). His Cup-level teams have won at least one race each year since 1986 – the longest active streak – and averaged nearly 10 wins annually during the last decade.
CHARITY WORK
In 1997, Hendrick chartered the Hendrick Marrow Program, a nonprofit fundraising organization that works with the Be The Match Foundation to support the National Marrow Donor Program. The initiative raises funds to add volunteers to the Be The Match Registry, which helps patients find a bone marrow match, and provides assistance to recipients with uninsured transplant costs.
Another of Hendrick’s passions is the Hendrick Foundation for Children.
Established in 2004 by Hendrick’s brother, the late John L. Hendrick, the Hendrick Foundation for Children supports programs and services that benefit youngsters with illness, injury, disability or other hindrance. Continued in John Hendrick’s memory, the organization has raised millions of dollars toward community-oriented initiatives that improve the quality of children’s lives.
The Foundation committed $3 million in 2005 to assist in the establishment of Charlotte’s 12-story, 234-room Levine Children’s Hospital, a world-class facility dedicated to the needs of children and their families. In recognition of the gift, the hospital dedicated its pediatric intensive care centers in honor of Rick Hendrick’s late son, Ricky. The hospital opened in October 2007.
AWARDS AND HONORS
In April 2006, Hendrick was honored with the prestigious Horatio Alger Award at Constitution Hall in Washington, D.C.
On Dec. 4, 2009, at the Sprint Cup Series Awards Ceremony in Las Vegas, Hendrick was presented with the Bill France Award of Excellence by Betty Jane France, widow of former NASCAR chairman and CEO Bill France Jr. Given only on rare occasions, NASCAR’s highest honor recognizes significant contributions to the sport.
Hendrick even has a film credit to his name after serving as a technical advisor on the 1990 motion picture “Days of Thunder” starring Tom Cruise. Inspired in part by the real-life relationship between crew chief Harry Hyde and driver Tim Richmond, the film netted more than $80 million at the box office. In 2009, Cruise narrated “TOGETHER: The Hendrick Motorsports Story,” a documentary-style film chronicling Hendrick’s first 25 years in NASCAR.
ABOUT THE HALL OF FAME
Located in Uptown Charlotte, N.C., the 150,000-square-foot NASCAR Hall of Fame is an interactive, entertainment attraction honoring the history and heritage of NASCAR. The high-tech venue, designed to educate and entertain race fans and non-fans alike, opened May 11, 2010 and includes artifacts, interactive exhibits, and a 278-person state-of-the-art theater. Also on the property is Buffalo Wild Wings restaurant and the NASCAR Hall of Fame Gear Shop. The goal of the facility is to honor NASCAR icons and create an enduring tribute to the drivers, crew members, team owners and others that have impacted the sport in the past, present and future.
The NASCAR Hall of Fame is open daily from 10 a.m. – 6 p.m. (schedule subject to change) and has an attached parking garage on Brevard Street.
