Ray Hendrick
Encyclopedia
Ray Hendrick was known as "Mr. Modified" during his 36-year career in motorsports mainly in the modified stock car racing
class.
The Virginia
native collected more than 700 victories in modifieds, NASCAR
Winston Cup series, and late model sportsman series (later known as Busch
Grand National division). Ray Hendrick was the first inductee into the Virginia Hall of Fame and was inducted in the International Motorsports Hall of Fame
in 2007.
Hendrick raced his famous winged No. 11 Modified coupe fielded by Jack Tant and Clayton Mitchell. Rick Hendrick
was a pit crew member on his car in the 1960s. The Richmond, Virginia
star won five track championships at South Boston Speedway
, four of them while competing in the NASCAR
Modified division and one in the NASCAR
Late Model Sportsman division.
Ray never won the National Modified Championship but finished in the Top 10 in Points nine times:
Ray also finished 8th in 1974 and 9th in 1975 in the National Late Model Sportsman Points before it became known as the Busch Grand National Division
. Ray won the Modified "Race of Champions" 2 times, in 1969 on the 1 mile Langhorne Speedway
asphalt and in 1975 on the Trenton Speedway
1.5 mile oval. Ray is 1st on the all-time winners list of Martinsville Speedway
with 20 wins between 1963 and 1975. Next on the list is Richard Petty
with 15 wins, followed by Geoff Bodine
, Darrell Waltrip
, and Richie Evans
. Ray also won a 100 Lap National Championship race on Memorial Day Weekend of 1970 at Stafford Motor Speedway
.
Hendrick was best known for his racing philosophy of racing anywhere and everywhere. Hendrick's modified career and philosophy of racing anywhere and everywhere prevented him from competing full time in NASCAR Winston Cup
. In 17 starts, he collected two top-five and six top-10 finishes.
Stock car racing
Stock car racing is a form of automobile racing found mainly in the United States, Canada, New Zealand, Great Britain, Brazil and Argentina. Traditionally, races are run on oval tracks measuring approximately in length...
class.
The Virginia
Virginia
The Commonwealth of Virginia , is a U.S. state on the Atlantic Coast of the Southern United States. Virginia is nicknamed the "Old Dominion" and sometimes the "Mother of Presidents" after the eight U.S. presidents born there...
native collected more than 700 victories in modifieds, NASCAR
NASCAR
The National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing is a family-owned and -operated business venture that sanctions and governs multiple auto racing sports events. It was founded by Bill France Sr. in 1947–48. As of 2009, the CEO for the company is Brian France, grandson of the late Bill France Sr...
Winston Cup series, and late model sportsman series (later known as Busch
Busch Series
The NASCAR Nationwide Series is a stock car racing series owned and operated by the National Association of Stock Car Auto Racing. It is promoted as NASCAR's "minor league" circuit, and is a proving ground for drivers who wish to step up to the organization's "big leagues"; the Sprint Cup circuit...
Grand National division). Ray Hendrick was the first inductee into the Virginia Hall of Fame and was inducted in the International Motorsports Hall of Fame
International Motorsports Hall of Fame
The International Motorsports Hall of Fame is a Hall of Fame dedicated to enshrining those who have contributed the most to auto racing either as a driver, owner, developer or engineer...
in 2007.
Hendrick raced his famous winged No. 11 Modified coupe fielded by Jack Tant and Clayton Mitchell. Rick Hendrick
Rick Hendrick
Joseph Riddick Hendrick III , better known as Rick Hendrick, is the current owner of the American NASCAR team, Hendrick Motorsports and founder of the Hendrick Automotive Group and Hendrick Marrow Program. He attended Park View High School in South Hill, Virginia, and began his career in auto...
was a pit crew member on his car in the 1960s. The Richmond, Virginia
Richmond, Virginia
Richmond is the capital of the Commonwealth of Virginia, in the United States. It is an independent city and not part of any county. Richmond is the center of the Richmond Metropolitan Statistical Area and the Greater Richmond area...
star won five track championships at South Boston Speedway
South Boston Speedway
South Boston Speedway or "SoBo" is a short track located just outside South Boston, Virginia, U.S.A.. SoBo is located approximately sixty miles east of another area familiar to most NASCAR fans, Martinsville. It is owned by Mattco, Inc, the Mattioli family trust that owns Pocono Raceway, with...
, four of them while competing in the NASCAR
NASCAR
The National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing is a family-owned and -operated business venture that sanctions and governs multiple auto racing sports events. It was founded by Bill France Sr. in 1947–48. As of 2009, the CEO for the company is Brian France, grandson of the late Bill France Sr...
Modified division and one in the NASCAR
NASCAR
The National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing is a family-owned and -operated business venture that sanctions and governs multiple auto racing sports events. It was founded by Bill France Sr. in 1947–48. As of 2009, the CEO for the company is Brian France, grandson of the late Bill France Sr...
Late Model Sportsman division.
Ray never won the National Modified Championship but finished in the Top 10 in Points nine times:
- 7th in 1960,
- 9th in 1961,
- 6th in 1963,
- 3rd in 1964,
- 7th in 1965,
- 3rd in 1966,
- 5th in 1967,
- 6th in 1968, and
- 10th in 1969.
Ray also finished 8th in 1974 and 9th in 1975 in the National Late Model Sportsman Points before it became known as the Busch Grand National Division
Busch Series
The NASCAR Nationwide Series is a stock car racing series owned and operated by the National Association of Stock Car Auto Racing. It is promoted as NASCAR's "minor league" circuit, and is a proving ground for drivers who wish to step up to the organization's "big leagues"; the Sprint Cup circuit...
. Ray won the Modified "Race of Champions" 2 times, in 1969 on the 1 mile Langhorne Speedway
Langhorne Speedway
Langhorne Speedway was an automobile racetrack in Middletown Township, Bucks County, near the borough of Langhorne, Pennsylvania, a northern suburb of Philadelphia....
asphalt and in 1975 on the Trenton Speedway
Trenton Speedway
Trenton Speedway was a racing facility located near Trenton, New Jersey at the New Jersey State Fairgrounds. Races for the United States' premier open-wheel and full-bodied racing series of the times were held at Trenton Speedway.-Racing history:...
1.5 mile oval. Ray is 1st on the all-time winners list of Martinsville Speedway
Martinsville Speedway
Martinsville Speedway is an International Speedway Corporation-owned NASCAR stock car racing track located in Henry County, near Ridgeway, Virginia, just to the south of Martinsville. At in length, it is the shortest track in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series. The track was also one of the first paved...
with 20 wins between 1963 and 1975. Next on the list is Richard Petty
Richard Petty
Richard Lee Petty is a former NASCAR driver who raced in the Strictly Stock/Grand National Era and the NASCAR Winston Cup Series...
with 15 wins, followed by Geoff Bodine
Geoff Bodine
Geoffrey Eli Bodine is an American motorsport driver and bobsled builder. He is the oldest of the three Bodine brothers . Bodine currently lives in Cornelius, North Carolina....
, Darrell Waltrip
Darrell Waltrip
Darrell Lee Waltrip is a 3-time NASCAR Cup Series champion , 3-time runner-up , winner of the 1989 Daytona 500 and 5-time winner of the prestigeous Coca-Cola 600 ,...
, and Richie Evans
Richie Evans
Richard Ernest Evans , was an American racing driver who won nine NASCAR National Modified Championships, including eight in a row from 1978 to 1985. The International Motorsports Hall of Fame lists this achievement as "one of the supreme accomplishments in motorsports"...
. Ray also won a 100 Lap National Championship race on Memorial Day Weekend of 1970 at Stafford Motor Speedway
Stafford Motor Speedway
Stafford Motor Speedway is a semi-banked 1/2 mile paved oval located in Stafford Springs, Connecticut. It is part of the NASCAR Whelen All-American Series. It hosts four events on the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour in 2010....
.
Hendrick was best known for his racing philosophy of racing anywhere and everywhere. Hendrick's modified career and philosophy of racing anywhere and everywhere prevented him from competing full time in NASCAR Winston Cup
NEXTEL Cup
The NASCAR Sprint Cup Series is the top racing series of the National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing . The series was originally known as the Strictly Stock Series and Grand National Series . While leasing its naming rights to R. J...
. In 17 starts, he collected two top-five and six top-10 finishes.
Awards
- Named one of NASCAR's 50 Greatest DriversNASCAR's 50 Greatest DriversNASCAR's 50 Greatest Drivers is a list of NASCAR drivers.In 1998, as part of its 50th anniversary celebration, NASCAR gathered a panel to select "The 50 Greatest NASCAR Drivers of All Time." It was inspired in part by the NBA's decision to select the 50 Greatest Players in NBA History on its 50th...
(1998) - Named one of NASCAR Modified All-Time Top 10
- First Inductee - Virginia Motorsports Hall of Fame 2003)
- Inductee - National Motorsports Press Association Hall of Fame (1993)
- Inductee - International Motorsports Hall of FameInternational Motorsports Hall of FameThe International Motorsports Hall of Fame is a Hall of Fame dedicated to enshrining those who have contributed the most to auto racing either as a driver, owner, developer or engineer...
(2007)