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Rick Hendrick
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Joseph Riddick Hendrick III (born July 12, 1949 in Warrenton, North Carolina), better known as Rick Hendrick is an owner of several NASCAR stock cars and teams, as well as Hendrick Automotive Group, one of the largest automotive chains in the United States.
Hendrick Motorsports, founded in 1984, is one of the most successful teams in NASCAR racing, with Sprint Cup championships won in 1995, 1996, 1997, 1998, 2001, 2006, 2007 and 2008. As the head of Hendrick Motorsports, Rick Hendrick owns several race teams, including the Sprint Cup teams of Jeff Gordon, (car owner: Rick Hendrick), Mark Martin (car owner: Mary Hendrick), Dale Earnhardt, Jr. (car owner: Rick Hendrick), and Jimmie Johnson (car owner: Rick Hendrick/Jeff Gordon).
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Encyclopedia
Joseph Riddick Hendrick III (born July 12, 1949 in Warrenton, North Carolina), better known as Rick Hendrick is an owner of several NASCAR stock cars and teams, as well as Hendrick Automotive Group, one of the largest automotive chains in the United States.
Hendrick Motorsports, founded in 1984, is one of the most successful teams in NASCAR racing, with Sprint Cup championships won in 1995, 1996, 1997, 1998, 2001, 2006, 2007 and 2008. As the head of Hendrick Motorsports, Rick Hendrick owns several race teams, including the Sprint Cup teams of Jeff Gordon, (car owner: Rick Hendrick), Mark Martin (car owner: Mary Hendrick), Dale Earnhardt, Jr. (car owner: Rick Hendrick), and Jimmie Johnson (car owner: Rick Hendrick/Jeff Gordon). Past drivers include Geoff Bodine, Tim Richmond, Benny Parsons, Jimmy Means, who filled-in for Tim Richmond in the #25 Folgers car for one race, at Charlotte in 1987, Darrell Waltrip, Ken Schrader, Ricky Craven, Wally Dallenbach, Jr., Joe Nemechek, Ricky Rudd, Terry Labonte, Brian Vickers, his son Ricky Hendrick, Kyle Busch, and Rick Hendrick himself.
The Hendrick Automotive Group was founded by Hendrick in 1976 as a single dealership in Bennettsville, South Carolina. Today, the company consists of more than 80 franchises in 10 states, and annual revenues are over $4 billion. Hendrick is currently serving as chairman of the company.
Rick Hendrick drove in the 1987 and 1988 Winston Cup races at Riverside International Raceway, finishing 33rd (out with transmission problems after racing to the Top 10) and 15th. He also had a single start in the Busch Series and the Craftsman Truck Series. He had been a pit crew member for Flying 11 that Ray Hendrick drove in the 1960s.
Gov. Jim Hunt recognized Hendrick in 1996 with The Order of the Long Leaf Pine, North Carolina’s highest civilian honor. The award is bestowed upon citizens of the state who have a proven record of extraordinary service. Past recipients include award-winning journalist Charles Kuralt, Rev. Billy Graham, artist Bob Timberlake and Hendrick’s late father, Joe Hendrick, who was presented the award by Gov. Mike Easley in 2004.
In 1997, Hendrick pleaded guilty to mail fraud. In the 1980s, Honda automobiles were in high demand, and Honda executives allegedly solicited bribes from dealers for larger product disbursements. Hendrick admitted to giving hundreds of thousands of dollars, BMW automobiles, and houses to American Honda Motor Company executives. Hendrick was sentenced in December of that year to a $250,000 fine, 12 months home confinement (instead of prison, due to his leukemia), three years probation, and to have no involvement with Hendrick Automotive Group or Hendrick Motorsports during his year of confinement. In December 2000, Hendrick received a full pardon from President Bill Clinton.
On October 24, 2004, Hendrick's son, Ricky Hendrick, two nieces and brother were killed in an airplane crash en route to the Subway 500 in Martinsville, Virginia. All eight passengers and both pilots died in the incident.
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