- Rick Hendrick
Joseph Riddick Hendrick III (born
July 12 ,1949 inWarrenton, North Carolina ), better known as Rick Hendrick is an owner of severalNASCAR stock car s and teams, as well as Hendrick Automotive Group [http://www.hendrickauto.com/ Hendrick Automotive Group] ] , one of the largest automotive chains in theUnited States .Hendrick Motorsports , founded in 1984, is one of the most successful teams in NASCAR racing, withSprint Cup championships won in 1995, 1996, 1997, 1998, 2001, 2006, and 2007. As the head of Hendrick Motorsports, Rick Hendrick owns several race teams, including theSprint Cup teams ofJeff Gordon , (car owner: Rick Hendrick),Casey Mears (car owner: Mary Hendrick),Dale Earnhardt, Jr. (car owner: Rick Hendrick), andJimmie Johnson (car owner: Rick Hendrick/Jeff Gordon). Past drivers includeGeoff 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 sonRicky 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 atRiverside International Raceway , finishing 33rd (out with transmission problems after racing to the Top 10) and 15th. He also had a single start in theBusch Series and theCraftsman Truck Series . He had been a pit crew member for Flying 11 thatRay Hendrick drove in the 1960s. [cite episode |title=Benny Parsons ' commentary, ESPN 26 hour marathon for the Top NASCAR races as it turns 50 years old atRiverside International Raceway |network=ESPN2 |station=ESPN |airdate=1999 |minutes=1:00]Gov.
Jim Hunt recognized Hendrick in 1996 with TheOrder 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 journalistCharles 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 [cite news | first=Hank | last=Kurz, Jr. | coauthors= | title=Hendrick Motorsports Plane Crash Kills 10 | date=
2004-10-25 | publisher= | url =http://chicagosports.chicagotribune.com/sports/motorracing/wire/sns-ap-nascar-hendrick-plane,1,4914452.story?coll=sns-ap-racing-headlines | work =Associated Press | pages = | accessdate = 2007-06-14 | language = ] tomail 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 ofprison , due to his leukemia), three yearsprobation , 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 PresidentBill Clinton . [ [http://jurist.law.pitt.edu/pardons6.htm#specific Clinton Pardons] ] [ [http://www.usdoj.gov/opa/pr/2000/December/711dag.htm DOJ listing of Hendrick's pardon] ]On
October 24 ,2004 , Hendrick's son,Ricky Hendrick , two nieces and brother were killed in an airplane crash en route to theSubway 500 inMartinsville, Virginia . All eight passengers and both pilots died in the incident.References
External links
* [http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2007/magazine/specials/sportsman/2007/11/15/anderson.hendrick/index.html My Sportsman: Rick Hendrick]
* [http://autoracingsport.com/nascar/rick-hendrick-honored-for-bone-marrow-work/ Rick Hendrick honored for bone marrow work]
* [http://msn.foxsports.com/nascar/story/6788220 Rick Hendrick: The Perfect Owner]
* [http://msn.foxsports.com/nascar/story/7712368/Leadership-the-difference-for-Hendrick-Motorsports Article on Rick Hendrick - Leadership the difference for Hendrick Motorsports]
* [http://www.horatioalger.com/geninf/pressrel/pdf/06hendrick.pdf Article - Rick Hendrick awarded the Horatio Alger Award]
* [http://www.carolinas.org/newsandpub/pressreleases/release.nos?release_id=194 Gift to Levine Children's Hospital in honor of Ricky Hendrick]
* [http://www.marrow.org/ABOUT/Your_Contributions/Hendrick_Marrow_Program/index.html The Hendrick Marrow Program]
* [http://www1.cpcc.edu/announcements/cpcc-to-dedicate-new-joe-hendrick-center-for-automotive-technology CPCC To Dedicate New Joe Hendrick Center for Automotive Technology]
* [http://www.racing-reference.info/owner?id=hendrri01 Owner's page at racing-reference.info]
* [http://www.racing-reference.info/driver?id=hendrri01 Driver's page at racing-reference.info]
* [http://www.bizjournals.com/charlotte/stories/1996/12/02/daily6.html Charlotte Business Journal - Rick Henrick indicted]
* [http://www.usatoday.com/sports/motor/nascar/2004-10-24-missing-plane_x.htm USA Today - Hendrick family Plane Crash]
* [http://www.hendrickmotorsports.com Hendrick Motorsports]
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