Rick Hendrick has seen, and been through a lot, in his 71 years on the planet. He started a profitable car business from a single used car lot, founded one of NASCAR’s most successful teams earning a place in the NASCAR Hall of Fame; he also survived cancer, the loss of his son and others in his family and the organization in a plane crash in 2004.
Few could blame him if Rick Hendrick decided to hang up his hat and head off to his favorite fishing hole, especially after his driver Alex Bowman delivered him the team’s 267th Cup win Sunday at Dover, one short of Petty Enterprises for the all-time record.
“Well, I do like to fish,” Hendrick said laughing after the win Sunday. “I do like the boat. When I go to the doctor anyway, they ask me if I’m retired. I tell them I’ve got two jobs. I work every day and weekends.”
But that doesn’t mean he’s ready to give all that up.
“I love it,” he said. “I mean, that’s what makes me get up in the morning. I’m competitive. I think the guys around me are very competitive. We want to win, and we want to set records.
“I’m not going to be every single week, two days a weekend, if we get back to it at the track. I’m there with the guys. I’m with them in the morning. I balance it. But I love it. I’ve raced all my life. That’s all I’ve done. The two things I love in my life other than my family is the car business and racing. I’ve been fortunate to be able to make a living doing both of them.
“I don’t see retiring any time soon.”
Greg is the author of "The Nuts and Bolts of NASCAR: The Definitive Viewers' Guide to Big-Time Stock Car Auto Racing" and has been published in major publications across the country including the Los Angeles Times, the Cleveland Plain Dealer and the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. He was also a contributor to Chicken Soup for the NASCAR Soul, published in 2010, and the Christmas edition in 2016. He wrote as the NASCAR, Formula 1, Auto Reviews and National Veterans Affairs Examiner for Examiner.com and has appeared on Fox News. He holds a BS degree in communications, a Masters degree in psychology and is currently a PhD candidate majoring in psychology. He is currently the weekend Motorsports Editor for Autoweek.
- Michael Jordan proves Denny Hamlin wrong at Talladega - April 21, 2024
- Tyler Reddick survives a ‘calm’ afternoon at Talladega for first win in 17 races - April 21, 2024
- Toyota’s pit strategy at Talladega was brilliant…until it wasn’t - April 21, 2024