Rick Hendrick facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Rick Hendrick
Hendrick in 2015
Born	Joseph Riddick Hendrick III (1949-07-12) July 12, 1949 (age 75) Warrenton, North Carolina, U.S.
Occupation	Owner, Hendrick Motorsports
Years active	1984–present
Children	2, including Ricky
Awards	14× NASCAR Cup Champion (as an owner) NASCAR Hall of Fame (2017)
NASCAR Cup Series career
2 races run over 2 years
Best finish	63rd (1988)
First race	1987 Winston Western 500 (Riverside)
Last race	1988 Budweiser 400 (Riverside)
Wins Top tens Poles 0 0 0
NASCAR Xfinity Series career
1 race run over 1 year
Best finish	64th (1987)
First race	1987 Amoco 300 (Road Atlanta)
Wins Top tens Poles 0 0 0
NASCAR Gander RV & Outdoors Truck Series career
1 race run over 1 year
Best finish	88th (1995)
First race	1995 Heartland Tailgate 175 (Topeka)
Wins Top tens Poles 0 0 0

Joseph Riddick "Rick" Hendrick III was born on July 12, 1949. He is a famous American businessman. He is best known as the owner of the NASCAR team Hendrick Motorsports. He also co-owns JR Motorsports. Rick Hendrick started the Hendrick Automotive Group, which is a huge network of over 100 car dealerships.

As of 2024, his team has won 304 NASCAR Cup Series races. This makes him the winningest team owner in NASCAR history. His teams have won 18 NASCAR Championships in total. This includes 14 in the NASCAR Cup Series, three in the NASCAR Truck Series, and one in the NASCAR Xfinity Series. He is one of only three owners to win championships in NASCAR's top three series. Rick Hendrick was added to the NASCAR Hall of Fame in 2017. He also joined the Motorsports Hall of Fame of America in 2020.

Rick's Journey to Success

Rick Hendrick started drag racing when he was just 14 years old. He built his first race car, a 1931 Chevrolet, himself. At 16, he won a special contest for fixing cars in Virginia. This showed he had a real talent for cars.

Starting a Business

After school, Rick opened a small used-car lot. He later convinced an experienced car dealer to make him a general sales manager at only 23. In 1976, he bought his own car dealership in South Carolina. This made him the youngest Chevrolet dealer in the United States.

Rick's dealership quickly became very successful. This success led to the creation of the Hendrick Automotive Group. Today, this group has over 100 dealerships and 10,000 employees across 13 states. His company is based in Charlotte, North Carolina. It is one of the largest car dealership groups in the U.S.

Racing as a Driver

Rick Hendrick also raced a few times himself. He competed in two NASCAR Winston Cup Series races in 1987 and 1988. He also raced once in the Busch Series and once in the Craftsman Truck Series. In the 1960s, he was even part of a pit crew for another racer.

Helping Others

In 1997, Rick Hendrick started the Hendrick Marrow Program. This non-profit organization works with the Be The Match Foundation. They help support the National Marrow Donor Program, which helps people find bone marrow donors.

Becoming a Top Team Owner

In the late 1970s, Rick Hendrick started a drag boat racing team. This team won three championships in a row. They even set a world speed record! After that, he moved into NASCAR racing.

Founding Hendrick Motorsports

In 1984, Rick founded All-Star Racing, which is now known as Hendrick Motorsports. He started with only five employees and a small workspace. His team raced in the NASCAR Winston Cup Series with driver Geoff Bodine. They won three races and finished ninth in the standings that first year.

As a team owner, Rick Hendrick has achieved amazing success. His teams have won 18 championships for drivers. They have also won 347 races across different NASCAR series. This includes 252 wins in the Cup Series. Many people consider him the most successful team owner in NASCAR history.

Future Plans

On December 13, 2018, Rick Hendrick announced a plan for the future. When he decides to retire as the owner of Hendrick Motorsports, he plans for Jeff Gordon to take over.

About Rick Hendrick's Life

Rick Hendrick was born in Warrenton, North Carolina. He grew up on his family's farm in South Hill, Virginia. He went to Park View High School.

Rick is the father of Ricky Hendrick, who was also a NASCAR driver. Rick and his wife, Linda, were involved in a plane incident in 2011. They both recovered from their injuries.

Images for kids

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  Rick Hendrick in 2015