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Rick Hendrick has touched upon how he continued to operate and rebuild Hendrick Motorsports despite the tragic death of his son, Ricky Hendrick, in 2004. It was one of the toughest moments of his life, but he kept HMS, the most successful NASCAR Cup Series team, going against all odds.
Hendrick Sr. faced one of the hardest moments of his life on October 24, 2004, when his son died in an airplane crash along with a few members of the family, and friends. Hendrick Jr. was on his way to Martinsville Speedway for the Subway 500.
The plane crashed on Bull Mountain, at Martinsville, Virginia, due to a pilot error in heavy fog. A total of ten people died that day. October 24, 2024, will mark their 20th death anniversary. And Rick has opened up about how he kept Hendrick Motorsports running amid the tough time.
"I don't even remember much about the first week (after the plane crash) I didn't know if I could come back," Hendrick told The Charlotte Observer. "One day, I said, 'I’ve gotta go over and talk to the people (at Hendrick Motorsports).'”
"It was emotional. And I knew then that they would want us to go on — all these people that worked so hard to build what was here. And I made a commitment to them that we would fight on. That’s what those on that plane would want us to do."
Rick Hendrick founded Hendrick Motorsports as All-Star Racing in 1984. It was later renamed HMS, and with 312 victories, it is the winningest team in the NASCAR Cup Series.
Rick Hendrick shared details about the tragic airplane crash
During his recent conversation with Charlotte Observer, Rick Hendrick recalled the tragic memory of the airplane crash 20 years ago. Here's what he said:
"That day (pauses). My brother, my son, my two nieces — it wiped out our family. And Jeff Turner (then the general manager at Hendrick Motorsports). And Randy Dorton, who had been one of the main staples of this company."
"If you ever lose a child, you’ll know. It’s nothing as horrible as that is. ... It’s a small fraternity that you don’t want to be in."
Ricky Hendrick was a NASCAR driver who raced in the Truck and Xfinity Series. He had 30 Truck Series and 49 Xfinity Series races under his belt. Unfortunately, he passed away before he could make his Cup Series debut.
