Rick Hendrick opened up on how he continued to operate and rebuild Hendrick Motorsports after the tragic passing of his son Ricky who died in 2004. It was one of the tough moments for Rick in his life but he still managed to keep HMS as the most successful NASCAR Cup Series team.
How did Rick Hendricks continue to rebuild HMS?
One of the toughest moments for Hendrick Sr. was on October 24, 2004, when his son Ricky died in a plane crash along with other family members. Hendrick Sr. was at that time travelling to Martinsville Speedway for the Subway 500.
Blue Mountain in Martinsville, Virginia was the spot where the plane crashed due to a pilot error in heavy fog conditions. A total of 10 people died in the horrific accident and this year it will mark their 20th death anniversary. Rick opened up on how he managed to keep HMS running despite tough times in life.
While talking to the Charlotte Observer, Hendrick Sr. said, "I don't even remember much about the first week after the plane crash. I didn't know if I could come back. 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," Hendrick Sr. added.
Rick Hendrick founded Hendrick Motorsports in 1984 as All-Star Racing. It was later renamed as HMS, and with 312 race victories, HMS remains the most winningest team in the NASCAR Cup Series.
Hendrick Sr. share details from the horrific plane crash where he lost his son Ricky
During his most recent interview with the Charlotte Observer, Hendrick Sr. recalled the tragic event that took place 20 years ago.
"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," Hendrick Sr. further added.
"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," Hendrick Sr. concluded.
Ricky Hendrick was a NASCAR driver who competed in Truck and Xfinity Series. He had 30 Truck Series and 49 Xfinity Series entries to his name. But he passed away before making his Cup Series debut.
