The kind of tragedy Hendrick Motorsports experienced five years ago could have torn apart the organization.
On October 24, 2004, a Hendrick Motorsports plane crashed in the mountains near Martinsville, Va., killing everybody on board. Rick Hendrick lost his son, Ricky, his brother John, the president of Hendrick Motorsports, and two of his nieces. It’s still a difficult place for him to visit.
In the weeks and months following the crash, the racing world embraced the organization and watched it grow tighter and stronger than it had been before. Martinsville was the site of the organization’s first victory 25 years ago. It was the site of its greatest tragedy.
The way Hendrick Motorsports reacted to the plane crash provides a window into why it is an unstoppable force in NASCAR.
“The outpouring from the fans, from the media, owners and all that,” Hendrick recalled in May. “That was really special. But what was so special was inside our company, how everybody rallied and pulled together.”
It’s no secret the passion Hendrick shows for the people who work for him and the passion they return is why that organization has excelled. Every victory, every lap led, every pole position and every championship comes from the team’s drive to succeed for Rick Hendrick.
That became more intense five years ago in Martinsville.
Retuning to Martinsville this weekend, it’s entirely possible Jimmie Johnson wins the race (he has won six times at Martinsville, his first there coming on that fateful day in 2004). It would all but seal his fourth consecutive championship.
And while the No. 48 team’s accomplishment could make history — no driver has won four championships in a row — Johnson is just the latest treasure of the Hendrick Motorsports empire.
“When I started racing in this series all I wanted to do was make it to the end of the year and not have to close the door and be embarrassed,” said Hendrick, who plans to attend Sunday’s race.
“I had a great plan with my son, and that changed on me,” he said. “Richard Petty had the all-time greatest saying to me: He said, ‘You know, I had a plan, but God had a different plan.’
“I’d love to win 10 or 12 championships. I’d love to win over 200 races. I don’t try to get too far out there.”
