Father-son: Hendricks share special bond

ROCKINGHAM, N.C. -- To best describe Rick Hendrick’s adoration for his son’s racing career, one might liken it to the thrill of a bone-jarring roller coaster ride. It’s exciting, but it scares the life out of you.

Nothing -- not five Winston Cup Series championships, not a multitude of fortuitous car dealerships, not an admirable abundance of riches - pleases Hendrick as much as seeing Ricky succeed on the high-speed ovals of NASCAR.

At the same time, nothing terrifies him so deeply.

“If I could watch him race and know he wouldn’t get hurt, it would be the most fun thing I could ever do,” Hendrick said in a meek, cautious tone. “But that fear of him getting hurt, it takes a lot out of it. You’re proud of him, it’s exciting and all that, but the fear of him getting hurt is so real.”

Despite his reservations, Hendrick refuses to miss his son in competition. In fact, while undergoing chemotherapy treatment some years back, Hendrick was often too weak to attend Ricky’s races at Concord Motorsports Park. To combat the problem, his wife, Linda, would dial him up on a cell phone and remain on the line from the drop of the green to the wave of the checkers.

That dedication hasn’t waned in the least. Ricky made his first stint in a national touring series last season, driving the No. 17 GMAC Chevrolet for his father in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series. Oftentimes, the Trucks were in a different time zone than the Winston Cup Series, making for an exhausting travel schedule for Hendrick.

			Rick Hendrick

“That was killing me last year. I couldn’t do that again,” Hendrick said. “We would get up and fly to California Saturday morning, watch the race, fly back and get home about 2 (a.m.), then get up and go to Darlington first thing Sunday morning. I couldn’t function on Monday. I still have a regular job during the week, you know.”

No, really? Hendrick’s empire is vast, spanning the country from coast to coast. One wonders how a guy can possibly keep tabs on it all.

“The key is having great people, and giving them the authority to get the job done,” Hendrick said with a grin. “My hardest job is to assemble the right folks, the right kind of leaders. Guys like Ken House, he really runs these teams, and Randy Dorton, too.

“You give those guys the authority and live with whatever they do. I make a real strong attempt not to (interfere). Once you get a system in place, it’ll only work if you adhere to that structure.”

Right now, the Hendrick Motorsports structure is rock-solid. Jeff Gordon just won his fourth Winston Cup championship, while Jack Sprague brought home the trophy in the Truck Series. After a record three Truck titles, Sprague makes the move to the NASCAR Busch Series ranks in 2002 alongside Ricky.

Under Sprague’s tutelage, Ricky Hendrick enjoyed a stellar rookie campaign in the Truck Series, garnering eight top-five finishes and. A rousing victory at Kansas City made him the youngest winner in CTS history. The old man was there, as proud as any poppa could be.

“I think about that, a lot, how good he really is,” the elder Hendrick said. “I think back to the day he led down here the first time he ever saw the place. He shot out of the pack and led the ARCA race, then led the Truck race last year. I thought, man, I can’t believe that’s Ricky.”

These days, young Ricky often feels the same about his father. It took awhile, but Ricky is finally beginning to grasp his father’s legend.

Rick Hendrick finished fifth in Craftsman Truck Series points last year. Credit: Nate Mecha

“It hits me every once in a while. It’s not something I think about every day, though,” Ricky said. “To me, he’s Dad. For a long time I never thought about it. I don’t think until last year, a lot of the accomplishments he’s done throughout the years, all added up.

“Every once in a while, it hits me what he’s done. It was always well, Hendrick Motorsports is Dad, no big deal. I never thought twice about it. Then, you think that people all over the world know Hendrick Motorsports.”

Now, it will be Ricky’s burden to help carry that banner into the future. Despite what some might assume, there is no added pressure. It’s still just driving for Dad, the world-renowned businessman, championship car owner and concerned parent.

“You never want to regret not being there,” Hendrick said. “I want to be there for Ricky, just like I tried to be when he was playing soccer. I enjoy being with him. (Racing) is a dangerous sport. If something happened and I wasn’t there, well I wouldn’t like that.”

His father’s presence is both comforting and important to the young man.

“It means so much to me,” Ricky said. “When you do well, you’re glad to see everybody excited for you, but I think there’s something with him, the father-son bond in racing and having him there when we win, seeing the expression on his face, is incredible.

“I think that means as much, if not more, than actually winning the race. Seeing him excited, it’s so cool. He says he doesn’t want me to (race), but I know deep down inside he enjoys it. He just doesn’t want me to get hurt.”