Bio: Rick Hendrick

Rick Hendrick has always been a "car guy," learning to build automobiles and engines as a young man with his father, "Papa Joe," on the family farm near the small town of South Hill, Va.

Rick Hendrick Credit: AP

That passion led Hendrick into the world of motor sports, where he quickly made a name for himself by setting records at a local drag strip as a 14-year-old with a self-built 1931 Chevrolet. The following year, he won the Virginia division of the Chrysler-Plymouth Troubleshooting Engine Building Contest at just 15.

Hendrick also was a standout high-school athlete who briefly flirted with professional baseball before pursuing academic opportunities at North Carolina State University in Raleigh, N.C., where he participated in a work-study program with Westinghouse Electric Company.

While in Raleigh, Hendrick's automotive passion led him to open a small used-car lot that proved to be a successful business venture. His efforts soon caught the attention of a large dealer, who quickly named him general sales manager at the age of 23.

In 1976, the then-25-year-old purchased a struggling Chevrolet dealership in Bennetsville, S.C., dramatically increasing sales and eventually turning it into the most profitable franchise in the area.

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That success was the precursor to the Hendrick Automotive Group, now consisting of more than 60 dealerships and 4,700 employees from the Carolinas to California. After modest beginnings, the company currently nets revenues of more than $2 billion annually.

Hendrick was equally successful in the world of motor sports, founding a drag-boat racing team that won three consecutive national championships (1981-1983) and set a world record at 222.2 mph with the boat "Nitro Fever."

One year later in 1984, Hendrick Motorsports was born, fielding a single team in the prestigious NASCAR Winston Cup Series that earned three victories and three pole positions as "All-Star Racing" with driver Geoff Bodine.

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Today, the organization is headquartered at a 62-acre, state-of-the-art facility in Charlotte, N.C., and fields five full-time teams in two different NASCAR divisions.

In all, Hendrick Motorsports has garnered five Cup championships, three NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series titles and one NASCAR Busch Series crown, making it one of stock-car racing's premier organizations.

Hendrick is just the second team owner in NASCAR's modern era to earn more than 100 Cup Series victories.

Success on and off the track has given Hendrick the opportunity to come to the aid of those in need, supporting and founding multiple charitable endeavors. In 1997, he chartered the Hendrick Marrow Program, an initiative to help raise money for tissue typing and support for those suffering from leukemia and other blood-related diseases.

A member of the board of directors of The Marrow Foundation, Hendrick takes a very personal approach to the cause after being diagnosed with a rare form of leukemia in 1996, currently in remission.

Now 54, Hendrick lives with his wife Linda in Charlotte, overseeing his business interests and offering his time to other causes whenever possible.

One of five dealers to be selected for the national planning committee for General Motors' Saturn Division, he also served on the GM President's Dealer Advisory Council and has taken on various roles with auto manufacturers. In 1990, he even helped NASCAR "Go Hollywood" as a technical advisor on the motion picture "Days of Thunder," starring Tom Cruise.

Although Hendrick has built a successful empire and gained global recognition for his efforts on and off the track, he admittedly hasn't done it alone. As a founder, owner and CEO, he's quick to credit his employees for the personal success he's enjoyed.

"In everything we do, whether business or sports, we're basically in the people business," he said. "We've built a good team, and it's the team that accomplishes the goal.

"Success breeds excitement. Excitement generates opportunity. Opportunity attracts people. We've worked hard to take advantage of the opportunities that have come to us."