It's all about people when it comes to Rick Hendrick (cont'd)

You can trace the Hendrick success story right to the roots on that farm. That's where his parents, "Papa Joe" and Mary Hendrick taught their son a lesson or two about teamwork. It would be hard to find anyone in racing that was not a fan of "Papa Joe." He served his country in the Air Force in World War II, began his racing career in the early 1960s and was part of the Hendrick Motorsports family right up until his death in 2004 at the age of 84. Good genes there.

To call him a "part" of the organization is a gross injustice. Sorry about that Papa Joe.

"He would do things for people around the farm and never ask for anything," Hendrick said.

"He would lend a tractor, cut hay, take grain to the market and then they would help us when we needed it. It was a community, people working together. My mom and dad instilled that in me. We needed help from the neighbors to get things done. I learned that early on, to rely on other people. I've used that same philosophy in business and in racing. I like to give people opportunities and see them succeed."

And that's pretty much what he has done. And it's not just with his drivers. Those stories about the kid that came in to sweep the floor hoping to be a crew chief one day really do come true in racing. Hendrick has one of the best examples in Steve Latarte, crew chief for championship leader Jeff Gordon.

"I mean really, I'm competitive," Hendrick said. "I'm motivated and I like to win. But, really, I enjoy people. I don't like controversy. I enjoy seeing people become a success. You see guys that come in and start by cleaning up the shop the way Stevie Latarte did and become a crew chief. Chad Knaus [Johnson's crew chief] was a body hanger; Darian Grubb [crew chief for Casey Mears] has a mechanical engineering degree from Virginia Tech and is now a crew chief."

And there's more. Like Dale Earnhardt Jr. joining the Hendrick lineup in 2008. Hendrick has had a long relationship with Earnhardt, and he's really excited about bringing in another guy he knows pretty well, Junior's crew chief.

"I'm looking forward to next year with Tony Eury Jr. I took Tony to see his first race [a Busch race in Atlanta]. I still have the picture of Tony at the track with his hat on sideways. I look forward to his future as part of our team."

The team grew from a small foundation in 1984 to a super-team in 2007. In 1984 it was a one-car operation with Geoff Bodine as the driver. The team won three races that year. Hendrick flirted with a multi-car team, occasionally running a second car in selected races in 1984 and 1985. In 1986 the second car became a full-time program with Tim Richmond as the driver.

"When I started racing I had the opportunity to put two teams together," Hendrick said. "I had one team already and then the Folgers people came along and wanted to sponsor a car. Well, I already had a car but I got Tim Richmond to drive and Gary Nelson was a young and talented guy and I put them together and figured with two teams we would be better off than with one."

Yeah, most of the time, but not all of the time.

"It was a lot different then. If you caught a guy from Gary Nelson's team in Harry Hyde's shop or the other way around, the guy would be dead. Back then, teams didn't work together."

But they do now, at least at Hendrick, and all that work and all those years are really paying off.

"We have to have good drivers but we also have to have the best stuff around them to make it work," Hendrick said.

So what makes the difference between winning and losing? You guessed it.

"Again, it's all about the people," Hendrick said. "You have to let them know that you care about them and the operation and then they'll care about you. You have to let them know what you want to achieve and they'll let you know what they want to achieve, too. You have to get input from everyone. It's not just the people in the race shop, it's the people answering the phones, doing the tours, they all represent the team. They all want to do their best and that contributes to the effort."

If you speak with people that work in the organization, you will hear them talk about the Hendrick Motorsports family. Ricky Hendrick was a big part of that and so was "Papa Joe" and Rick's brother John. But through it all, the good, the bad and the tragic, Rick Hendrick has been the head of the family. Everyone wants to get the job done right for Mr. H.

"I always feel that it's kinda like they're my kids. I take a lot of pride in the fact that we've got a lot guys you didn't have to lure away from other companies. So many of them have worked their way up the ladder. And that sends a signal to other people, too, that your people are enjoying doing their job.

"It's a very rewarding feeling. I take a real sense of pride seeing guys working hard, guys that had a dream just like you had a dream."

And those dreams can come true.

The opinions expressed are those solely of the writer