Rick Hendrick took the time to talk with a group of reporters recently about the making of a movie chronicling Hendrick Motorsports' 25 years in NASCAR.

“

If we didn't tell it all like it happened, then we were phony. And I would be ashamed of it. And I feel like we just opened up our whole world.

”

-- RICK HENDRICK

The conversation took place shortly after Hendrick watched a premiere of the movie at Ovens Auditorium in Charlotte, N.C. An edited-down version of the movie, entitled Together: The Hendrick Motorsports Story, will be shown Oct. 11 on ABC. Narrated by actor Tom Cruise, a Hendrick family friend, the full version will be available for purchase on DVD and Blu-Ray disc beginning Oct. 31, with a portion of proceeds from the sales benefitting the Levine Children's Hospital in Charlotte.

The film not only celebrates the many successes of Hendrick's operation, but also examines how it survived such tragedies as the plane crash in October 2004 that claimed the lives of Hendrick's son, Ricky; his brother and team executive John Hendrick; John Hendrick's twin daughters; original Hendrick employee and chief engine builder Randy Dorton; general manager Jeff Turner and others.

Question: How hard was it for you to watch this movie from the standpoint that it tells the Hendrick Motorsports story so openly, including the difficult times?

Hendrick: It's a hard movie for me to watch, but at the same time it's a story. To pay tribute to those who aren't there anymore, it's just part of it. I asked them why [NASCAR Media Group] used the word Together for the title and then after I saw clips of it, I could see why they came up with the title.

Q: How many times had you seen it prior to last Tuesday's premiere of the full-length feature?

Hendrick: I had seen it once. I saw it Friday of [the previous] week. I saw clips of it the first time, and said I couldn't sit through it. I hadn't seen video clips of Ricky or my brother or Randy, and I didn't remember some of the things at the service that [daughter] Lynne said. I had completely forgotten some of that. If I hadn't seen it one time before [the premiere] I wouldn't have been able to sit through it, I don't think.

Hall bound?

Rick Hendrick is one of the 25 nominees for the inaugural NASCAR Hall of Fame class.

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When you think about 25 years ago, and you go back and look at all the hairdos, the color of your hair and all that ... it's hard to believe we've won 185 races and all the championships. I've always said there's something special there, and I hope it fires us up to go do some more.

Q: Were you reluctant to show so much of yourself?

Hendrick: Yeah, I struggled with that at first, and [producer] Jesse [Essex] and I talked about it a lot. I said 'I don't think that's something I want to do.' And he said 'Then you're not telling the whole story. That is the story -- [how] you guys came back and rallied and the relationship y'all have with each other.' There's a whole lot of racing footage you can see, but there's something different with this company and that's the story.

Q: Why do the movie?

Hendrick: [NASCAR Media Group] came to me and wanted to do it -- and to be honest with you, we wanted to build an archive of the history of the company and this is a good way to do it. The people deserve it. I don't know if I ever would have watched a video of Ricky anytime soon, or John, or my dad. That's the first time I've seen any tape of my dad, or heard his voice, since he died [also in 2004]. I don't mind telling you all that I'm very emotional and I've got a very close family, and it's very hard. But it kind of, in a way, now that I've seen it, pays tribute to those people who gave it all. We'll move on to the next 25 years, but they were a big part of this 25.

Q: So at one point, you worried you had too much of your personal story in the film?

Hendrick: I was like, 'I think we might have too much family in it. Let's cut that back a little bit, and they came back with, 'That's the story. Not just your [immediate] family, [but] all of Hendrick Motorsports.' I saw two partial clips about three, four weeks ago, and it put me in a funk for about three days. Every time you watch it, it gets easier. I am real proud of the organization, real proud of the fact that we can go through these kinds of things and we get stronger. Those guys feel it and they don't mind saying how they feel about the company, and I don't mind saying how I feel about them, and I just think that's special.

Q: Any regrets about what made it into the finished product?

Hendrick: Me climbing over the [pit-road] wall [and having a difficult time of it in the outtakes]. That was so pathetic. I didn't want that in the movie. That might inspire me to lose some weight.

I'm not so sure I should have said the three things [he gave driver Jeff Gordon advice during Gordon's divorce]. Gordon set me up. People don't realize that he lived at our house [briefly during that time]. He admitted that it took him awhile to understand what was important in life. It was so unreal. He called me up and said 'You offered to let me spend the night with you, and I'm going to be in town.' And I said to [wife] Linda, 'Gordon called, something's up. He wants to stay at the house.' I honestly thought he was going to tell me he wanted to leave. I mean, he was wet all the way down to the belt he was sweating so bad. When he told me [he was getting a divorce], I was actually a little bit relieved from my side.

Q: What was your thought process about what to leave in the movie and what to leave out?

Hendrick: Do you pretend like the [plane] crash never happened? Do you pretend like I never got sick [with leukemia]? Pretend like I didn't go through the legal problems [with his car dealerships]? Yeah, all that happened. I guess I am telling it for my grandkids and for our people. This is not a story about me, it's a story about them. It's a story about Geoff Bodine, Harry Hyde and Tim Richmond and all of the guys.

If we didn't tell it all like it happened, then we were phony. And I would be ashamed of it. And I feel like we just opened up our whole world to them and let them do it.

Q: You seem especially pleased that a generous portion of film time went to profiling Richmond in the piece. Why?

Hendrick: I tell people, here's a guy who had an apartment in New York, got his haircut in New York, and everybody thought he was odd because he was so different. But that's the way all of them are today. He was just 25 years ahead of his time.

Q: How cool was it to get your 86-year-old mother, Mary, involved in the project?

Hendrick: My mother had never seen it [until the premiere in Charlotte]; of course, she can't see. She can hear, but she can't see. I'll tell you, she'll still jump my ass today.

She's a tough woman. She lost six people within 90 days. She lost her husband, a brother, a sister and three grandchildren in 90 days. I thought she wouldn't live, but she fights on. She's a very strong woman. And my wife is a very strong woman. She's been through a lot. But we've been blessed. I'm just so proud of this whole company.

I'm glad this is over. I am emotionally [drained]. This happened to me when I won the first championship; all I could think about was all the people who had helped me along the way. ... If you talk to Kyle Petty, you never get over losing a child. You don't get over losing that many folks at one time and you feel like they wouldn't have been there if it weren't for you; they were with you, they were your responsibility. I am hoping that the fans will like it because I think it's true. You don't have to like it, but it's true. Nothing is Hollywood. Nothing is flowered up for anybody.

Q: Any final thoughts about the project and your 25 years in the sport?

Hendrick: I ask myself, 'Why do you keep doing this at 60 years old?' It's because I love it. I love the people. I love the garage area. I like all the people in the sport -- the other owners, the drivers. If they didn't have a limit [on teams that could be owned in NASCAR] and I had the money, I'd probably have half of them driving for me because I like them. I like a lot of the competitors as friends.

Superstore: Get your copy of 'Together: The Hendrick Motorsports Story'

Joe Menzer is the author of "The Great American Gamble: How the 1979 Daytona 500 Gave Birth to a NASCAR Nation." Click here to purchase.