Winner of a seventh NASCAR Cup championship November 18 at Homestead Miami Speedway and acknowledged leader of a revolution in the sport, he is arguably the best team builder in NASCAR history. "He's attracted the better people , the better drivers and the better mechanics and he's given them the best equipment", Petty says of Hendrick. "He goes out and buys them whatever the next layer is to make him one step ahead.
They spend the money to do it. They've got really good people that recognize what needs to be done. "He's good at recognizing talent, and not just in drivers. He's hiring people smart enough to cut through all the crap." Is he the best ever? Only the Petty organization, started by Richard's father; Lee, and now run by Richard's son, Kyle, has more championships, nine. The Petty's have 10 driving championships but Herb Thomas won the owners championship when Lee Petty collected the first of his three driving titles. The Petty's haven't won one since 1979. However; and Hendrick has scored seven since 1995, arguably the most competitive era in NASCAR history. Perhaps it's Hendricks choice to never stand still that is the engine behind his success, both in auto racing and the automobile business.
Typically, he has been ahead of the curve, having never been satisfied with the status quo, even when that status needle points to champion. He understands that the pieces that win a championship one season may be merely discards on the scrap pile the next year. Posted high on a wall in the 24/48 shop at Hendrick Motorsports is this sign. "In a competitive environment, to remain the same is to regress." Bigger and Better; It worked first for Hendrick in the automobile business. Starting with a small Chevrolet dealership on a barren street corner in Bennettsville, SC, three decades ago, he built a network that has stamped the Hendrick Automotive name across the country. In the dealership realm, it has been about moving good people forward. "In the car business, I found I had some good people, and I felt like they needed an opportunity, too." Hendrick says. "So we'd tackle another dealership and move people.
If you do well in that business, you have opportunities to find other stores, that aren't doing well and make them work. " I think what drives him mainly, is the sense of responsibility he feels to all the people that are employed by his companies, " Howes says. "That weighs on him heavily. He likes to treat people well and he expects everybody else to do the same." Excerpts from the November 29th NASCAR Scene magazine. The 5 page spread details Mr. Hendricks ownership philosophy as well as chronicles his rise to the top in the Dealer and NASCAR worlds. Hendrick Honda is very proud of their owner and leader and does it's best to follow those same philosophies with our clients and vendors. Congratulations Mr. Hendrick!!
Labels: Hendrick Automotive Group, hendrick honda, Honda Virginia, NASCAR championship, NASCAR Cup, NASCAR Hendrick Virginia
