Rick Hendrick is the winningest team owner in NASCAR history and has the most victories of any NASCAR team owner in the Brickyard 400 at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway.
On Sunday, the Brickyard 400 will celebrate its 30th Anniversary and Hendrick will drive the Pace Car to lead the field to start the race on the 2.5-mile IMS Oval.
Hendrick, owner of Hendrick Motorsports and chairman and CEO of Hendrick Automotive Group, will serve as honorary Pace Car driver for the Brickyard 400 presented by PPG on Sunday, July 21.
Hendrick will drive the Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 Pace Car and lead the field to start the 30th anniversary of the Brickyard 400 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. This year also marks the 40th anniversary of Hendrick Motorsports.
Time goes by fast,” Hendrick said. “I can’t believe it’s been four decades since we started Hendrick Motorsports and 30 years since Jeff (Gordon) won the inaugural Brickyard 400. I’ll never forget the excitement around that event and the thrill of winning a race at Indianapolis.
“I’m grateful to our 40-year partners at Chevrolet for the opportunity to drive a Pace Car for the first time. I also want to thank my great friend Roger Penske and everyone at the track. Taking the field to green on Sunday will be something I’ll always remember.”
A self-described “gearhead,” Hendrick turned his passion for the automobile into successful business ventures in the retail automotive and professional auto racing industries.
Hendrick worked on and raced cars as a young man. Alongside his father, “Papa Joe” Hendrick, he rebuilt his first car, a 1931 Chevrolet, at age 14 and regularly traveled to racetracks across the region, often volunteering as a crew member. Although he studied to become a tool and die maker, Hendrick’s enthusiasm for cars led him down a different career path – retail automotive sales.
The transformation of his first dealership from struggling into the most profitable in the region ultimately led to the formation of Hendrick Automotive Group, which today operates collision centers, accessories distributor installers and 131 retail franchises across 13 states.
