Rick Hendrick has built a gigantic legacy in NASCAR. His Cup Series team Hendrick Motorsports has bloomed and grown through the past 4 decades. But it was only possible due to the touch of some special individuals along the way – including Max Muhleman. Although not a direct part of the sport, the pioneering sports marketer played a large role in helping Hendrick carve out his enterprise.

Muhleman has been known mainly for the concept of developing the permanent seat license in professional sports. The sports veteran was majorly involved with the NFL, helping the Carolina Panthers and Charlotte Hornets land expansion teams. However, his association with Hendrick earned him a top tribute after he took his last breath on this earth.

Max Muhleman hailed as an evergreen pioneer

312 race victories and 14 championships – those are the staggering stats that HMS has clinched in the world of NASCAR. And Max Muhleman played a huge role in this achievement. He stood by Rick Hendrick as he built his empire, and also supported 7-time champion Jeff Gordon to wade through his career. In 2000, Gordon entered into a partnership with International Management Group, linked to Muhleman Marketing Inc. The resources of IMG, whose clients include Arnold Palmer, Derek Jeter, and Peyton Manning, helped Gordon build a stable of blue-chip endorsements for the long haul.

After being an integral part of HMS’ growth, Max Muhleman earned the highest respect from both Hendrick and Gordon. So the sports veteran’s demise elicited a heartfelt message from Jeff Gordon, who shared an old picture alongside Hendrick’s tribute to Muhleman. “Rick has always said Hendrick Motorsports would not have happened without Max Muhleman, who approached him about starting a NASCAR team more than 40 years ago. This photo of Max is from the original All-Star Racing announcement in 1984. From everyone at @teamhendrick, farewell to a dear friend and sports marketing legend.”

Currently, top racers like Kyle Larson or Chase Elliott carry the banner of HMS. But the team’s foundations will never be forgotten, and Max Muhleman’s contributions will stay evergreen in NASCAR. Right after he amplified his association with Gordon, Muhleman had beamed with enthusiasm in 2000. “Not long after the IMG merger, Rick told me Jeff might have some interest in working on his endorsements.” He added, “The thing about Jeff is that he’s so young and he’s already done so much. He’s a very 21st-century personality because he appeals to younger people and his business is about speed. It ties into the age of technology — the faster world — we now live in.”

And Muhleman helped mold the sporting world, as tributes came flooding from the NFL.

Helping the Panthers grow

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In the 1990s, Carolina Panthers founder Jerry Richardson was on a mission. He wanted to bring an NFL league to the state, and Max Muhleman helped him. The latter delivered the closing marketing pitch at the October 1993 owners’ meetings for Richardson, and the Panthers started playing in 1995. His plan included landing three NFL preseason games in Raleigh and Chapel Hill, North Carolina, and another in Columbia, South Carolina. Muhleman also invented the concept of the PSL, where fans could pay a one-time fee for the annual right to buy season tickets. The millions accrued from the 55,000 PSLs sold went into building the 72,000-seat Bank of America Stadium in downtown Charlotte.

So Max Muhleman’s demise drew emotional tributes from the world of NFL as well. “I don’t think a lot of people realize what a big role Max played in getting the expansion team,” former Panthers director of communications Charlie Dayton said. “He wasn’t out front, he preferred to be in the background. That was him. But he was as valuable as anybody in the process of getting a team. He was there every step of the way.” Tamera Green, senior VP of the Panthers, also credited Muhleman for his creativity: “He had some really cool ‘firsts’ in sports. The idea of the PSL almost came out of desperation at the time. It was like a Hail Mary. And it worked.”

Evidently, Max Muhleman will be heavily missed. Both NASCAR and NFL’s top executives rallied to send final tributes to the legend.