Friendships have often been the backbone of NASCAR, transcending the competitive nature of the sport. One example is Dale Earnhardt and Michael Waltrip‘s bond. Despite being fierce rivals, they had a strong friendship and shared experiences. This documentary about their unlikely friendship and its impact on both of their lives is poignantly captured in the docuseries ‘Blink of an Eye.’ Dale Earnhardt’s long-time team owner, Rick Hendrick, also shared a special familial bond early in his career.

This friendship dates back to the start of the life of a tyrant in motorsports. Rick Hendrick is one of the most successful owners in NASCAR history. With 18 Drivers’ championships (14 Cup Series, 1 Xfinity Series, and 3 Camping World Truck Series) and 347 race wins across multiple series, Hendrick Motorsports is a juggernaut. In a fun conversation with Kelley Earnhardt, Rick Hendrick reminisced about his journey to the Cup Series and ties to her family.

Rick Hendrick reflects on his career

Recently on The Business of Motorsports, Kelley Earnhardt Miller had a heartfelt conversation with NASCAR legend Rick Hendrick about the family’s longstanding relationship with Kelley’s grandfather, Robert Gee. With his unmatched success in NASCAR, Hendrick shared stories that not only revealed the rich history between their families but also their personal experiences that shaped their partnership.

Kelley Earnhardt talked about how Rick Hendrick and Robert Gee go way back in time. “My grandfather [Robert Gee], y’all grew up together, y’all met when y’all were young teens.”

“Yeah, you know, uh a little small town of South Hill Virginia,” Rick Hendrick said, recalling his first meeting with Robert 60 years ago. “When I was 15 years old, Robert, your granddaddy, had a flying ace station. And that’s where all the hot rodders hung out and most of them were a lot older than me. So I was scared to death when I went in there to talk to Robert but I wanted to have a hood, a special Hood put on my Chevelle… I went in there, Robert put the hood on my car and I became friends.” This teenage connection blossomed into a friendship that would see ups and downs along with a truckload of success.

Rick Hendrick’s admiration for Robert Gee, a legendary body-man and mechanic in NASCAR, was clear from the start. The hood modification marked the beginning of a long friendship that would only grow over the years. Hendrick continued, “As soon as I moved to Charlotte, Robert called me and said ‘Hey, I got a dirt car and I want your name on it. We started working together and I was involved in the dirt car.” The rest, as they say, is history. HMS went on to break records with multiple drivers while Gee worked in the fabrication shop there until his passing in 1994 due to strokes.

Hendrick talks about the initial HMS days

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As Hendrick’s NASCAR career progressed, the two worked together, with Robert playing a key role in Hendrick’s early success. Their first collaboration in Cup racing was at Charlotte, where they celebrated a victory with the legendary ‘Intimidator’ behind the wheel. “As soon as I got into cup racing I asked Robert to come over… I had my first experience as a partner with Robert, and your dad [Dale Earnhardt Sr.] drove the car in Charlotte and we won the race.” This was the only race Dale Sr. drove for HMS as a test driver. Hendrick further spoke about a hilarious incident with Gee early on in their career.

Hendrick claimed to have multiple stories of Robert Gee who Kelly and he described as a ‘real character‘, recalling one such instance, Hendrick added, “[Geoff] Bodine said to Robert, he said, ‘Robert, you want me to pit now?’ Robert didn’t want to spend any money on tires, and Robert said, ‘Hey, we’ll do what the leader does.’ And Bodine said, ‘I am the leader.’” Hendrick and Kelley burst into laughter as Kelley said, “He was probably napping on the pit wall,” 

Robert Gee helped Hendrick Motorsport understand NASCAR’s thrills, with a dash of humor, but he would also become the team’s fabrication expert. He was also responsible for building the No.5 car that gave the team their fated Martinsville victory in 1984. If the team had not achieved glory that day, the doors would have been closed rather soon as sponsorships were dwindling. Looking back, Hendrick can be proud of the legacy he has created.