Back in 1984, when Rick Hendrick started Hendrick Motorsports, little did he know how the future would turn out. Fast forward 40 years, and the Cup Series giants have become a dominant force in NASCAR. While plenty of credit goes to Hendrick’s vision and execution, his team members played a massive role in bringing success. That said, the 74-year-old’s hunger for more glory isn’t over yet.

Over the years, Hendrick ensured his team possessed the top talents and the right people to take them to success. While it has helped Hendrick Motorsports win 14 championships to date, there is no reason why they can’t achieve more in the near future. Not only that. Mr. H looks as optimistic as ever and has laid down an unexpected warning to his competitors.

Rick Hendrick remains immensely proud of Hendrick Motorsports

To date, Hendrick Motorsports has registered 308 victories in the Cup Series, a feat many teams can only dream of. While it is a record untouched so far, it speaks volumes about Rick Hendrick and his team’s grand success over the years. With well-known organizations like Stewart-Haas Racing and many others failing to sustain the high demands and expectations of the Cup Series, HMS has done it flawlessly.

While it looks simple, it is important to note that even Rick Hendrick decided to shut shop in April 1984 before the race at Martinsville Speedway. The thought came into play with the team not having a sponsor. Luckily, Hendrick Motorsports won the race courtesy of Geoff Bodine, and the team got Northwestern Security Life as a sponsor.

It is difficult to say what might have happened had the Martinsville win not happened. 40 years later, on the same track, while the team looked to celebrate their outstanding achievement, the result on the day couldn’t have gotten any better. William Byron won the race, followed by teammates Kyle Larson and Chase Elliott in a 1-2-3 finish in Virginia.

Not only was it the first top-three sweep in the track history, but it also saw all four Hendrick Motorsports cars finish in the top 10. Speaking about the historic race, Rick Hendrick looked delighted in NASCAR’s short film, One Team, One Dream: 40 Years of Hendrick Motorsports. He said, “It was a day in history for our company I’ll never forget. Watching the 40th anniversary unfold, I have thought back to all the turns and twists along the way.” While he looked emotional, Hendrick couldn’t have been clearer about his intent for the coming years. In a warning to his competitors, he said, “We’re not done yet.”

As his drivers carried out the sweep, the legendary owner, unfortunately, couldn’t be there as he was recovering from knee replacement surgery. Hendrick recounted, “I wanted so bad to be there, but I couldn’t get my leg to cooperate, but to see it on TV and everybody having a good time, I almost think I got to see more of it.” On race day at Martinsville, 7 buses carrying 1500 Hendrick Motorsports employees, friends, and family traveled to the track. And it was like a fairytale. But as Hendrick said, it’s not over yet.

“I think we got a lot more championships and a lot more races to win.” Clearly, Rick Hendrick remains as hungry as ever for more success in the Cup Series. After all, that’s what makes him the legendary owner he is. No wonder his team members speak highly of him.

Rick Hendrick has earned plenty of respect in the 40 years of Hendrick Motorsports

It is no secret how highly respected Rick Hendrick is in the NASCAR community. Safe to say, he has impacted almost every individual associated with him in the 40 years at Hendrick Motorsports. Not only that. The 74-year-old remains a very popular figure in his clan with some touching acts.

In April 2024, Cup Series legend and HMS Vice Chairman Jeff Gordon couldn’t stop going gaga over the team owner’s personality. Per the team’s official website, he said, “I knew it the first time I met Rick. He is unique, special, and passionate. To be able to know, here’s somebody who has a great organization, is interested in having me as a driver and starting a whole new team to do that.”

Gordon added, “Of course, now he’s like family to me. For him to take that leap of faith was one step of just how appreciative I am to him.” Even the team president and general manager, Jeff Andrews, spoke highly of Rick Hendrick. He said, “[Hendrick] makes you want to succeed at everything that you do, professionally and personally.” Andrews explained how Hendrick has smoothly rallied his troops over the years.

“He has taught us all the importance of our people. We work for them, and we all work together to achieve the same goal. Mr. Hendrick has never demanded respect. His respect is earned, and you want to make him proud. You want to do good for him,” Andrews revealed. Even NASCAR’s Most Popular Driver, Chase Elliott, had only positive words for Rick Hendrick.

He described how comfortable the owner makes him. “He has become a close friend and someone I can call any time of the day and get a real, raw, honest conversation or opinion. That has a lot of value to me. I can talk to him like I am talking to anyone. I’ve always appreciated that about him.” Considering everyone at HMS deeply believes in Rick Hendrick, there’s no reason they won’t give their everything to help him succeed beyond 40 years. In fact, with the type of form the team’s drivers are in, the success might come as early as this season.