Rick Hendrick is the owner of Hendrick Motorsports. For those of you who aren't familiar with Hendrick Motorsports they are the NASCAR team that includes Jimmie Johnson, Mark Martin, Jeff Gordon and Dale Earnhardt Jr. Hendrick are the Yankees of NASCAR finishing the Spring Cup Series this year #1, #2 and #3, respectively (Earnardt Jr. finished #25 overall). Last Sunday Jimmie Johnson won his 4th straight Sprint Cup Series Championship but Mr. Hendrick wasn't in Miami to celebrate with his team. As much as Rick wanted to be a part of Jimmie's record-breaking run on Sunday, his family's needs were more important.
Mr. Hendrick spent his Sunday in a hospital in North Carolina as his 29-year-old niece, Alesha Gainey, underwent a liver transplant. Gainey is the daughter of Hendrick's brother, John, who, along with two other daughters, was killed in a 2004 plane crash on the way to Martinsville Speedway. Hendrick said the surgery went well and Gainey, although not completely out of the woods, is in stable condition and recovering in intensive care.
"It was never a doubt in my mind where I needed to be and where I wanted to be,'' Hendrick said during a Tuesday conference call. "I couldn't have enjoyed the race or the celebration. I needed to be there with my family.'' Hendrick received news that Gainey was in critical condition on Friday in Miami and immediately returned to Charlotte, N.C. He watched portions of the race, including the end as Johnson finished fifth to clinch the title, in the hospital waiting room. "I was perfectly content where I was,'' Hendrick said. "I would have loved to have celebrated with them, but I wasn't in the frame of mind to celebrate. They were going to get their job done no matter and I had a bigger job back here.''
So much for the perception that NASCAR owners are all gruff, dumb hillbillies. Without hesitation Rick Hendrick chose his niece over the biggest race of his life. He chose his family over the sport he loves so dearly. No wonder Hendrick is such a successful NASCAR team owner… who wouldn't want to work for a guy like Mr. Hendrick?
[...] 500 this year and it’s a pretty decent show. His wife is a former supermodel and his owner, Rick Hendrick, is the most dominate owner in NASCAR history. You can catch the show on HBO on Demand. Check out [...]