The real subject of this week’s Legendtorial has to do with the penchant for the American people, if in fact not all people, to pull for the underdog. Sort of funny when you think about it because we all want to be winners and we all want to be associated with winners. And, NO, I do not consider Danica an underdog. What I’m getting at is the Rick Hendrick phenomena. Very soon after Jimmie won the race Sunday, I started getting e-mails and comments from others lamenting the fact that Hendrick Motorsports wins everything and Jimmie Johnson is a ________, you fill in the blank. I was asked by at least a dozen people if it upset me that Hendrick Motorsports now holds the record of 20 wins at Martinsville, displacing Petty Enterprises with 19 wins there. I have heard, over and over this week, and many times before, that “Hendrick wins too much”, and “Jimmie stinks up the show”(and before Jimmie it was always Jeff Gordon), that “racing is no good when it is dominated by Hendrick”. I understand the comments, and I understand the sentiments but I also understand much more about Hendrick Motorsports than the current status of the situation or what some of the younger fans fail to realize.
Rick Hendrick has fought cancer, a lawsuit, criminal charges in a Honda mess, the tragedy of the plane crash in 2004 at Martinsville, and so many other things that would have made a lesser man give up long ago. From all accounts of what I read today, Rick is involved in several causes to which he dedicates millions of dollars, not to mention his time and the resources of his race teams. I do not recall any negative press, at any time, from a disgruntled employee. Everyone in racing who speaks about him speaks with total respect.
Let’s look at this a little closer. Rick was a car dealer in 1984 when he started All-Star Motorsports and hired Geoff Bodine to drive for him. Although the expenses of 1984 can’t begin to approach the expenses of today’s racing, it was soon evident to Rick, and to anyone else involved, that money was running out quickly. I didn’t actually hear it said, so I can only repeat what I have heard about the April 29, 1984, race at Martinsville when he told his team that the race that day would probably be their last as he was out of money. Just like some fairytale Hollywood movie (later made a part of “Days of Thunder”) Geoff won that day. Suddenly, Hendrick Motorsports was a player. It was time for other teams to take the upstart seriously.
Sixteen drivers have won Cup races in Hendrick cars since 1984. Some of those drivers, in addition to Geoff Bodine, are Tim Richmond, D.W., Ken Shrader, Ricky Rudd, Terry Labonte, Jerry Nadue, Joe Nemechek, Kyle Busch, Brian Vickers, Casey Mears, Mark Martin, Kasey Kahne and Dale Earnhardt, Jr. Of course, the two predominant men behind the success are Jimmie Johnson and Jeff Gordon.
Think back, if you can remember that far, to November 15, 1992, when The King was running his last race and this kid, literally appearing as a high school kid skipping school, was put behind the wheel of a Hendrick Chevy. Look what happened there. Look back at Jimmie’s career. Jeff Gordon believed in him enough to become part owner, with Rick, of a team for the young Californian. Good move there. Five championships and surely he will get another one or two along the way. Yet, people hate him. He wins too much! Anyone BUT Jimmie. A few years ago, it was “anyone but Jeff”. Before that, “anyone but Earnhardt”. Funny thing is that I remember back when David Pearson and King Richard were winning often, I do not recall the reactions to those two that we have against a consistent winner these days. Winning is what it is all about!
Having said all that, I know how we American, and we race fans especially, like to pull for the underdog. Remember Alan Kulwicki when he won the championship in the “Underbird”? He capitalized on that sentiment very well. Every time I see one of those ‘92 T-birds I think of the “Underbird”. While I detest basketball with a passion you can’t believe, especially when it gets to “March Madness” which now bleeds into April, I have to admit I was sort of pulling for Florida Gulf Coast because they were such underdogs. See what I mean? A guy who detests basketball more than a little kids detests broccoli, was interested enough to pull for the underdog. But, alas,the underdog was eliminated and as I write this on Monday afternoon, they are still trying to decide which team of ball bouncing free riders will be declared “National Champion”. Whichever team it may be, we can be pretty certain their highly educated fans will be turning over vehicles and setting them on fire to celebrate the “victory”. I just can’t seem to figure all that out.
But this I want to say: When Rick Hendrick was starting his team back in the day, I was covering some of the races for the local FM radio station here in Columbia. I paid my own way, bought my own food, and my only compensation was getting free press passes which allowed me pit access/garage access and anywhere else I really wanted to go at the track. Quite different back then than it is today. I remember, vividly, that I never walked past Rick Hendrick that he didn’t ask me if I would like a Coke, a sandwich, or whatever. He was asking me, someone who did a five minute radio report on Friday mornings, a “race wrap” live from the track on Sunday afternoon and a five minute Monday morning show. I was a total no-body in the overall scheme of the press covering events, although back then it was nowhere near what it is today. Even so, Rick Hendrick went out of his way to be gracious and kind to me at every encounter. I doubt if Rick remembers even one of those encounters but I remember all of them pretty clearly.
When Jeff Gordon came on the scene and started winning, I was doing radio for 30 minutes every Friday morning on a local all sports FM Station. Wasn’t long before the calls started coming in about Jeff winning so much. Some were quite hateful. I remember saying, one Friday morning, that I would be in Jeff’s corner because he was going to be a factor in racing. Hate to say “I told you so” but in that case I did.
As I think back over the years, I recall so many wonderful times brought to us by Rick Hendrick and his teams. Is there anyone among you listeners who would deny his dedication to Tim Richmond when NASCAR was trying to put Tim out to pasture long before he died? Is there anyone among you listeners who would kick Dale, Jr. out of the Hendrick ride? Is there anyone among you who would deny that Jeff Gordon brought things to the sport that could be matched by no one else at the time, one of those being his relationship with Dale, Sr.?
Remember, we all want to be winners. At least we should. If a loser is what you want to be, then I can recommend a few outlets for that desire, but I believe that human nature holds winning as a premium accomplishment. So, is it wrong that Jimmie Johnson wins as much as he does? Isn't that what racing is about? Winning? I think it was Fireball Roberts who said something like “no one remembers who finished second”. All I really want to accomplish tonight is to inspire some thought about all the comments about Jimmie, Chad, and the Hendrick organization. Like almost everyone else in racing, these folks worked hard, and continue to work hard,for what they have achieved and will achieve. There are teams I don’t like, drivers I don’t like but overall I will compliment all the teams that put so much on the line to provide the entertainment in the sport I have chosen to follow. It’s a great sport made up of great competitors. If the underdog wins one, that’s great, but a winner is a winner no matter the circumstance. Rick Hendrick just happens to enjoy the circumstance more than others.
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