Ray Hendrick, early Modified

Good Morning everyone!

I'm really new to this, so I hope you'll bear with me.

I married into racing a few years back, when I became Mrs. Roy Hendrick. .. yes, his daddy was Ray.. The history hanging on the walls is intoxicating....but the STORIES are the best!.

Roy was telling a group of guys, at the Old Timers Racers Reunion (at Occonneechee Raceway annual event) about how his dad had painted a man riding a rocket on the trunk of his modified.This would be in the 60's.(.early 60's)..a few of these guys remembered it,...but no one had ever taken a picture of it. Roy says he's NEVER seen a picture of it...anywhere.~~~ There's my reason for this post!.. Might anyone have,..or know of a picture of Ray Hendricks modified (1960's) that shows this "rocket man" on the trunk?!

I appreciate any help!!

Welcome to Stock Car RacersReunion, Joetta. Be sure to stop by our Ray Hendrick In Memorium Tribute site here at this link:

http://stockcar.racersreunion.com/group/rememberingrayhendrick

I sure hope someone finds a photo of the rocket man car. I've never seen it, but well remember the "Constipated" trunk lid on Ray's car with the Budweiser tap hood ornament.

This is great! Thank you!... I heard him talking about this too! lol...I don't know if he's got pictures of this...His mom might. (Ray's first wife)I'll show him this evening....Thanks again!

A FEW DAYS AFTER RAY WAS BURIED I VISITED HIS GRAVE SITE. RACE FANS AND LOVE ONES HAVE LEFT AN TON OF CHECKERED FLAG AND FLYING 11 SHAPED FLOWERS ON HIS GRAVE.
Raymond D. "Ray" Hendrick GRAVE SITE IS LOCATED AT Westhampton Memorial Park, 10000 Patterson Avenue,Henrico County,Virginia 23238

BEGIN ASKING QUESTIONS AFTER SEEING THE ABOVE RAY HENDRICK GRAVE MARKER WITH THE #11/"FLYING 11" CHEVY CORVETTE RACE CAR ON IT.

COULD YOU ASKED ROY HENDRICK THE FOLLOWING QUESTIONS:

#1. WAS IT DONE FOR RAY HENDRICK'S NINE GRANDCHILDREN?

#2. WAS HIS PERSONAL CAR AN CHEVY CORVETTE?

#3. DID RAY HENDRICK RACED AN #11/ "FLYING 11" CHEVY CORVETTE RACE CAR?

IF HE DID.

GOT ANY PHOTOS OF #11/ "FLYING 11" CHEVY CORVETTE RACE CAR.

Thanks for any information or photos posted.
Dennis Garrett
Richmond,Va.USA

If you ever noticed the little winged "E" that extended from the car numbers on the Ray Evernham fielded race cars, that was Evernham's tribute to Ray Hendrick .

Did not no that Dave about Evernham thanks thats cool

There's my reason for this post!.. Might anyone have,..or know of a picture of Ray Hendricks modified (1960's) that shows this "rocket man" on the trunk?!

THERE WAS AN WWW.FLYING11.COM WEBSITE THAT DISAPPEARED FROM THE INTERNET?

IT HAD PHYLLIS HENDRICK'S OLD SCRAPBOOK OF OLD RACE CAR PHOTOS, OLD RACE ARTICLES ON RAY AND ROY HENDRICK RACING.

MAYBE THIS OLD WEBSITE HAD THE PHOTO OF "ROCKET MAN" ON THE TRUNK.

SOMEONE TOLD ME IT MIGHT BE THIS PHOTO OF "Flying 11 red race car sponsor by Ralph Mills Wheel Alignment" HAD THE "ROCKET MAN" PAINTED ON THE TRUNK. ?

Thanks for any information or photos posted.
Dennis Garrett
Richmond,Va.USA

I "think" Roy had maintained that site originally and some of the Ray things Andy Towler has posted came from that collection via Roy.

DAVE,
I CONSIDER ROY HENDRICK MY FRIEND.
CLASSMATES AT SAME (OLD) MANCHESTER HIGH SCHOOL LOCATED ON HULL ST. RD ACROSS FROM 360 WEST SHOPPING CENTER. LOL
DENNY HAMLIN WENT TO THE (NEW) MANCHESTER HIGH SCHOOL.LOL
ROY HAS DONE AUTO WORKED MY TRUCK AND MY MOTHER VAN

ONE DAY ROY TOLD ME I NEEDED TIRES MENTION THAT HIS DADDY (RAY) WAS A "FIRESTONE MAN, HE DIDN'T LIKE GOODYEAR RACE TIRES".

THE "FIRESTONE" TIRES ON MY BLACK CHEVY TRUCK CAME FROM ROY HENDRICK MUFFLER SHOP ON HULL ST RD.
ENJOYED THEM VERY MUCH

.
WWW.FLYING11.COM
IT WAS ONE OF THE BEST RACING WEBSITE ON THE INTERNET.
I SUBMITTED IT AND IT WON THE "MILLER LITE RACING PERSONALITY OF THE WEEK AWARD" AWARDED BY "LET'S TALK RACING WITH JOE AND RUTH KELLY" WARV 100.3 FM RADIO, IN RICHMOND,VA.

WWW.FLYING11.COM
I KNOW WHO BUILD IT, MAINTAINED IT, AND DESTROYED IT !!
IT COST "TO TOO MUCH MONEY" TO MAINTAIN IT "FOR THE FUTURE RACE FANS" !!
I, ALSO KNOW WHO GOT SOME THE OLD PHOTOS AND OLD RACE ARTICLES WHICH HAS "HAND STAMPED IN INK" WORDS PRINTED ALL OVER THEM.

DAVE,
I HAVE NEVER "HAND STAMPED IN INK" RACE PHOTOS OR RACE ARTICLES WITH "DENNIS GARRETT" OR "COLLECTION OF DENNIS GARRETT", OR "PROPERTY OF DENNIS GARRETT" ACROSS THEM.
I THINK AN ORIGINAL OLD RACE ARTICLE OR OLD RACE PHOTO SHOULDN'T HAVE THIS CRAP ON IT.
HAVE YOU EVER ENLARGED AN OLD RACE ARTICLE OR PHOTO WITH "HAND STAMPED IN RED INK" WORDS ACROSS IT?
"IT LOOKS LIKED SOMEONE LOST ALOT OF RED STUFF"? LOL

I WISHED THE WWW.FLYING11.COM WOULD COME BACK IN IT'S ORIGINAL CONDITION WITH THE ORIGINAL OLD RACE ARTICLES AND ORIGINAL OLD RACE PHOTOS "FOR THE FUTURE RACE FANS"!!

Thanks for any information or photos posted.
Dennis Garrett
Richmond,Va.USA

Dennis, I used to really enjoy the www.Flying11.com site, too. I have no knowledge of who operated it or took it down, but like you, I really hate to see all those wonderful photos posted with the red notes all over them almost obliberating the photos themselves and hiding many things of interest in the photos.

I was a Richmond west end boy - Thomas Jefferson HS (TeeJay) Class of 1966 and the basketball teams from Douglas Freeman (Rebels) and your Manchester HS were the top teams in the Commonwealth of Virginia when I was in school and always beat the pants off of us! I can still remember Bob Bundy and Bill Mavredes from Manchester, at the time the two best high school basketball players in the state.

Funny thing, back then, what is now called the "old" Manchester was pretty new in the 60s and was usually called the "new" Manchester back then, lol.

When I went to work at the Richmond track in 1990, we started hosting the Electric Vehicle Grand Prix sponsored by Virginia Power (VEPCO) for high school, trade school, and college teams who built electric, battery powered vehicles and raced them at R.I.R. in addition to sending them through all kinds of paces. Roy Hendrick came out each year and advised the student teams for us.

You may remember when DPME was sponsoring Roy's Late Model Stock Car. DPME's owner, Hilda Sledd lived not far from me in Richmond and once helped me get a job. Her husband Ken was good friends with Joe Kelly and operated the "Pooh Pooh's Rose Garden" eatery stand during the Virginia State Fair and also had a place over near Piggy & Sonny Hutchins' Attache around Libbie Ave, and Broad Street in West Richmond.

Had to wait for Roy to get home..... ok: #1 was WHAT done for the grand kids?

#2 The race car was a firebird...not a corvette,....he never owned one

#3......answered above...(i think it looks like a corvette on the marker too)

I know a Don Garrett,....Amelia,...kin? :o)

Does anyone knows what sized race tires did Ray Hendrick used on Modified/Sportsman "Flying 11" coupe race car?

I know he raced with ,"FIRESTONE" and "GOODYEAR" race tires.

I read somewhere he raced an third brand race tire, maybe a "M/T = Mickey Thompson" race tire?

Martinsville Speedway had used the extra wide "Indy" race tires in Modified/Sportsman races.

What was the sized of these extra wide "Indy" race tires?

Thanks for any information given.

Dennis Garrett

Richmond,Va. USA

In the 1968 500 Laps (Cardinal 500 Modified) race, Ray Hendrick just won the race on Firestone race tires. There he was in Victory Lane smiling hugging his wife; smiling being interviewed by Bob Montgomery; smiling with car owner Jack Tant, Miss Martinsville-He nry County, and mechanic Clayton Mitchell; smiling with (2) Firestone crew wearing Firestone jackets; Martinsville Speedway President H. Clay Earles officially presents the trophy to a smiling and happy Ray Hendrick.  😀  Only problem, Ray Hendrick had to borrow an red "Firestone" patch jacket from Ted (Hairfield?) to cover up his Ray Hendricks "GOODYEAR" patch race uniform. On his old race uniforms, you'll see Ray Hendricks or Ray Hendrick names listed. Ray Hendrick put an extra (s) = Ray Hendricks used it as a gag joke to the news reporters.

Dennis Garrett

Richmond,Va. USA