Believing in people remains Rick Hendrick's mantra for success at Hendrick Motorsports

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Rick Hendrick must have been torn. After all, he seems to have a genuine respect and affection for both the history of NASCAR and the men who have helped build the sport. So it must have been difficult knowing that he owned his ninth NASCAR Cup title, but uncertain whether he would snare it with the ever-popular and four-time series runnerup Mark Martin or make history with Jimmie Johnson becoming the first driver to ever win four consecutive Cup titles.

In the end, it was Johnson who would make history with his fourth consecutive title this season and Martin who would continue to be a class act about coming close to a championship.

In the end, it was Hendrick reaching yet another milestone in what has been an impressive run in NASCAR's top ranks. In a year in which the organization celebrated its 25th season in the sport, Hendrick not only earned his ninth title - Jeff Gordon has four as well and Terry Labonte won one under the Hendrick banner – Hendrick Motorsports also took the top three spots in the standings this season, another first in NASCAR.

Hendrick has done so in a manner that has gained the respect of all the employees who work for him and by keeping his philosophy simple. He believes in people. He believes that putting the right people in the right place is crucial to success, and he understands that as well as anyone. Loyalty seems to run high in the Hendrick ranks - Chad Knaus is the only crew chief that Johnson has had on the Cup side, Martin's crew chief Alan Gustafson has been with the organization since 2000, when he debuted as a shock specialist, and Jeff Gordon's crew chief Steve Letarte has been with the organization since 1995, when he was 16 years old.

And Hendrick appears loyal to his people. It's not often that crew chiefs are moved around, and midseason shifts are rare in this group, though it did happen this year as the owner tried to improve the performance of the team of Dale Earnhardt Jr.

Hendrick works hard to keep his teams intact year to year and appears to reap the rewards.

"I think our people are the biggest asset," he says. "If you can keep it together and tweak it, it's much better off than tearing it down and rebuilding it every year. It slows you down.

"I've seen this happen in my career here. You can have all‑stars together; there's no guarantee they'll work. I mean, you can guess the best so‑called crew chief and best driver in the garage area and put them together, and that's not necessarily going to work. You know, what I've tried to do is promote tweaking it rather than rebuilding it. I'm a fix‑it kind of guy rather than a strip-it-and-rebuild-it kind of guy."

In fact, Hendrick says that he may put off changes too long in an effort to make the right moves. But clearly his philosophy appears to be working.

The drivers and crew chiefs working for him refer to Hendrick with a level of respect and sometimes reverence not always seen in professional sports.

They appear to be more than willing to work the extra hours or do whatever it takes, partly, it seems, because they know they have his backing.

"It starts with Rick and his vision and what he has given us all to work with in his 25 years in the sport," Johnson says. "He's just done an amazing job. I'm happy to make him happy, I'm happy to make him smile."

General manager Marshall Carlson agrees.

"The way that he goes about keeping us going, he's got one requisite, and that is that we race together, and that's absolutely imperative," he says. "Beyond that, he gives everyone a lot of flexibility and a lot of autonomy, a lot of - as far as the X's and O's, these guys figure that out, and these guys bring their game to the track.

"And I think that competitive people who want to win are attracted to that. I think that's why Jimmie was attracted to the organization and Chad and why they continue to want to be there. ... There's 500 teammates back at Hendrick Motorsports who have built that place, and every single one of us owes an incredible debt of gratitude to Rick for his leadership, for his commitment and dedication for giving us the resources to have these opportunities."

Martin, 50, has been fairly giddy about working with the owner over the course of the year as Hendrick lured him back to full-time competition beginning this season. Gordon has often lauded his owner’s passion and commitment to the sport, as have the crew chiefs working underneath him.

Hendrick, however, is quick to pass on the credit. As he looks over the past few seasons, he says that he never thought he'd have the caliber of drivers he's enjoyed the chance to work with over the years.

So he's grateful to them and for the impact they've had on his organization.

"I thought that you'd just be fortunate enough to come and have one of those guys come across your lap here in your lifetime," he says. "If you had one Jeff Gordon or one Richard Petty type or David Pearson type guy, you'd be very thankful to have one.

"… I'm so thankful, and I do not take for granted that I've had some of the best talent in the cars, in my career. You know, Tim Richmond, Geoff Bodine, Darrell Waltrip. I mean, when it's all said and done, I can put a picture of all these guys up and look at it and say, 'Man, I've been pretty darn lucky to have this kind of talent through here.'"

And to have men who have committed their careers to working at Hendrick.

He's built his organization to the top tier of Cup competition, but he sees it as more of a joint effort.

Hendrick appears to have that unique ability to make those around him feel that they are equal partners in what has been accomplished. He says decision-making involves all those impacted by a change, making everyone more involved and, it seems, inherently more committed to the program.

Perhaps that is the really key accomplishment on his road to multiple titles and to landing some of the top drivers of their eras.

"They feel like this is their company because it really is," Hendrick says. "They built it. They put it where it is. They have pride in it, and I try to share that. I mean to me I'm a very small part of this deal …

"I see guys that came in here as unknown mechanics, grow up and actually run the company. … We don't want to do anything to tear the place down. We want any change we make to be a positive for everybody. So it's more of a democracy here. When you have the ability to have a vote and have input, you have to make your decision work. So it's like co-signing a note. We all co-sign them together. … I'm real happy and real proud of the way we've been able to keep it together."

So are the men who are helping Hendrick find that level of success.

“I don't think there's any person that I've ever met who was more compassionate and who treats fellow human beings better than Rick Hendrick,” Gustafson says. “And I think that's the key for me personally, and that's all I can speak on.

“… There's not any magic. The fact is he's willing to do more for people, for his people, than basically anybody else is. And he's willing to put himself second time and time and time again for his company and for his people, and we all sincerely appreciate that, and we want to return the favor to him because he treats us so well. I think he genuinely enjoys bringing good things and happiness to people's lives, and he does a great job of it. So he's just a super‑special person. The world would be a worse place without Rick Hendrick in it. He's just a great guy and somebody you will do anything for because he will treat you the same way.”