Rick Hendrick honored with Bill France Award of Excellence
Betty Jane France, wife of the late NASCAR Chairman Bill France Jr., presents an emotional Rick Hendrick with the Bill France Award of Excellence at Friday night's 2009 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Awards Ceremony in Las Vegas.
// David Griffin, NASCAR Scene
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LAS VEGAS – Rick Hendrick was a son of a Virginia tobacco farmer and someone whose passion for cars and racing led him to enter the sport in 1984. Since then, he has built a motorsports organization that is the envy of many in the Sprint Cup garage.
In those 26 seasons, his drivers have won 188 Cup races and nine Cup titles. In those 26 seasons, Hendrick Motorsports has grown to employ more than 500 people and NASCAR has grown in popularity on the national sports landscape.
So maybe that’s why Hendrick sobbed at the 2009 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Awards Ceremony when honored with the Bill France Award of Excellence from Betty Jane France, wife of the late Bill France Jr., who guided the sport from 1971-2003.
“I wasn’t expecting this one,” Hendrick said during his acceptance speech at the Wynn Las Vegas. “This award means so much to me because of the relationship I had with Bill France and the respect I had for him.”
The award is not handed out annually by the France family, which has owned and operated NASCAR for 61 years. Named for NASCAR founder Bill France Sr., the award is presented when the NASCAR leadership believes someone is worthy of the recognition for contributions to the sport.
“NASCAR has had many iconic figures throughout its rich history, and Rick Hendrick certainly falls into that category,” Betty Jane France said. “Through the years, he has not only won our respect but our hearts as well.”
Hendrick did not know that Betty Jane France was at the banquet and the award was not listed in the agenda for the evening that celebrated Jimmie Johnson’s fourth consecutive title in a season where Hendrick drivers swept the top three spots in the standings.
“I’ve never seen him where he’s in a position where he couldn’t say what was on his mind,” Johnson said after the ceremony. “It really got him. … For a minute there, I thought he was going to need to sit down and start over and come back to the podium.
“It’s amazing. It means so much to Rick because of his friendship with Bill. I could only imagine how much that means to him. And then this year, you look at the 1-2-3 and all the success. You roll it all up in one, he’s going to remember 2009 forever.”
Even before Hendrick received the award, his drivers praised him.
“You taught me to live big and small – live big in your passion for what you do, what you believe in and in your successes, but be humble and appreciative and give thanks for all those things,” Jeff Gordon said during his speech.
Mark Martin said he sees “a little bit of Rick Hendrick in each and every one of” the employees of the team.
“You just win everything there is in NASCAR,” said Martin, who joined the team this year. “You made history, win all these championships. You’re a big winner. Congratulations and thanks for letting me be a part of it. But that’s not the most impressive part of it. To me, you’re a true champion as a person, such an incredible individual that affects so many people in a positive way. I’d like to be more like you.”
