[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 162 (2016), Part 7]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page 9268]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




      IN HONOR OF 2017 NASCAR HALL OF FAME INDUCTEE RICK HENDRICK

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                          HON. RICHARD HUDSON

                           of north carolina

                    in the house of representatives

                        Wednesday, June 15, 2016

  Mr. HUDSON. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor and congratulate 
racing legend, and my friend, Rick Hendrick upon his induction into the 
eighth class of the NASCAR Hall of Fame.
  A native of Warrenton, North Carolina, Rick Hendrick was born with 
racing in his blood. At an early age his father, ``Papa Joe'' Hendrick, 
instilled in Rick the value of a hard day's work and a love of 
automobiles. At the age of 14, he made a name for himself by shattering 
speed records at the local drag strip.
  After purchasing a Chevrolet dealership, he quickly found success 
which led to the creation of Hendrick Automotive Group--the largest 
privately held dealership in the country. In 1984, he founded All-Star 
Racing which would eventually become Hendrick Motorsports. 
Headquartered in my district in Concord, North Carolina, Hendrick 
Motorsports is now consistently recognized as one of the sport's 
premier operations.
  As an owner, Rick Hendrick has won a total of 14 NASCAR national 
series championships, the most all-time. Drivers for Hendrick 
Motorsports have become household names including the likes of Jeff 
Gordon, Jimmie Johnson, Terry Labonte, Kasey Kahne, and Dale Earnhardt 
Jr. In total, Hendrick Motorsports has delivered an incredible 242 
total wins. You would be hard pressed to find anyone more deserving of 
this honor.
  This year's class was selected by a comprehensive voting panel that 
included track owners, retired competitors, industry leaders, members 
of the media, and a nationwide fan vote. In total, a group of five was 
chosen to join the ranks of other NASCAR legends in the Hall of Fame. 
Mr. Hendrick is extremely deserving of this honor and will now be 
enshrined forever for his contributions to the sport.
  Mr. Speaker, please join me today in congratulating Rick Hendrick, 
his wife Linda, and their entire family on Rick's induction to the 
NASCAR Hall of Fame.




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