Seldom have there been joyous moments so emotional that Rick Hendrick himself was left speechless. One such moment was when his son, Ricky, secured his first and only Craftsman Truck Series victory in 2001 at Kansas Speedway. The Hendrick Motorsports benefactor was left with tears in his eyes as he witnessed his son in victory lane.
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At the time, Ricky was a young and inexperienced driver with an equally green crew chief in Lance McGrew. The duo replicated the setup of their teammate Jack Sprague’s truck for their #17 truck every race weekend, hoping it would be enough to get them across the checkered flags. But then, Kansas provided them with a golden chance.
In July 2001, the track’s first Truck Series race was held. Ricky had the advantage of being on a level playing field and he used it to his advantage. He qualified in second place and drove in the top 5 for most of the race before capturing the victory flag. High temperatures in the region played a huge role in aiding his victory.
Several of his competitors faced issues due to the heat and had to retire. However, the #17 truck held on till the end and succeeded in its goal. Rick Hendrick couldn’t form words to the cameras even before his son crossed the start/finish line. And once he did and got out of the car, the waterworks began.
Mr. Hendrick remembers, “When he got out of the truck, we all embraced and we were all crying. Going into the media center and watching him up there on the stage talking about the race and getting questions from the media was so special because I can remember when he was just old enough to talk, talking about racing. It ran in his blood.”
On this date in 2001:
Ricky Hendrick won the O'Reilly Auto Parts 250 at Kansas. It was his first and only career Truck Series victory. pic.twitter.com/4lN74OiJjf— NASCAR Memories (@NASCARMemories) July 7, 2019
The memories of McGrew in 2024 reflect how much it meant to Mr. Hendrick. He said, “I’d been around Mr. H for a couple of years before that and that was the first time he couldn’t talk. He couldn’t even speak.” Ricky finished the season in sixth place with eight top-5 finishes and 19 top-10s.
He later transitioned to a team ownership role following the completion of the 2002 season. In 2004, Ricky passed away in a plane crash that killed 10 members of the Hendrick Motorsports family en route to Martinsville. His victory in Kansas and the emotions it evoked in his parents remains one of his finest moments.
