Under the watchful eye of Papa Joe, that love of cars led Hendrick into the world of auto racing. At age 14, he quickly made a name for himself by setting speed records at a local drag strip with a self-built 1931 Chevrolet. A year later, the self-described gearhead won the Virginia division of the Chrysler-Plymouth Troubleshooting Contest, a competition for engine builders. He was just 15 at the time.

A standout athlete at Park View High School in South Hill, Va., Hendrick considered an opportunity to play professional baseball before pursuing a co-op work-study program with North Carolina State University and Westinghouse Electric Company in Raleigh, N.C.

Hendrick Automotive Group

While on Tobacco Road, Hendricks deep-seeded automotive passion led him to open a small used-car lot with Mike Leith, an established new-car dealer. The success of the venture soon convinced Leith to name Hendrick the general sales manager of his new-car import operation at the age of 23.

In 1976, the 26-year-old Hendrick took a chance by selling off his assets to purchase a struggling franchise in Bennettsville, S.C., thus becoming the youngest Chevrolet dealer in the United States. His influence sparked a dramatic sales increase as the once-troubled location soon became the regions most profitable.

Bennettsvilles success was a precursor to the Hendrick Automotive Group, now encompassing more than 70 franchises and 5,000 employees from the Carolinas to California. Headquartered in Charlotte, N.C., the company generated revenue upward of $4 billion in 2005 after selling 100,000 vehicles and servicing over one million cars.

Hendrick Motorsports

As his automotive business prospered, Hendrick was enjoying an equal amount of success in the realm of motor sports. In the late 1970s, he founded a drag-boat racing team that won three consecutive national championships and set a world record of 222.2 mph with the boat Nitro Fever.

But Hendrick soon transitioned back into car racing, sponsoring and co-owning a limited number of NASCAR Late Model Sportsman Series (now NASCAR Nationwide Series) entries, which included victories in 1983 with the late Dale Earnhardt as driver.

In 1984, Hendrick founded All-Star Racing. That year, the fledgling outfit fielded a single NASCAR Winston Cup Series (now Sprint Cup) team with five full-time employees and 5,000 square feet of workspace. With Geoff Bodine driving an entire 30-race campaign in Hendrick's No. 5 Chevrolets, the group finished ninth in championship points after earning three victories and three pole positions in its first season.

Rechristened Hendrick Motorsports in 1985, the organization today is headquartered on more than 100 acres of North Carolina property straddling Cabarrus and Mecklenburg counties. The 600,000-square-foot facility houses complete engine- and chassis-building areas to support four full-time teams in NASCAR's Cup Series and two part-time teams in the Nationwide (formerly Busch) Series.

Hendrick Motorsports has garnered 12 NASCAR championships -- eight in the Sprint Cup Series, three in the Craftsman Truck Series and one in the Nationwide Series making it one of the sports premier operations. Its roster of stock-car drivers includes Dale Earnhardt Jr., Jeff Gordon, Mark Martin and Jimmie Johnson.

In 2007, Hendrick surpassed 200 combined victories in NASCAR's top three divisions. He is currently second on NASCAR's all-time Cup win list (1949-present) and leads all owners in modern-era victories (1972-present). His Cup-level teams have won at least one race each year since 1986 -- the longest active streak -- and have averaged nearly 10 wins annually over the last decade.

The Hendrick Marrow Program

In 1997, Hendrick chartered the Hendrick Marrow Program, a fundraising initiative that promotes tissue typing and supports those suffering from leukemia and other blood-related diseases. A member of The Marrow Foundations board of directors, Hendrick takes a personal approach to the cause after being diagnosed with chronic myelogenous leukemia, better known as CML, in 1996.

Since its inception, the program has raised millions of dollars, added more than 75,000 volunteers to the National Marrow Donor Program Registry and assisted more than 2,000 patients with grants from the Hendrick Family Fund for Patient Assistance.

Hendrick and his wife Linda were honored in 1999 with The Marrow Foundations Leadership for Life Award, which recognizes individuals who have made an extraordinary commitment to the National Marrow Donor Program and The Marrow Foundation. Past recipients include Congressman C.W. Bill Young, baseball great Rod Carew and former postmaster general William J. Henderson.

Hendrick himself has been in remission since 1999.

The Hendrick Foundation for Children

Another of Hendrick's passions is the Hendrick Foundation for Children.

Established in 2004 in honor of Hendricks brother, the late John L. Hendrick, the Hendrick Foundation for Children provides programs and services to benefit youngsters with illness, injury, disability or other hindrance. So far, the organization has raised millions of dollars toward community-oriented initiatives that improve the quality of childrens lives.

The Foundation committed $3 million in 2005 to assist in the establishment of Charlottes 12-story, 234-room Levine Childrens Hospital, a world-class facility dedicated to the needs of children and their families. In recognition of the gift, the hospital will dedicate its pediatric intensive care centers in honor of Hendricks late son, Ricky. The hospital is scheduled to open in 2007.

The Joe Hendrick Center for Automotive Technology

Hendrick recently donated $1 million toward the creation of the Joe Hendrick Center for Automotive Technology, which opened in late 2006 on the Matthews, N.C., campus of Central Piedmont Community College, the largest community college in North Carolina.

The facility, named for Hendricks late father, provides cost-effective, state-of-the-art training to prepare students for future careers in the automotive industry.

The Horatio Alger Award

In April 2006, Hendrick was presented with the prestigious Horatio Alger Award at Constitution Hall in Washington, D.C.

Each year, the Horatio Alger Association of Distinguished Americans (www.horatioalger.org) bestows the Horatio Alger Award on truly outstanding Americans. Association members are dedicated community leaders who demonstrate individual initiative and a commitment to excellence as exemplified by achievements accomplished through honesty, hard work, self-reliance and perseverance.

In accepting the award, Hendrick joined a group of prominent Americans that includes former U.S. Presidents Dwight D. Eisenhower, Gerald Ford and Ronald Reagan; Hall of Fame athletes Hank Aaron, Julius Erving and Wayne Gretzky; entertainers Waylon Jennings, Quincy Jones, James Earl Jones and Oprah Winfrey; author Maya Angelou; astronaut Buzz Aldrin; and Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas.

Other Honors

Gov. Jim Hunt recognized Hendrick in 1996 with The Order of the Long Leaf Pine, North Carolinas highest civilian honor. The award is bestowed upon citizens of the state who have a proven record of extraordinary service. Past recipients include award-winning journalist Charles Kuralt, Rev. Billy Graham, artist Bob Timberlake and Hendricks late father, Papa Joe, who was presented the award by Gov. Mike Easley in 2004.

Hendrick also offers his time to multiple boards and other business-related ventures. One of five dealers to be selected for the national planning committee for General Motors Saturn Division, he also served on the GM Presidents Dealer Advisory Council and has taken on other various roles with automobile manufacturers.

A resident of Charlotte, Hendrick is vice chairman of the North Carolina Motorsports Association, a nonprofit group that acts as a proponent of the motor sports industry throughout the state, and recently helped lead the regions successful bid for the NASCAR Hall of Fame.

Hendrick even has a film credit to his name after serving as a technical advisor on the 1990 motion picture Days of Thunder. The film, which starred Tom Cruise, netted more than $80 million at the box office.

Back to top

Carlson started his Hendrick Motorsports career at the ground level, sweeping floors in the chassis department as part of a summer internship in college. After earning a degree in business administration in 1996 from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Carlson served as team engineer for the organization’s fledgling NASCAR SuperTruck Series (now Craftsman Truck Series) entry. Under the direction of crew chief Dennis Connor, the group earned Hendrick Motorsports’ first of three circuit championships in 1997 with driver Jack Sprague.

Following the 1998 season, Carlson was reassigned to work under longtime Hendrick Motorsports executive Dan Lohwasser, who oversaw the team’s sponsorship and marketing efforts. As director of marketing services, Carlson worked with sponsors, managed the team’s show-car business and launched Hendrick’s first e-commerce Internet site.

In 2000, Carlson was named project manager on a $10 million facilities effort at the Hendrick Motorsports campus, which included the design and construction of racing operations space now housing the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series teams of Gordon and Johnson. The role prepared Carlson well for his 2002 assignment to lead Hendrick Automotive Group’s real estate initiatives.

Serving as a spotter and crew member, Carlson was an early influence on the racing career of his late brother-in-law, Ricky Hendrick, who in 1998 began NASCAR Late Model and USAR Pro Cup competition throughout the southeastern United States and later enjoyed driving success in the Craftsman Truck Series and NASCAR Busch (now Nationwide) Series.

Carlson managed upward of $200 million in real estate projects from 2002-04 as vice president of corporate financial management with the Hendrick Automotive Group, a company owned by Rick Hendrick that operates more than 80 automotive retail locations across the United States.

In 2009, Carlson was named to Street & Smith’s SportsBusiness Journal’s Forty Under 40, which spotlights the 40 top executives in sports under 40 years of age.

Back to top

After nearly a decade in various roles with General Motors, Duchardt joined GM Racing in 1996 and was named director in June 2003. Managing GM’s North American motor sports initiatives, he worked closely with NASCAR teams, including Hendrick Motorsports, and was responsible for Chevrolet’s on-track performance.

During Duchardt’s involvement in GM Racing, the Chevy Monte Carlo garnered five NASCAR Sprint Cup Series manufacturer championships.

From 1999-2003, Duchardt was the group manager for GM Racing’s Oval Track Group, responsible for all program management and technical development in the areas of engine, chassis and aerodynamics for the NASCAR efforts of Chevrolet and Pontiac. He was also group manager of the Cadillac LMP Program in 2001 and 2002.

Duchardt previously served as engine manager for the Oval Track Group and was responsible for the 1998 introduction of the SB2 engine, which in its first year of competition produced a superior reliability rate to its successful predecessor.

A native of Morton, Ill., Duchardt graduated in 1987 from Missouri University of Science and Technology in mechanical engineering and went on to earn a master’s degree in engineering from Purdue University in 1992. He joined General Motors in 1983 as a co-op student with Buick.

In recognition of his professional accomplishments, Duchardt was presented with an honorary professional degree from his alma mater, Missouri S&T, in December 2009.

In his current position, Duchardt works hand-in-hand with vice president of competition Ken Howes, who oversees Hendrick’s day-to-day competition-related activities.

Back to top

Howes was introduced to Hendrick Motorsports owner Rick Hendrick, who at the time was assisting General Motors in reviving its Corvette road-racing project. In 1985, Hendrick offered Howes a position managing his team in the IMSA Grand Touring Prototype (GTP) division, a decision that soon produced wins at courses like Road Atlanta and West Palm Beach, Fla.

After racing sports cars with Hendrick for a half-decade, Howes regularly began attending NASCAR events in 1990, joining the Winston Cup Series (now Sprint Cup) two years later as crew chief for driver Ken Schrader and the No. 25 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolets.

Beginning in 1996, Howes managed Hendrick’s research and development department until being named competition director in 2001. He was elevated to vice president of competition in February 2005.

In his current position, Howes oversees Hendrick’s day-to-day competition-related activities, encompassing teams, crew chiefs and human performance, along with at-track logistics and execution. He works hand-in-hand with vice president of development Doug Duchardt.

In 2002, Howes was presented with the Papa Joe Hendrick Award of Excellence for his contributions to Hendrick Motorsports for almost two decades. The award is presented to the employee who embodies the values, principles and ideals of Hendrick Motorsports.

Howes was honored on July 27, 2008 with the C&R Racing True Grit Award, which exemplifies outstanding achievement in racing and acknowledges dedicated crew chiefs and mechanics in the motor sports industry. Howes accepted the honor prior to the 400-mile event at Indianapolis Motor Speedway.

Back to top

A 1992 graduate of California Lutheran University, Perkins joined Phoenix International Raceway that same year as marketing manager. In 1995, he became vice president and general manager of Phoenix-based Associated Companies, a group of advertising and promotional agencies specializing in the retail automotive industry.

Perkins was successful during his first two stops, developing business and promotional opportunities at each. His experience, combined with lessons learned from watching his father and role model, Jim, ultimately prepared Perkins for joining Hendrick Motorsports in 1999.

When he arrived at Hendrick Motorsports, Perkins quickly transitioned into the role of director of marketing services. In August 2002, he was named the director of marketing, and five years later he became the vice president of marketing.

No matter his title, though, Perkins has surrounded himself with highly talented, quality employees to assist in leading the department’s daily operations. He enjoys a career where he can combine his two passions – racing and the automotive business.

Perkins acknowledges his parents, particularly his father, a former General Motors and Toyota executive, as tremendous influences in his life. He enjoys spending time with his wife, Mary, and daughter, Julia, exercising and being outdoors.

Back to top

A 1994 Appalachian State University graduate, Lampe began his career with Dixon Hughes PLLC, a regional firm of certified public accountants and advisors based in Raleigh, N.C. Hendrick Motorsports was a client of the company, and Lampe started to build a relationship with Jeff Turner, Hendrick’s general manager at the time. After years of traveling around the nation with Dixon Hughes, Lampe decided it was time to try something different.

That led him to Hendrick Motorsports. Since his arrival in 1999, Lampe has employed different software programs and initiatives to add value and business discipline to the organization without hampering the competitive spirit that makes the company work.

Notably, Lampe has implemented the use of FRx Forecaster to handle budgeting and turn the annual forecasting process between finance and operating groups into a collaborative effort. He also introduced Hendrick Motorsports to Sharepoint, a tool shared by departments to enhance the capital budgeting process.

Since 2005, Lampe has represented Hendrick Motorsports on the Cabarrus Economic Development Corporation board of directors. He is a member of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants and appeared on the August 2007 cover of CFO magazine. In 2008, Lampe was invited to join the Business Advisory Council for the School of Business at Appalachian State, and in 2010, he was honored by the Charlotte Business Journal as CFO of the Year in the large private company category.

Born in Roanoke, Va., Lampe grew up in Durham, N.C., where he attended Duke University football games and sold programs for the Blue Devils as a youngster. He likes to stay active, playing flag football and softball and spending time with his family.

Back to top