CONCORD, N.C. – Will Power sought to express his gratitude and appreciation to Rick Hendrick for assisting him and his wife during her health scare this offseason. Hendrick was more than happy to help the family through a tough time.
During the winter, Power’s wife, Liz, battled a Staph infection that had settled in her spine. Her condition had taken a turn and Hendrick reached out to Power to help, putting him in touch with doctors and specialists in North Carolina. The Powers attribute Hendrick’s assistance in aiding Liz Power pulling through to recover.
"My wife got very sick in the offseason and Rick (Hendrick) was one of the first people to call me and help me out once he found out," Power said. "He put me in touch with the best doctors and the best people to take care of it. She was very close to dying. It was a very tough situation. He never stopped calling through the whole process, which, like myself, my wife will never forget. I couldn’t think of what to get Mr. Hendrick and I think that’s all I could think."
After Power presented him with his 2023 Indianapolis 500 helmet, Hendrick was moved by the gift.
"Number one, I don’t need anything, but, man, this is something I’ll treasure,” Hendrick told Power. "I’m a big fan anyway, but I’m honored to have it so much. I’m just so glad that she’s okay."
“I can’t tell you how much it helped with the doctors you got me in touch with and the hospitals,” Power said.
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During a press conference, the 14-time NASCAR Cup Series championship-winning team owner and NASCAR Hall of Famer shared more about what the gift meant to him.
"I was more than happy to help them through that difficult time," Hendrick said. "I'm glad she's okay. The helmet was a real surprise and a real gift.
"I told him I love trophies and helmets. He said, ‘this one hasn't won a race this year, but I did wear it in the Indy 500.’ I said that was good enough. That was a great gift."
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Hendrick was at Indianapolis Motor Speedway for Kyle Larson’s IndyCar Rookie Orientation Program. He is the car owner for Larson’s attempt at the 2024 Indianapolis 500 with HendrickCars.com as the sponsor for the Arrow McLaren-fielded entry.
