Hendrick formula works well. (Nascar).(Rick Hendrick, National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing)(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)

Rick Hendrick is not your typical used-car salesman.

Sure, he probably could sell air conditioners in Iceland, but it takes more than marketing skills to become a giant among auto dealers and the owner of a motorsports empire that has won eight NASCAR titles (five Winston Cup, three truck) in the last seven seasons. It takes a passion for what you're doing and an unwavering determination to carry out the vision.

Hendrick has both--along with a gift for making people feel comfortable. He inspires those around him to accomplish goals and to reach beyond them. And he makes it seem easy.

In 1983, after winning three drag boat championships, Hendrick shifted his racing interest to stock cars. His dream began to take shape in a ramshackle garage in Harrisburg, N.C., less than a mile from Lowe's Motor Speedway.

There, Hendrick learned the nuances of Winston Cup racing from the late Harry Hyde, one of the most wily crew chiefs in the sport.

It's no accident the site of Hendrick's original shop is home to an 86,000 square-foot workshop recently completed for the Winston Cup teams of current champion Jeff Gordon and rookie Jimmie Johnson. The structure overlooks the rest of the sprawling Hendrick Motorsports complex, which is also home base for two-time points champion Terry Labonte and Jerry Nadeau in Winston Cup and the newly formed Busch Series teams of three-time truck champion Jack Sprague and Hendrick's 21-year-old son, Ricky.

Hendrick Motorsports occupies 70 acres and 13 buildings. Hendrick's infectious work ethic motivates 250 employees spread among his six teams, engine shop, chassis shop, research and development department and the administrative and marketing arms.