“It’s a privilege to do something like this” - When Rick Hendrick built his own COPO Camaro engine

About 13 years ago, NASCAR team owner Rick Hendrick built the engine for his COPO Camaro at General Motors’ Performance Build Center.

In June 2012, the owner of Hendrick Motorsports and head of Hendrick Automotive Group, took part in the program by Chevrolet, which allowed car enthusiasts to build the engine for their vehicles. Hendrick built the engines for one of only 69 drag-racing 2012 COPO Camaro units, 43 years after the original model was built.

Rick Hendrick said via hendrickmotorsports.com:

"Last year’s Corvette engine build was such a memorable experience that I couldn’t pass up the opportunity to do it again with a COPO Camaro. As a Chevy enthusiast and collector, it’s a real privilege to do something like this."

He also thanked the team at the Performance Build Center for letting him come back. Chevrolet brought back the famous COPO Camaro that year, after the original COPOs in 1968. They were expected to hit the quarter-mile in under 10 seconds.

Drag racing was huge in the 1960s, and to race, car companies had to sell at least 50 of the same model to the public. GM did not have a strong enough Camaro until the COPO Camaros were built with a powerful Corvette engine. Only 69 were ever made.

"I'm going to build the building, so I pay tribute to my family" - Rick Hendrick on private car collection

Rick Hendrick owns a vast car collection in a large garage near Charlotte. The building displays around 120 Corvettes, including rare ones like a ’68 L88 and the first ZR1. Hendrick's passion for Corvettes since his childhood days helped him build his successful career in motorsports.

Hendrick debuted his NASCAR team at the 1984 Daytona 500 with rented equipment and two cars, including the No. 5 Chevy. Hendrick Motorsports currently has 18 NASCAR driver championships, including 14 in the Cup Series. The latest of these came in 2021 with Kyle Larson in the No. 5 Chevy.

The 75-year-old also owns several celebrity cars in the 58,000-square-foot Heritage Center in Concord, North Carolina. His very first Camaro from 2020 and a 1931 Chevy he rebuilt with his dad when he was 14 are also displayed there. Speaking to Detroit Free Press last year, he said:

"When my son died I had these cars scattered all over dealerships warehouses and I said 'I want to build a building a Heritage Center.' Because the guys here had restored his trailer brought all of his helmets back in his uniforms that he had given them and presented me with the trailer. And, so I said. 'okay I'm going to build the building, so I pay tribute to my family.'" (01:12 onwards).

Rick Hendrick's son Ricky died in a plane crash in 2004 with other members of his family.