$1B HMS owner Rick Hendrick lauds Dale Jr. and Jimmie Johnson among other new generation of NASCAR team owners

Rick Hendrick, the owner of legendary NASCAR team Hendrick Motorsports, expressed pride over the ownership efforts of Dale Earnhardt Jr. and Jimmie Johnson. The both of them are drivers as well as owners of their respective teams.

Hendrick (worth $1B according to celebritynetworth.com) was impressed by Dale Earnhardt Jr.'s involvement in JR Motorsports' debut in the Cup Series. This is where Justin Allgaier secured a spot in the Great American Race and finished ninth. He believes this achievement will motivate Earnhardt and his sister Kelley Earnhardt-Miller to pursue further opportunities in the Cup Series. Hendrick said on Monday morning after the Champion’s Breakfast at the DAYTONA 500 Club:

“I was so proud of Dale. He got that car in the race. He wasn’t that happy when he won the 500, and to get that car in the race, I’ve never seen anything to beat it. But he and Kelley (Earnhardt-Miller) worked their butts off.

The 75-year-old showered praise on the Legacy Motor Club owner, Jimmie Johnson as well. Hendrick appeared in awe of Johnson's leadership qualities, strong work ethic, and ability to attract sponsors.

“He’s gone about it the right way,” Hendrick said. “He built it a brick at a time. You try to get your base right, and you can grow it. Jimmie’s a leader, and his work ethic is so good. He will be a force in the sport because he will surround himself with good people.

Hendrick continued:

“And he’s articulate. He will be able to bring in good sponsors. I’m real proud of him.”

Rick Hendrick sees Johnson, Dale Jr., and other new owners like Jeff Dickerson (Spire Motorsports) and Brad Keselowski (RFK Racing) as vital to the sport's future, praising their commitment to building competitive teams and upholding the team owner mentality that made the sport as popular as it is.

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Dale Jr. got real about JR Motorsports’ Cup Series future after Daytona 500 outcome

Dale Earnhardt Jr. expressed optimism about JR Motorsports' future in the Cup Series after Justin Allgaier's impressive ninth-place finish at the Daytona 500. Earnhardt Jr. felt that the team "hit it out of the park" regarding their activation with Traveller Whiskey and praised JR Motorsports' marketing and engagement efforts. He talked about a willingness to explore future Cup Series opportunities, whether later this year or with other potential partners. Speaking in a post-race interview, Dale Jr. said:

"I hope to get to do it again. I think we hit it out of the park in terms of our activation with Traveller (Whiskey brand), and JR Motorsports did what they always do and that's engagement, marketing better than anybody in the sport or as good as anybody."

"So, we'll see if that is exciting for now, and they wanna continue doing this, and do it again sometime this year or maybe somebody else calls us on Monday that has some another ideas. But we're always ready, have been for years. So, we'll see," he added.

Earnhardt Jr. highlighted JR Motorsports' ability to consistently deliver strong marketing and engagement, suggesting this makes them an attractive partner for potential sponsors interested in entering the Cup Series.