“He’s just a great father figure” - Kelley Earnhardt reveals family history with HMS boss Rick Hendrick

Kelley Earnhardt recently opened up on her relationship with Rick Hendrick. The co-owner and CEO of JR Motorsports further revealed her family history with the Hendrick Motorsports owner, which predated Dale Earnhardt Jr.'s switch from DEI to HMS.

Speaking on the Kenny Conversation, Kelley Earnhardt called Rick Hendrick one of her greatest mentors. She said that she could call Mr. H with all sorts of things, asking him for opinions on all things business and personal.

She then revealed her family association with Rick Hendrick as her grandfather, Robert G., moved from Southill, Virginia to North Carolina with Mr. H to pursue racing.

"My granddaddy was an employee over there until he passed in 1994. And so my Mr. Hendrick has always held a high regard for my grandfather. When my grandfather had a stroke, that's kind of where I met Mr. Hendrick. I was in the hospital, cutting my granddaddy's toenails as a college student, and Mr. Hendrick came to visit," she described. [1:02:05]

Kelley Earnhardt claimed that after she and Junior lost their father Dale Earnhardt Sr., and after Rick Hendrick lost his son, there were "a lot of synergies" between the two families.

"Mr. Hendrick was always talked about in very high regard to my family, for my grandfather, and to my mom. So that relationship existed there. And that's why us going to race there made sense to us in our minds. He's just a great father figure. We hang up the phone, 'I love you.' I can call him for business or personal. I can call him to complain about Dale, whatever I want to do," she claimed.

Rick Hendrick claimed he and Dale Jr. share an almost father/son relationship

As Dale Earnhardt Jr. brought a curtain to his full-time driving career, Rick Hendrick reflected on his relationship with the #88 driver. The HMS boss claimed he and Junior have had "some heartbreaking finishes" over the years and that there should have been "a lot more wins."

But despite what happened on the track and in NASCAR, Mr. H looked beyond that.

"At the end of the day, I got to spend a good part of my life with a young man that I’ve become extremely close to. We have almost like a father/son relationship. Now I get to see him grow through all those stages of life, get a girlfriend, get married, and now be a father," he said as per NASCAR.

Hendrick claimed he would've liked more wins and championships. But the good times they've had, and the bond they share, are very important to him. He claimed it's something that won't end.

Rick Hendrick mentioned that he and Dale Jr. have had "so many special times."

He claimed his and Junior's relationship is "way more" than that of a racecar driver and a team owner.